Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
scott@scottlongonline.com
Two of the best pitchers over the past 5 seasons met up Thursday night. In a game that took only 1:50, Roy Halladay threw 7 shutout innings to beat the White Sox, 2-0. Mark Buerhle got the loss, despite throwing a 2-hit complete game, as both hits off him were homeruns. Between the 2 starting pitchers, the overall line shows 16 IP, 8 hits, 2 ER, 13 K, and NO WALKS.
Their overall career stats are very similar. Halladay won his 100th game last night, denying Buerhle from winning his 100th game. Halladay career ERA is 3.63 and WHIP is 1.23. Buerhle career ERA is 3.83 and WHIP is 1.25.
During a conversation with Will Carroll, we were trying to figure out what Mark Buerhle will make on the open market. It will depend much on what Buerhle wants to do, as he has made it no secret he wants to play for his boyhood favorite Cardinals. While few doubt he will give St. Louis a hometown discount, it is questionable how much the Cardinals have in the budget to sign him. Foxsports.com Ken Rosenthal discussed his impending free agency, after Buerhle had thrown his no-hitter in April.
Considering the current market for starting pitching, an innings eater like Buerhle will make around $15 million per year. Buerhle is the closest thing to Tom Glavine in an under 30 year-old pitcher. His durability gives him the right to ask for a 6 year deal. I don't see the White Sox offering longer than 4, so expect Buerhle to be on the open market.
It says something that despite the fact that I live a mere 90 minutes from St. Louis I have been to more Brewer games in the last five years and something like five times more games in Wrigley.
End Rant.
That said, he does appear to be having some good hit luck. In most years of his career, save last year when his missing Ks appear to have turned into hits, Buehrle has given up a few more hits than innings pitched; this year, he's way below that. It might just be an anamoly, but it might also mean that we'll see a return to an ERA closer to four than 3.50 by the time the season is over. Of course, in a hitter's park and throwing 240 innings, that's a valuable thing.
As someone who follows the White Sox more closely, was there a temporary thing happening with Buehrle that someone not following the team very closely either wouldn't know or might not remember?
The staff was fatigued from the long season they had in 2005. Just see what has happened to the Tigers pitchers this year from fatigue. Pretty amazing that despite their fatigue, not one of their Big 4 had any major DL time. (Sox training staff is as good as it gets.)
This was why I was so down on PECOTA's expectations for this year's starting staff. Having said that, their hitting and especially of late their bullpen could put them below 500 for the year.
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