It’s time to stop Putz’n around here.
The big story last night was J.J. Putz throwing batting practice to the Pirates. The AAA team from Pittsburgh should not beat the Mets late in a game, let alone putting up a 5 spot against the Mets much improved bullpen in the 8th inning of a game that the Mets led the whole way. Only, they did. J.J. Putz couldn’t get anyone out and gave the game to a team that barely knows how to win.
There was this guy named Aaron Heilman, who was the pitcher that almost every Mets fan loved to hate, and who was boo’d out of town. Mr. Heilman was traded for J.J. Putz … who has seemed to fill Heilman’s void just fine. Heilman blew games in the 8th inning for the Mets and we traded him for a guy who’s starting to blow games in the 8th inning. The only difference between them, right now, is we got a guy with a last name that serves as a punchline for the papers.
So what’s wrong with Putz? That’s the big question.
I think the answer to that question is simple; J.J. Putz is hurt. It’s the only logical explanation. This is a guy that throws 96 when healthy, yet he’s barely cracking 92 on the radar guns. If there is one thing that has been consistent with Putz, it’s been his loss of velocity. This is a guy that has a history of elbow problems, which has been well documented in Seattle. The Mariners converted him from a starter to a reliever, and changed his mechanics in 2006, because of injury concerns. In 2007, Putz had all sorts of problems with his elbow, ranging from “stiffness” to “flexor strain”, and had a couple of MRI’s. This continued throughout 2008 with the Mariners, when he suffered “triceps tendon inflammation and an irritated ulnar nerve.” This landed him on the DL around the all star break.
So what happens when a pitcher gets traded to a new team? Does his elbow miraculously heal when he switches uniforms? Apparently not. This was printed in the Daily News in May:
“Putz had an MRI on Wednesday that revealed inflammation in the back of the elbow, which has caused a bone spur, Mets GM Omar Minaya said.
“He’s had this spur before, and guys sometimes play with it,” Minaya said.”
Hmm … interesting … so we traded a guy with a broken head for a guy with a broken elbow. Why didn’t anyone tell us?! But seriously, am I the only one that saw the infamous “adrenaline” quote as a smokescreen?
Anyhow, it’s clear that something is very wrong. The heat isn’t there, the location is off, and he’s not even throwing off speed pitches. Yesterday, before the game, Dan Warthen was changing Putz’s mechanics. Whenever pitching coaches start dicking around with a pitcher’s delivery, it’s usually to help that pitcher deal with pain, from some kind of injury they are dealing with.
It didn’t help either. Putz now has whiplash to go along with whatever else is bothering him, from all the balls hit back at his head. The team doesn’t feel much better, with a big fat ‘L’ stamped across their foreheads. It’s time to stop Putz’n around. If he’s hurt, either DL him or at the least, stop putting him in the 8th inning. Do what’s right for the team, right now.
Bobby Parnell … 8th inning. J.J. Putz … get well soon.
“It didn’t help either. Putz now has whiplash to go along with whatever else is bothering him, from all the balls hit back at his head. The team doesn’t feel much better, with a big fat ‘L’ stamped across their foreheads.”
LOLOL
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I don’t think Putz has anything he can’t pitch through. He’s had his opportunities to close out games when K-Rod hasn’t been available and he’s been 2 for 2 and throwing the ball 96-97. I think he’s a head case wose than Ollie, and it sucks that there’s always a excuse when someone just sucks…he’s gonna go on the 15 day DL with a bruised ego.
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Mitchells Fists Reply:
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
OK but Putz was LUCKY to get that save in Boston. They were hitting the shit out of that ball, defense saved his ass that day.
He’s not a headcase man. He’s hurt. Just like Maine was last year. Yeah he tried to pitch through it too and look what happened. He pitched like garbage too.
These guys can’t win. Either they don’t say anything about the injury and get called a headcase or they say something about the injury and get called a pussy.
You can’t call him worse than Ollie. Ollie is just a very stupid man. Putz actually has bone spurs in his elbow. Two totally different things man.
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