Hoover in the 7th, Marshall in the 8th, Broxy in the 9th....Seems stout to me.

 

I wish Hoover was our closer. Love the guy's command and has pretty good stuff.

FWIW, I saw a tweet yesterday regarding Chapman. I can't remember who it was from but basically it said a rival scout thought the Reds would be crazy to start Chapman. Apparently he was 91-93 in a AA start yesterday and couldn't get any pitch except a fastball over the plate.

 

He has thrown twice... First time...

 

14 pitches, 11 strikes in 1-2-3 2nd inning for Chapman with a K. Scoreboard radar had highest pitch of game 93 mph, a few in the 70s. #reds

 

22 total pitches, 17 Ks

 

He threw almost all off speed pitches the first start. I don't recall any stats from the 2nd one.

 

An opposing NL scout tells FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Reds "are crazy" if they use Aroldis Chapman as a starter. "It’s Joba Chamberlain all over again. His velocity dropped off in the second inning. He couldn’t get his off-speed stuff over the plate consistently. No question in my mind, he’s the closer," the scout said.

 

From mlbtraderumors.com

 

Same thing DMD was talking about which is bogus.

I like Chapman as a closer. The game was over when he came in. If that magic continues this season as a starter it would be great.

 

 

Except for the fact that 8 guys were more efficient than he was last season. The manner he went about it was dominant, but the end results weren't much different than quite a few other teams.

 

They signed him to be starter, he's always said he preferred to start, why not give him a shot?

Except for the fact that 8 guys were more efficient than he was last season. The manner he went about it was dominant, but the end results weren't much different than quite a few other teams.

 

They signed him to be starter, he's always said he preferred to start, why not give him a shot?

I think they signed him as an unknown, a pitcher with an outstanding arm. We wanted a starter. If he ever said he wanted to start, this post from another thread seems to say otherwise, or at least maybe he changed his mind.

 

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Chapman: "I would like to be a closer, but that's not in my hands." #reds #cincienquirer

 

Except for the fact that 8 guys were more efficient than he was last season. The manner he went about it was dominant, but the end results weren't much different than quite a few other teams.

 

They signed him to be starter, he's always said he preferred to start, why not give him a shot?

 

8 guys? Really? In MLB or NL?

Totally disagree with that.

 

Well the numbers show teams win a game with the lead after 8 innings at almost the exact same clip since 1900 so your opinion is probably wrong.

 

However Chapman should be the closer this year and basically as long as he's a Red. When Leake is your 5th starter and your playoff rotation has Bailey 3rd and Arroyo 4th you're in great shape. Chapman out of the pen for the next few years while you're set up for a few great years isn't a bad thing. If he turned out to be a dominant starter the Reds may not be able to re-sign him when he is at his best.

 

I don't understand though why people always bring up Rivera for comparisons. Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher of all time. Chapman is a really good relief pitcher right now, not even the best in baseball now. Its like if I say well Chapman will be Randy Johnson. I feel pretty safe saying he won't ever be one of those guys. It's like fc's continued comparisons of Dalton and Brees. I just can't take that stuff seriously.

Okay- I went back to 1986 and looked at stats for closers on the team that won the World Series (1986 is arbitrary in a sense, recent enough that the closer role was defined around the league and it is the first World Series that I remember- thank you Bill Buckner).

 

Since 1986, I could find six seasons in which the World Series winning team did not have a 30 save closer. In 1988 the LA Dodgers had Jay Howell with 21. In 1995 the Atlanta Braves had Mark Wohlers with 25. In 2001 the Arizona Diamondbacks had Byun Hyun Kim with 19. In 2003 the Florida Marlins had Brayden Looper with 28. And then you have our last two winners in St. Louis and San Francisco that made it through the season by committee.

 

I think an objective baseball fan will tell you that, while Wohlers only had 25 saves, that he was integral as the closer for that Braves team. Since 1986, two closers have been names World Series MVP (both Yankees, incidentally- Wetteland and Mo).

 

What does this all mean- in modern baseball, you can win a World Series without a closer- but it sure is easier to win with one. Closers are not overrated, IMO.

 

I think your research proves that closers can be found even as the season is going on and that a pre determined dominant one isn't necessary.

Well the numbers show teams win a game with the lead after 8 innings at almost the exact same clip since 1900 so your opinion is probably wrong.

 

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I would hope that if you have the lead that the numbers would show you win the game more often than not.

 

As for this quote "Any pitcher can have success coming in and pitching to the 6-7-8 hitters with a 6-4 lead in the 9th inning."

I said I disagreed with, I would hope you've watched enough baseball to disagree with that statement. However, I'm not surprised by much anymore. How about the 1-2-3 hitters? 3-4-5? Hogwash that just anyone can close a game. No numbers would support otherwise.

Simple fact is that starting pitching is everything in post season. Reds did not have that the last two time in and were quickly eliminated. Chapman is the only option they have to fill that need and therefore they have to move him. They have options at closer with three currently in the pen that could fill the role. (Further evidence that the role is overrated.)

 

Franco = top closer, Meyers = top closer, Dibble = top closer. Next up. Even jokers like Graves and that ******* from Atlanta were successful when allowed to be in that role only. Most overrated and overpaid role in all of sports.

I would hope that if you have the lead that the numbers would show you win the game more often than not.

 

As for this quote "Any pitcher can have success coming in and pitching to the 6-7-8 hitters with a 6-4 lead in the 9th inning."

I said I disagreed with, I would hope you've watched enough baseball to disagree with that statement. However, I'm not surprised by much anymore. How about the 1-2-3 hitters? 3-4-5? Hogwash that just anyone can close a game. No numbers would support otherwise.

 

Then why haven't teams won at a higher percentage since the closer has become popular? Why did 6 of last years 10 playoff teams have a different closer in October than March? It's easier to find a serviceable closer than most people want to believe

Simple fact is that starting pitching is everything in post season. Reds did not have that the last two time in and were quickly eliminated. Chapman is the only option they have to fill that need and therefore they have to move him. They have options at closer with three currently in the pen that could fill the role. (Further evidence that the role is overrated.)

 

Franco = top closer, Meyers = top closer, Dibble = top closer. Next up. Even jokers like Graves and that ******* from Atlanta were successful when allowed to be in that role only. Most overrated and overpaid role in all of sports.

 

The Reds 3rd best starting pitcher damn near no hit the team that won the WS to eliminate them in a 3 game sweep. I would take their top 4 starters over everyone else's in the NL right now no questions asked. They lost last year b/c Votto wasn't himself and Cueto got hurt.

The Reds 3rd best starting pitcher damn near no hit the team that won the WS to eliminate them in a 3 game sweep. I would take their top 4 starters over everyone else's in the NL right now no questions asked. They lost last year b/c Votto wasn't himself and Cueto got hurt.

 

The Reds lost because the Giants pitched better. Cueto getting hurt was the key. First time through Reds win. Second time through it was all Giants, because of starting pitching.

The Reds lost because the Giants pitched better. Cueto getting hurt was the key. First time through Reds win. Second time through it was all Giants, because of starting pitching.

 

So they needed better starting pitching in games 1-3? You watched a different series.

Then why haven't teams won at a higher percentage since the closer has become popular? Why did 6 of last years 10 playoff teams have a different closer in October than March? It's easier to find a serviceable closer than most people want to believe

On some rosters perhaps more than others. I think Homer would be a good closer if he was in that role. See John Smoltz. And that makes my point, guys in the role of starter are way harder to be above average, regardless of arm. I'm also not the huge banger of the "we have to have the best closer to win" drum. However, my assertion is that Chapman excelled at that role. You can put numbers on it if you wish. He went through a rough stretch, true. However, there is an aura around a closer that is as amped as he is that makes it different than the run-o-the mill hurler that runs out there in the 9th.

So they needed better starting pitching in games 1-3? You watched a different series.

 

They needed better starters for the series. Maybe we did watch a different series. The one that I saw the Reds lost.