Starting your Stroman and Maintaining your Buehrle


So I was all ready to write a passionate case for Marcus Stroman starting Saturday in New York. Then this happened:




Gibby stole my thunder.


Buehrle is going to return to Toronto for a cortisone shot. He wasn't great versus Boston, but maintains he felt ok.

“Besides the results, I feel like I’ll take today, the way I felt and (what) I had location-wise,” Buehrle said, while admitting that he his most conspicuous location matched the path of Boston bats.

There are a few things at play.

1. It is NOT disrespectful to Mark Buehrle to have Stroman start in Yankee Stadium.  Just give me strength with this shit. Buehrle is terrible at Yankee Stadium. I know that. He knows that- one start last year after he took a lead into the 5th and blew it, he joked with the media "That one counts as a half. I got half a victory."

You all know that. It's a known quantity.

You know what would be genuinely disrespectful? To throw Buehrle out there and expect something different. Especially now given that he is sore.

Per Richard Griffin:

Ever since David Price was acquired at the trade deadline, the Blue Jays have been treating 36-year-old veteran Mark Buehrle like he's part of a problem, as if they're trying to win an AL East Division title despite him. Buehrle started a game on Aug. 1, then has made just six starts in 37 days.

Buehrle, a career workhorse, has pitched 200-plus innings for 14 seasons in a row, but now has been jerked around like he's being seen as an unreliable swing-man, instead of a mainstay of the rotation, which he was, until the Price deal. If Buehrle is not injured and is not the one asking for extra rest, he should be on the same rest as R.A. Dickey, behind the clear No. 1 starter, Price, forming a trusted 60-percent of the rotation. In big series, he should not be passed over because of recent starts.
Please with this. It has nothing to do with his recent starts. They manipulated the rotation in April so Buehrle didn't have to pitch there. It's a known quantity: he's bad there. Water is wet. Buehrle is bad at Yankee Stadium.

This is not mistreatment. They are trying to maintain him. This consecutive 200 innings streak is really impressive, but it also means there are a hell of a lot of pitches on that arm. He is 36 years old and has never been on the DL.

Also, it's a good rule of thumb to never ask the pitcher if he's good to go. Any guy worth his salt is going to say "Yeah, I'm good." His arm could be a bloody pulp on the mound and he's going to say he'll throw strikes with his stump.

Ask Grady Little how that worked out for him.

Also,

And where's the respect for his mentor, Buehrle, a man he considers a father figure.
Ugh.

2. This whole idea about Stroman somehow not having earned this opportunity needs to die a quick death. This kid rehabbed his ass off to get to this point, while he completed his degree. Stroman did this despite the emotional blow of not being able to play for most of the season and the physical pain of a torn ACL and surgery. Knee surgery is awful.

While Stroman didn't have the greatest start for Buffalo on Monday, he still feels confident to go forward.

“It’s still baseball; I’m never one to sit here and make excuses. I was just a little up in the zone,” Stroman said. “I make really good adjustments start-to-start and bullpens are where I get a lot of work done as far as making small adjustments, fine-tuning and getting back in the zone. So, in my next bullpen I’ll definitely work on it. I’m not even worried about it.”

3. The other 23 guys in that clubhouse want to win. They smell it. They taste it. The East in within their grasp. The best record in the AL is within their grasp. If Stroman offers the best opportunity, they are going to get behind it.

People will accept change if those making the decision offer rationale for making that change. I don't want to hear "what about the other 23 guys?" They all have their roles to play.

4. The Blue Jays need to see what Stroman has to go into October baseball. They are thinking ahead and want to offer rest to those they think need it and to see what they have.

And as Arden Zwelling reported, Stroman wants to face adversity now. 


“I want to face adversity now. I don’t want my first adversity to come in the big leagues. I had to battle with guys on, I had to pitch from the stretch—it was tough,” Stroman said. “But it was good for me to battle through that and have to make pitches rather than it just going smooth sailing and then facing that in the big leagues.”


5. You know the best reason I can think of to not have Stroman pitch in Atlanta versus the terrible Braves? He doesn't have to square around and sac bunt. Yeah, he might have to run to cover first in his start, but it's not guaranteed. Pitchers hitting is just a bad scene.