Saturday, July 30, 2005

Terry Mulholland

Pretend, for a moment, that you're running a Major League Baseball team. Pretend that team is in the middle of a playoff race. Pretend that team has no offense. Now pretend you are faced with the decision of whether or not to keep a 42 year-old pitcher with a 5.98 ERA on the roster. If you said no, you wouldn't, congratulations, you've got more sense than Terry Ryan.

Let's say, however, that you are the manager of this rag-tag group, and by some unfortunate circumstance, this 42 year-old guy that can't pitch anymore was on your roster. Would you pitch him in any game within 5 runs? Would 5 runs even be enough? If you say no, you wouldn't, congratulations, you have more sense than Ron Gardenhire.

At one time in his life, Terry Mulholland was probably a fine pitcher. Now, he's 42 years-old, with a 5.98 ERA, a WHIP that's over 1.5, and opponents are hitting over .300 against him. He is comicly bad on the mound (14 K in 62 IP). He's not going to get any better (heck, he's getting worse). His ERA since the All-Star break is over 12.

Still, this is not enough to get rid of him. Anyone that knows anything about baseball knows this man should not be on the roster. The Twins have multiple viable options in AAA, that are better right now, and *gasp* they could get even better. On one Twins board I frequent, he's nicknamed The Old Man (TOM for short). It is painfully obvious to every Twins fan that TOM sucks. Deep down, I bet he knows it too.

But still, Ryan keeps him on the roster. Gardenhire puts him in ballgames. Today, he was put into a 3-0 ballgame, and promply gave up 3 ER while only recording one out. Gardenhire may as well wave a white flag when he puts Mulholland in any ballgame.

Minnesota Twins, I beg you, cut him, put him on waivers, trade him, anything. Just get him off the roster.

3 comments:

twins15 said...

I don't blame Mulholland, after all, he's not forcing the GM or Manager to put him in the game.

twins15 said...

Yeah, I have no clue at all what Gardenire's doing putting Tiffe at cleanup. I have come to the conclusion that Gardnehire has no brain.

Anonymous said...

At least he gives the Indians some hope in winning the wild card.