Oh yeah, they need Jon Jay back.

The pitch selection to Mather was something I had an issue with and a reason I still have strong doubts about Motte.  Motte blew two fastballs by Mather and was up 0-2 and still couldnt put him away.  Joey-freaking-Mather!  The third pitch about went to the backstop it was so far outside.  If I were going to call a fastball in that situation it should have been a high one.  The he threw a (maybe) slider in the dirt.  At 90 MPH it wasnt a pitch that was going to setup the fastball.  If Mather of all people can sit fastball on Motte and he is to chicken to throw another pitch then who will he throw one to.  The guy need to learn an offspeed pitch to keep batters off his fastball.  He doesnt even have to throw it for strikes.  Is that really that hard to learn?  And I am not talking about a 90 MPH slider or 2 seamer.  He needs a curve, change or something in the lower to mid 80s.

APIAD wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

tkihshbt wrote:

Are you typing on a phone?

shoulder surgery last week. i'm typing with one hand.

Internet porn could be tricky.

brushing my teeth is tricky. internet porn might as well be scrimshaw.

btw, i think molina was calling the pitches. at least i don't see motte shaking him off too often, if at all.
unless motte is calling the game from the mound. which i kind of doubt with their comparative experience. the only guy who can overrule yadi is probably carp, and after all these years those two are so much in synch at this point signals are probably more habitual than anything else.

artie_fufkin wrote:

APIAD wrote:

The pitch selection to Mather was something I had an issue with and a reason I still have strong doubts about Motte.  Motte blew two fastballs by Mather and was up 0-2 and still couldnt put him away.  Joey-freaking-Mather!  The third pitch about went to the backstop it was so far outside.  If I were going to call a fastball in that situation it should have been a high one.  The he threw a (maybe) slider in the dirt.  At 90 MPH it wasnt a pitch that was going to setup the fastball.  If Mather of all people can sit fastball on Motte and he is to chicken to throw another pitch then who will he throw one to.  The guy need to learn an offspeed pitch to keep batters off his fastball.  He doesnt even have to throw it for strikes.  Is that really that hard to learn?  And I am not talking about a 90 MPH slider or 2 seamer.  He needs a curve, change or something in the lower to mid 80s.

i would have gone with nothing but fastballs too, but mather was fooled and nearly bit on that slider that was two feet outside. i kind of thought to myself, 'oh no, motte is going to try to be a pitcher here.'
the ironic thing was that if he throws a slider to lehair with a 2-2 count, he probably fools him so badly he gets a swing and miss.

I think there has to be the threat that he is going to throw something else.  Once he falls behind or evens up the count like in the Mather at bat the batter knows its going to be a fastball, he knows it going to be for a strike and he hasnt seen an offspeed pitch to throw off his timing.  I dislike that situation alot.  It is easy for me to question the selection after a lost game but I am still not on the Motte bandwagon.  I like him but I am going to wait and see.  With Boggs pitching well, Lynn possably moving back to the bullpen when Oswalt is signed or Carp returns and Salas and Sanchez around I think options for closer are many.


Edit:  I watch the replay and it looked like the pitch Mather hit was a slider.  I was disappointed before because I didnt think they setup the fastball good enough and that was why they got beat.  It looked like the slider was a meatball.  Now I question why in a 2-2 count they would go with a slider.  You are not trying to setup the fastball for a 3-2 count.  You are asking Motte to locate his slider for a strike or get it close enough to get a swing.  Motte's MO sould be get ahead with the fastball, throw something else to induce a swing and/or setup the fastball.  I think Molina tried to get cute.  He needs to remember Motte is a one trick pony.

Last edited by APIAD (4/24/2012 9:49 am)

forsberg_us wrote:

Motte will be fine.  Most closers rely on only 2 pitches and it's OK for your slider to be 90 if your fastball is 98.  The 12 pitch at bat by LeHair took its toll and he lost the next hitter.  Motte only had one walk coming into last nights game and he walked two last night.  Shit happens sometimes.

Motte will be fine for awhile but he will fame out.  It isnt like the Cardinals have solved there closer problem for the next 5 years.  It will be interesting as his arm get wore down if the 92 MPH fastball Motte comes back.

forsberg_us wrote:

"It isnt like the Cardinals have solved there closer problem for the next 5 years."

That would put the Cardinals level with almost every other team in the major leagues.

True.