Sommer named B1G Pitcher of the Week...

[ptrich]

This story was also on the home page of this site. I was surprised when they pulled him after 8 innings pitched even though he was pitching well and his pitch count, if my memory is correct, was at 92. I thought they would let him try to get the complete game shutout. Braden Scott came on in the 9th and gave up two earned runs before getting the side retired.

Sommer Named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week - Indiana University Athletics (iuhoosiers.com)

 

[Radio Zero]

I think he’d only given up two hits at that point, too. I like to see pitchers get chances at complete games.

 

[ptrich]

I think he’d only given up two hits at that point, too. I like to see pitchers get chances at complete games.

Complete games have almost gone the way of the dinosaurs. While you see them more at the high school and college level, they have become few and far between in the majors. They pay their bullpen a lot of money, especially the closers and set-up guys, that I almost believe the managers feel obligated to bring them in to give them some work, even if a starter is pitching well. I know that sometimes a manager can detect/see/feel that a starter is starting to lose it, and it's preemptive, or maybe it is based on input from the catcher, who obviously knows when a pitcher is starting to lose it. However, it often drives me crazy to see a dominant pitcher get pulled after pitching a dominant inning.

 

[Radio Zero]

Complete games have almost gone the way of the dinosaurs. While you see them more at the high school and college level, they have become few and far between in the majors. They pay their bullpen a lot of money, especially the closers and set-up guys, that I almost believe the managers feel obligated to bring them in to give them some work, even if a starter is pitching well. I know that sometimes a manager can detect/see/feel that a starter is starting to lose it, and it's preemptive, or maybe it is based on input from the catcher, who obviously knows when a pitcher is starting to lose it. However, it often drives me crazy to see a dominant pitcher get pulled after pitching a dominant inning.

Yeah, it was just a hunch on my part, I guess, but I didn't feel good about Sommers getting pulled. In that case, I was kind of right, though it turned out all right.

Complete games are such rarities that I get a kick out of them (as well as the stats from yesteryear, where a guy would start, say, 28 games in a season and have 25 complete).

 

[ptrich]

Yeah, it was just a hunch on my part, I guess, but I didn't feel good about Sommers getting pulled. In that case, I was kind of right, though it turned out all right.

Complete games are such rarities that I get a kick out of them (as well as the stats from yesteryear, where a guy would start, say, 28 games in a season and have 25 complete).

While pretty young at the time, I was old enough to remember the great pitchers such as Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, and Sandy Koufax, and they seemed to go nine innings a majority of time whether they were winning or losing in a close game. Times have changed.

 

[hookyIU1990]

While pretty young at the time, I was old enough to remember the great pitchers such as Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, and Sandy Koufax, and they seemed to go nine innings a majority of time whether they were winning or losing in a close game. Times have changed.

Conversation on an AOTF thread was a few of us musing about what Gibson's reaction would have been to getting pulled in a late inning no no or being told his pitch count was too high in general.

"What are you doing here? Just give me the ball. The only thing you know about pitching is that it is hard to hit." Gibson to McCarver on a visit to the mound.

It never fails that a starter will have a good thing going, get pulled and then end up with a no decision because the next guy gets shelled. I hate to see it happen, but it does on what seems like a regular basis.

 

[MatthewByrne5]

It seems like it could go either way. On the one hand, it would have been great for Sommer to pitch a complete game, but on the other hand, it also makes sense why he was pulled. It's only the first couple of games of the year, and I think it makes sense for guys in the bullpen to get more reps early in the year so their experience can build up. Sure it's only one more inning, but Sommer had a great outing, and even with not finishing the game, I think we all can agree that he had a masterful performance.

 

[ptrich]

It seems like it could go either way. On the one hand, it would have been great for Sommer to pitch a complete game, but on the other hand, it also makes sense why he was pulled. It's only the first couple of games of the year, and I think it makes sense for guys in the bullpen to get more reps early in the year so their experience can build up. Sure it's only one more inning, but Sommer had a great outing, and even with not finishing the game, I think we all can agree that he had a masterful performance.

You have a point on that as far as getting the bullpen some work going into the new season. We had pretty good starting pitching over the weekend, but at times our relievers were somewhat shaky. The freshman rightie Nathan Stahl had a really good outing coming out of the bullpen, pitching three shutout innings against Minn.

 

[MatthewByrne5]

You have a point on that as far as getting the bullpen some work going into the new season. We had pretty good starting pitching over the weekend, but at times our relievers were somewhat shaky. The freshman rightie Nathan Stahl had a really good outing coming out of the bullpen, pitching three shutout innings against Minn.

John Modugno, Nathan Stahl and Matt Litwicki collectively allowed zero runs and only two hits through a combined 9 1/3 innings pitched. I agree that Stahl had a great outing coming out of the bullpen.

 

[MatthewByrne5]

=

You have a point on that as far as getting the bullpen some work going into the new season. We had pretty good starting pitching over the weekend, but at times our relievers were somewhat shaky. The freshman rightie Nathan Stahl had a really good outing coming out of the bullpen, pitching three shutout innings against Minn.

In terms of the Sommer scenario though, Scott definitely was shaky when he came in by allowing the two-run home run. But still like I said earlier, I think it's valuable for relievers to gain experience at the start of the season, especially when they haven't thrown in a live game in just under a year ago. But yes, it still would have been nice to see Sommer finish the game and have a complete game shutout.

 

[hoosier roadtrips]

While pretty young at the time, I was old enough to remember the great pitchers such as Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, and Sandy Koufax, and they seemed to go nine innings a majority of time whether they were winning or losing in a close game. Times have changed.

I was at a game in the early 70s at Tiger Stadium against the Yankees. The New York starter left the game in the first inning, and Lindy McDaniel came in to relieve and I believe went 12 innings.

 

[mk23]

All I know is this: I’d never have had the nerve to try to take Bob Gibson out of a game. I’m surprised fist fights didn’t break out on the mound back then.

 

[hookyIU1990]

All I know is this: I’d never have had the nerve to try to take Bob Gibson out of a game. I’m surprised fist fights didn’t break out on the mound back then.

Nobody wanted to try Gibson would be my guess as to why it never happened.