With all the sucking the Phillies have been doing lately, it’s kinda hard to pinpoint one sucky player as the reason for their recent downfall. Jimmy Rollins is 0-for-his last 27 with four walks since the 19th of June, Ryan Howard has just one home run in his last 15 games, Pedro Feliz had himself a nice 1-for-23 streak going on up until this week — and that’s not even mentioning any of the shiteous outings from our pitching staff during that time.
Well, all but one. The guy 95% of Philadelphians were ready to anoint as the new closer as soon as Brad Lidge started fucking up, Ryan Madson.
For some reason, ever since our eighth inning specialist was handed the closer’s role after Lidge landed on the DL with a “bum knee”, Ryan Madson been getting knocked around the park like he has “#57 Taschner” on the back of his jersey.
Check out his line since he blew a save against Toronto on June 16th (and I swear to God if any of you fucks talk about a small sample size, I’m gonna track you down by your IP address and punch you in the neck):
6 games, 0-2 record, an NL leading 3 blown saves (in six appearances!), 7.94 ERA, and a little over three baserunners allowed PER INNING. Meanwhile, opponents are batting .346 against him with a .485 OBP, .731 SLG%, and an insane 1.216 OPS.
The question remains though — WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?
There are plenty of theories floating around, but if you ask me, Madson has to stop relying on his fastball so much — ESPECIALLY that cutter that hasn’t been cutting since the first month of the season — and get back to throwing the pitch that got him a spot on a major league roster to begin with, that beautiful changeup of his. I mean, you have a pitch in your arsenal that was the most swung at and missed pitch (percentage-wise) out of any major league pitcher in 2008, and instead of putting hitters away with it, you choose to throw that flat fastball over the middle of the plate to say, a Brian Roberts (hypothetically, of course) with 2 outs and a runner on base while you’re up a run in the bottom of the ninth.
As a matter of fact, I’m sure that’s the reason.
Take a look at this little statistical nugget dug up by Jayson Stark courtesy of those pitch-tracking geeks over at Inside Edge:
Ryan Madson hasn’t gotten a single swing-and-miss on his fastball since Lidge was placed on the DL.
Read that again. NOT ONE. That’s kinda pathetic.
So Ryan, pretty please, with a fucking cherry on top, start throwing more changeups and stop throwing so many cot damn fastballs.
Your pal,
meechie
34 Responses to “What the hell is going on with Ryan Madson?”
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But he threw 98 according to spiked radar guns last season, meech! Are you going to deny him that glory?
Yeah, Madson needs to get his shit together. That changeup is tits.
anyone else notice he went from looking a little unnerved in 2007 and early 2008 to suddenly having some sort of EYE OF THE TIGER going on (coinciding with his spirit guide trip with tom gordon)? he doesn’t have the eye of the fucking tiger look anymore. there’s fear in those eyes!
Coincidentally (see previous Fightins post), I was looking through the channels for something to watch after the game on the first night Madson was going to close. I shit you not, there was a show called Mad Dog Time. I thought it was a great sign at the time, but I guess I was wrong. Along with Los Victorinos, these TV people are jinxing us.
thanks meech, ive been hating on that shitty cutter for a few years now. at least he doesnt try to do his best ryan franklin impression with the shit deuce he used to throw too. im trying to look on the bright side. it used to be 2 horrible pitches, now its just 1. USE THE CHANGE because as wheels would say:
That Ball Squirts Out of His Hand – He throws a good change-up. (usage: “Madson’s tall and lanky anyway, and he has kind of a deceptive motion and that ball just squirts out of his hand.”)
Pfft, there’s no way you can find out where I live.
Is anyone else just tired of hearing the same bullshit over and over about the confidence of the players (i.e. jimmy not confident at the plate). Can’t they just say he/they blow(s) right now and not make such shitty excuses. These guys are professional baseball players, not some pussies, who just won a world series. They should be able to hit in any circumstance, confident or not. Confidence used to go a long way with some floks, but anymore it sounds so ridiculous.
Well said Mister Wolf… well said.
@ Al: Ditto. I despise reading statements like that. You know why people use the word “confidence”? Because you can’t throw a statistic at them and say they are wrong.
He always seems to have the deer-in-headlights look.
@ gonzo – exactly – it’s all just filler, bullshit, and quite annoying anymore.
/rant
The whole pen is over worked cause our starters blow cock. I’d like to see how the pen comes out after the ASB.
And Chris, they’re not even blowing hard cock. It’s like they’re just plugging along, sucking some limp penis because they can’t make anything work. Nothing is more embarrassing.
I blame Scott Boras. Who fucking compares a month or two of solid pitching from Madson to the most dominant closer of all time? Ever since then Madson has been serving up his subpar cutter trying to emulate Rivera and has been getting lit the fuck up. Stick to your bread and butter, which is locating fastballs strategically and then getting hitters off balance with the changeup. No more cutter, please.
Oddly enough, per Fangraphs ( http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1852&position=P#pitchvalues ) his cutter has been more effective in terms of run values than his fastball this season. He’s actually throwing his changeup a bit more often (25.9% vs. 23.7%) than he did last year. The likely culprit for all this is his tendency to locate his fastball directly over the middle of the plate, waist high. I wonder if he thinks he can simply blow hitters away now that he throws mid to high nineties.
0-2 fastballs down the middle to anybody (little leaguers included) = kaboom*
*Unless you are a Phillie, then that kaboom is a pop up to the opposite field
Has anyone been watching to see how many pitches Madson has been shaking off before the windup? Kinda curious whether he is throwing the fastball on his own or if it’s primarly what Chooch/Coste/Cholly is calling.
It’s also time to start looking at Dubee. He’s been pitching coach for five seasons now and during that time none of the pitchers have improved much. Look at the track record, Cole’s stuff hasn’t gotten much better since he came up and Myers has never capitalized on the talent. Can’t forget Gavin Floyd who learned how to pitch after he left Philly and started playing in a superior league.
gonzo in all fairness, confidence matters even though it cant be measured by a stat. it matters for any athlete in any situation. the mental aspect of the game is significant, but i understand your beef with the statement.
@Will: Yes, confidence matters. But it’s too easy to say that is the problem when someone starts playing badly.
For example: Rollins is 0 for his last 27. Is confidence the problem? Or the fact that he takes the same swing at a pitch, no matter where it is located? Every swing causes him to pull the ball. Especially on pitches on the outside part of the plate. Not once have I heard Wheels say, “the problem is, he tries to pull the ball all the time.”
Damn, I am sorry Will. I’m just angry at this team. Rollins, especially. Of course, how angry should I get when he has had the same swing for 10 years? Why am I expecting 30 homers and a .290 average because he did it one time? Every other season has been pretty much that of a slightly below average hitter.
Hmmm…couldn’t that question be applied to the Phillies in general?
There are a few exceptions, the esteemed Utley, of course and probably Victor, Howard and Happ are amongst them. But, for the most part, consider this list of players:
Jamie Moyer
Cole Hamels
Joe Blanton
Jimie Rollins
Gregg Dobbs
Carlos Ruiz
Ryan Madson
J.C. Romero
and of course, Brad Lidge
Jay Werth, Durbin, have leveled off of late, so I can’t really include them necessarily.
This entire team has been a head scratcher.
Are the Athletics playing tnight?
People who are too dumb to understand stats hide behind the intangibles like confidence, clutchness, etc. Madson has hit a rough spot but with that said, he still hasn’t been pitching awful. He has also been pretty unlucky. He will be fine…
For anyone who cannot watch the game, here it is on the internet for free. Or, you can watch some WNBA. If that’s your thing.
http://atdhe.net/
Jimmy Rollins used Chipper’s bat in his first plate appearance. And he hit a scorcher to first for an out. Afterwards, they giggled to each other while Jimmy ran to the dugout. This is the strangest thing I’ve seen in a while.
Madson is definitely proving us wrong right now…hahahahahahahahahahaa fuck.
THERE’S THAT FUCKING CUTTER!
Maybe you didn’t ask NICE ENOUGH, meechie?
Wheels must have read this post, because even he was able to pick up that the cutter to Diaz didn’t cut.
@Chris, I think it’s time to retire that fucking pitch, cause it’s caused nothing but epic failure since it started making apperances.
This entire fucking team sucks double donkey dick.
I was gonna write something here but… ahhh whats the fucking point. I can’t bear to watch this shit anymore.
Mitch Williams on post game agreed: more changeup.
The Phils have cost me more money in the last, call it 20 games than 1 team has ever cost me all year. Last night, if the Phils win I hit a 3 team parlay that pays $1565 on a $150 parlay. God damn it when is this team going to turn it around. My guess is when Raul returns. We can only hope…
its cool gonzo, you’re right about jimmy. he thinks lifting the ball is going to help him hit it hard/far. last night he finally stayed closed and engaged the ball instead of flying open, and he had a few hits. it amazes me that such a fine professional can’t figure out the flaw for almost 3 months.
Regarding Madson and his stupid fastball: Like my high school baseball coach used to say, “If you throw the fastball cock high your going to get it hit up your ass!” That phrase goes thru my head everytime i see Madson enter with his goofy lanky ass and then he starts throwing the ball right down the middle. He sucks now and better start throwing like he did in the postseason or else he will keep getting his fastball hit up his ass.