Jerome Williams, back in the Bay Area!

by Flynn Blake on Sep 5, 2006 3:52 PM PDT

Claimed by the A's on waivers from the Cubs. Boy, has his star fallen:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2006/09/05/sports/s154541D76.DTL

Wonder if he can carve out a place for himself on this staff. Surely as a long reliever at least, if he can regain his control (and a semblance of conditioning).

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Re: Jerome Williams, back in the Bay Area!

I would have liked to have seen the Giants claim him. I still think he will turn it around.

The Dodgers are evil.

by irwin on Sep 5, 2006 4:01 PM PDT reply actions

I never understood why...

Williams was so well regarded. He doesn't have particularly good stuff. What is/was the logic?

Flossing a dead horse

by kenshin1 on Sep 5, 2006 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: I never understood why...

It was because he was always young for his league, I guess.

LicensetoPills: they say this to my family. to barry bonds family. and i say, "i'll bust you up. here is a candy corn."

by jponry on Sep 5, 2006 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: I never understood why...

A word: Projection

He was always young and put up good numbers. He never had a great k rates, but they were acceptable.

He has some more velocity in his arm if he gets in shape and gets a good pitching coach. He needs a pitching coach that will stress throwing hard strikes, not the get-me-over fastball he throws a lot.

I wouldn't bet on him succeeding, but I wouldn't bet against him either. He hasn't exactly been nutured, and he had some obvious family tragedies.

The Dodgers are evil.

by irwin on Sep 5, 2006 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: I never understood why...

What he said! :^)

He was a pretty dominating pitcher despite declining k/9 rates going up the ladder and despite his relative youth, so that's why he was considered such a good prospect.

I'll bet that he's been very distracted dealing with his father's poor/failing health (last I heard but that was at the start of last season, though I would imagine that his dad didn't just recover from that, it was serious stuff, so he's probably still dealing with it) and once he either matures or get over it (however that resolves itself), I think he will be a good back of the rotation starter and perhaps work his way back to what he was doing before.

At very little cost, I would think that he would be worth a flier by some of the worse teams in the league, like Pittsburgh or KC or Tampa Bay. In any case, the A's probably was pretty impressed with him from that great start he had against them in 2003 (I think it was), when Alou said he was going to either skip a start or something like that and Jerome just had a great game against the A's, around June time-frame.

He probably said some things he should not have said, either to the Giants or Sabean specificially, else I would think that they would have picked him up and given him another chance.

Oy, back to the sig that was working better: Go Giants: Winn it all with Feliz

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Sep 5, 2006 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions

I understand why

Jerome had big issues with weight and wisdom, and he wouldn't listen to the voices of experience arrayed all around him in the Giants organization.

The shock of a trade made him open his ears a little, and he had some early success with the Cubs because Jerome ALWAYS had talent.

To hell with family problems -- you let that get on the baseball field, and it is another maturity issue. Jerome Williams had a chance, with a patient Dusty and a willing mentor in Greg Maddux, to become something in the National League.

If he could not flourish in warm-and-fuzzy SF and Chicago, he will have an MLB Career NOWHERE.

by Moggeee on Sep 5, 2006 10:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: I understand why

He's only 24-25, so there's no reason to think that maybe he'll eventually figure things out.

Also, found out something this morning why he may have not been picked up by the Giants. KNBR noted that the A's added him to their 40 man roster and probably told him to get ready for spring training. From what I've been reading here, the Giants will have a heck of a time figuring out who to keep and who to let go on the 40 man roster as a number of players need to be added on this off-season. Given both of these points, the Giants probably decided that they have better players in their organization than trying to take a flyer with an old prospect and having him take up a 40-man spot.

Oy, back to the sig that was working better: Go Giants: Winn it all with Feliz

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Sep 6, 2006 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Jerome Williams, back in the Bay Area!

The last time I saw Williams pitch, sometime last year, he never reached 90 on the gun.

by BarryR on Sep 5, 2006 8:59 PM PDT reply actions

I think he was injured

which is why he was traded. In 03 and 04, he looked like his stuff was good encough to be a successful ML starter. He threw a lot of sinking stuff in the low 90's, with a good curve.

His basic performance stats, 17W 12L, 118 ERA+, were really good, but his peripherials, 1.80 K.BB, 5.8 K/9 were just so-so, a sign that he wouldn't be a plus pitcher. Still, like Lowry, I think he could have been a career #3 starter, but injuries and an apparent loss of velocity have hurt him.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix

by GiantJim on Sep 6, 2006 7:29 AM PDT reply actions

Re: I think he was injured

According to Krukow this morning, he loves Jerome's stuff and would love to get him back, particularly since he is still so young. But he thinks that what robbed Jerome of his velocity was his added weight. Kruk noted that Jerome gets his velocity from his hips and with the added weight, he has been unable to generate much speed.

Oy, back to the sig that was working better: Go Giants: Winn it all with Feliz

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Sep 6, 2006 9:08 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Jerome Williams, back in the Bay Area!

At one of the Fanfests in 05, I had cap autographed by Jerome, Wayne Franklin, Tyler Walker, and Lance Niekro. All except one are no longer with the team, and I wouldn't be surprised if Niekro is gone during the offseason. I've been thinking it's the Cap of Doom for players. Maybe I can get Benitez to sign it...

When Benitez steps on the mound, it's "Bye-Bye Baby!"

by Natto on Sep 6, 2006 8:25 AM PDT reply actions