Why is everyone surprised?

by tedfordfan on May 16, 2009 7:39 AM PDT Comment 26 comments

The vitriol over Brian Wilson is, to me, quite honestly, shocking.

Honestly, what were people expecting? Over the past year, we've all laughed (good-naturedly) about his being an "all-star", knowing that he had a WHIP around 1.5. We laughed about the fact that he walks almost a batter an inning and gave everyone a heart attack every time he came to the mound. And we laughed that he'd eventually regress and blow some saves.

So why is everyone freaking out when we've been laughing (because he gots SAVEZ!!!) that this day has been coming for almost a year?

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But he throws HARD!

I don’t hate Wilson, but I do hate how some Giants fans view him, that he’s awesome or something because he SAVES THE GAME when it matters (or not).

Bay City Ball

by xanthan on May 16, 2009 8:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't know what "vitiriol" means,but i hope it means BACON.

Because I like bacon and I like BrianWilson38.

Sir Alex Omar Hinshaw: It's not right if it's not left.

by The Enchanter on May 16, 2009 9:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

+100

Brian Wilson is a prime example of how worthless the saves stat is.

No, really, I have updated my blog this year: http://skaldheim.livejournal.com/tag/baseball

by Skaldheim on May 16, 2009 9:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes sir.

by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 16, 2009 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The “STAT” yes. The save however, " muy importante " :-)

"One percent of ballplayers are leaders of men. The other ninety-nine percent are followers of women."-John McGraw, NY Giants Baseball Club

My adopted son Matt Downs . Ranked as the 24th best prospect in the Giants farm system by Baseball America !!

by nvsfg on May 17, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, last year around this time the vitriol was all on Zito. Vitriol is an inexpensive and renewable resource. I’ll get over it when he pitches better. Or when he’s removed from the closer position. This is his real “sophomore season” and he’s got to learn.

Speaking for last night, my upset comes from spending six innings certain of a nice little victory in fabulous seats.

by shanghaijim on May 16, 2009 9:13 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

he walks almost a batter an inning

Actually, this year he has only 7 walks in 18 2/3 innings, which is pretty good. (I was a shocked by that stat as you were.) The bigger issue this season is that he’s given up 18 hits.

The biggest issue is that there have been only two times in 2009 where he’s come in and pitched an inning or longer without giving up a hit or issuing a walk. In other words, he almost always creates baserunners during his appearances. Kinda like last year, I guess.

"Are we bad? No. But right now, we are." Boulderskull, 4.16.09

by Kitspool on May 16, 2009 10:17 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

basically what I was getting at, only phrased much better. His problem is both control and command, which lead to baserunners, which lead to tense situations in the 9th inning, which leads to high blood pressure, which leads (eventually) to the last few games.

Still the loving, adoptive father of Hector Sanchez. And who doesn't love switch-hitting catchers with power and patience?

by tedfordfan on May 16, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is a difference between being surprised and being pissed.

I don’t think that there are many people who seem to be all that surprised. I think the views of Wilson on this board have been realistic. I do see more than a few people who are pissed, and in my opinion, that is a totally reasonable reaction at this point. It doesn’t matter if you think a guy is overrated or whatever, if a player is losing games for a team, that team’s fans are going to get pissed. It is the same reason people get upset when an Aurilia double play, pissed fly ball by Fred Lewis, or a strikeout on a breaking ball cost the Giants the game. Not because it is a surprise that these things happen, but because it is frustrating nonetheless.

by sunnyd100 on May 16, 2009 10:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Excellent distinction

I pretty much agree.

Still the loving, adoptive father of Hector Sanchez. And who doesn't love switch-hitting catchers with power and patience?

by tedfordfan on May 16, 2009 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think people are overreacting a bit lately because he’s actually been used quite a bit, if not too much due to a few things: our other relievers (not named Affeldt) sucking so badly that Bochy is forced to go to Wilson in the 8th inning and Wilson is stuck throwing 30 pitches + in back to back games over the past two weeks. Extra inning games due to a terrible offense that can’t score runs when guys get on base. And Wilson’s own inability to get hitters out.

I also find it funny that people think just because someone throws hard that it makes them a good pitcher. Just about any ML player can hit a 95 + MPH fastball, especially when said fastball is straight and has little to no movement, much like Wilson’s. Which is funny when his slider is thrown at 91 and has a ton of movement and almost never can be thrown even close to the strike-zone.

by Hobbes2d on May 16, 2009 10:52 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Who believes his FB speed makes him a good pitcher? I don’t think anyone here has made that claim in a serious manner.

by SeeingStars on May 16, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh I wasn’t calling anyone out here. I just think its funny when casual fans think that because a guy throws hard that it must mean he’s a better player.

by Hobbes2d on May 16, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not surprised

Just angry and disappointed

Not so proud adoptive parent of the set-up man.
This is definitely not Howry do it!

by CB30 on May 16, 2009 11:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

this

I didn’t think he was a top flight closer and my opinion hasn’t changed. If you go back to last year, I was saying I hoped the All Star selection would drive up his trade value even more and thus, he could get the Giants something good in a trade.

Oh well.

"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 16, 2009 8:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

So freakin this !!, Baron. Well said.

"One percent of ballplayers are leaders of men. The other ninety-nine percent are followers of women."-John McGraw, NY Giants Baseball Club

My adopted son Matt Downs . Ranked as the 24th best prospect in the Giants farm system by Baseball America !!

by nvsfg on May 17, 2009 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m surprised I’m the first person to say this, but I’m not particularly disappointed with Brian Wilson. Relievers are going to have a string of bad outings from time to time, and there’s actually a lot of positive to take from his season:

08: 9.7 K/9, 4.0 BB/9
09: 9.3 K/9, 3.4 BB/9

He’s shaved ten points off his WHIP this year (“around 1.5” is actually 1.34, the difference between Felix Hernandez and Josh Outman) without seeing a significant drop in his strikeout rate. He’s had a rough two days but I’m actually more confident he can continue to be a high-leverage reliever for the team going forward now than I was at the start of the season.

Barry Zito: Mike Hampton with a guitar

by JakeS on May 16, 2009 1:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's not so much his pitching performance

but the brain farts (not holding runners, throwing the ball down the line) added to his media overexposure (twitter, radio show, tv show, commercials)

His pitching hasn’t really been that bad, its the rest of him that’s got my panties in a bunch

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by merkin on May 16, 2009 3:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Hey, I’ve always disliked Brian Wilson. Okay, not always, but since about halfway through last year or so.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
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by jponry on May 16, 2009 5:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I have never felt anything except nervous when Wilson walks into a game.

The San Francisco Giants: Where old men go to die.

by GrahamCrakalaka on May 17, 2009 12:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

still way better than benitez or henny. wilson just doesn’t have reliable command of his slider. thats all that keeps him from being a top closer

by Change Up on May 17, 2009 2:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

wilson just doesn’t have reliable command of his ~~slider~~ anything

Fixed it

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by groug on May 17, 2009 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

still

i think hes fun to watch.

by Change Up on May 17, 2009 2:16 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

when you say “fun”, do you mean like walking on a tightrope 1,000,000,000,000,030 feet in the air kinda fun?

The San Francisco Giants: Where old men go to die.

by GrahamCrakalaka on May 17, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

eh

more like 1,000,000,000,000,109 feet.

FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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by zenbitz on May 18, 2009 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the difference is

that I always hope that young players will mature and be coached to develop into better players.

Not to say it’s the coaches’ fault, just that I had hopes that some combination of coaching and experience would lead him to develop into a better closer. I don’t see evidence of that this year except for the one game against AZ when he utterly dominated one inning.

Also: I’m not much of a Jamesian nerd, but watching the Ginats “closers” the last few years is really convincing me that unless Goose Gossage or Rollie Fingers comes out of retirement there’s no point to anoint some guy to pitch only in 9th innings with a lead.

Unless it’s to pad the resume with “saves” to then sell the closer to the highest bidder.

Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."

card carrying Bochy Hatter

by natteringnabob on May 18, 2009 9:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs