Time for Cain to take a break?
I didn't watch tonight's game, just caught the last few innings on radio. Matt Cain is now 3-12, just a few wins off the pace for the Cy Young that I predicted for him at the beginning of the season. (I'm really, really sorry for that. Nostradamus I am not.)
Does anyone else think it's high time for Cain to skip a start, as much for his mental health as anything else? It may not help his declining peripherals, but it might be exactly what he needs. It just seems to me like if he can salvage something from the rest of the season, have some good starts, finish strong, he'll have some confidence going into 2008. Because otherwise, his promising career could be disintegrating before our eyes, and that depresses me no end.
Consider this a cry from the heart for an Open Matt Cain Optimism Thread.
This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.
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52 comments
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It worked last season
by wilriv21 on Jul 23, 2007 10:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: It worked last season
I'm not sure if that is what they should do, but skipping Matt for a turn worked out well last season.
by sharksrog on Jul 23, 2007 11:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by jponry on Jul 23, 2007 10:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
I agree that we are talking about the potential complete colapse of a not to long ago bright future. Giants management needs to understand this risk and take the right action. To just continue to run Matt out there would be to almost guarantee that he will become just another Brett Tomko.
by giantsrainman on Jul 23, 2007 10:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by Evan on Jul 24, 2007 8:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Ahem.
I agree that he's not pitching well in his last few starts but I'm not sure anyone here can say definitively what the problem is beyond referencing a regression to expectations brought on by his high walk rate. He was, record notwithstanding, our best pitcher overall before the all-star break, and a serious mechanical change since then seems unlikely. If Cain has a psychological issue, pulling him from the rotation is probably not going to be helpful. I say let him keep pitching, working closely with Righetti and maybe some more competent coaches/assistants/teammates to keep grinding away at the control issues that have plagued him, but most of all keep the faith. We saw his, what, 7 one-hitters last year? We know what he's capable of, and this is definitely not the year to screw with a future ace's head - let alone his arm - for the sake of a few extra wins that we probably wont get anyway.
by nick on Jul 24, 2007 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
This is just a legendary run of poor run support. Legendary. Keep him in the rotation. His stuff looked good, and if the douche behind home rang up Chipper in the first inning, as he should have, Cain might have had a different night.
by Grant on Jul 23, 2007 10:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by sharksrog on Jul 23, 2007 11:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
My point is that while he does walk far too many batters, his high WHIP "since the end of April" is a sample size illusion. He's just had bad luck.
by Evan on Jul 24, 2007 8:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
I think that Matt's WHIP is SO high at 1.65 since the end of April that is isn't merely luck. If Matt were limiting hitters to the league average BABIP during that time, his WHIP would still be easily above the league average of 1.38. And even if his BABIP during that time were at the figure he hit last year (and is just over this one overall), I think his WHIP would still be a bit high.
Think about it. Since the end of April Matt has been slightly below average in strikeout rate (although also well below average in home run rate). If batters have a league-average BABIP against him, he is going to give up about an average number of hits. And since his walks are well above average, his WHIP is going to be high.
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Yes, Cain was squeezed in CJones' 1st inning AB and yes Cain has been squeezed all year by the failure of his teammates to get him any runs. That said, Cain still pitched scared and challanged no one. He needs to sit to be taken out of the rotation and for more then just one start. Cain needs to refocus and start attacking as a pitcher instead of trying not to make any mistakes. This is not going to happen if the Giants continue running Cain out there. I think a chewing out is also in order. Cain's (woo is me body language) makes me very afraid that he is about to go Sergio Garcia on us.
by giantsrainman on Jul 23, 2007 11:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by JakeS on Jul 23, 2007 11:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Pitchers go up and down over the course of a season. I don't know whether he will have a second-half surge the way he did last year, but I don't think his current numbers are incompatible with being an 8 k/9 guy.
by Evan on Jul 24, 2007 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Without looking, I suspect Matt's strikeout chart from 2006 to 2007 looks somewhat like Noah Lowry's from 2006 to 2006. Somehow each pitcher has lost his ability to pitch strikeouts from one year to the next.
In Noah's case, I attributed at least some of that to his injury. Could it be that Matt is merely pitching with a dead arm? And that as he tries to over-throw through it, he is losing control?
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by someguynamedg on Jul 23, 2007 11:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by JakeS on Jul 23, 2007 11:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
I don't think we're in a position to know for sure, unfortunately, but there is definitely an alarming trend. His K/9 this year is down from 8.4 to 6.6 while his BB/9 has increased from 4.1 to 4.4. Obviously control has always been an Achilles' heel but his declining ability to miss bats is really amplifying it this season.
by JakeS on Jul 23, 2007 11:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by PacBellBoozer on Jul 23, 2007 11:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Cain seems as if he is trying to be perfect. His control isn't that good even when he is right to be super fine with his pitches, so he can't nibble and try for that perfect FB low and away. He needs to get back to pounding the zone with fastballs to get ahead in the count, and trusting that he has the stuff just to go after hitters. Solo homers won't hurt him; it's the walks that get him in trouble. Rags needs to work on that, and the best way to do it is to take the pressure of starting real games off of Cain for a while.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jul 23, 2007 11:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jul 24, 2007 6:12 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by howtheyscored on Jul 24, 2007 7:57 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I say give him a break.
The K/9 drop does worry me, I wrote about it a little this morning but, consider that Cain's K/9 is around 6.51 and Zito's is 6.0.
by xanthan on Jul 24, 2007 8:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: I say give him a break.
by xanthan on Jul 24, 2007 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: I say give him a break.
by Roger on Jul 24, 2007 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: I say give him a break.
Of course, this organization seems pretty fond of nibbling, so that's not likely to happen here.
by Evan on Jul 24, 2007 9:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: I say give him a break.
Which begs the question: other than identifying this problem, what steps, exercises, mechanical changes have been taken over the last three years to correct it?
by Roger on Jul 24, 2007 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: I say give him a break.
Can somebody who's more in the know with pitching mechanics explain why a pitcher would open up like that? Is it a case of overthrowing? Because last night, to me, it looks like Cain was getting pissed and just trying to throw the ball through the backstop.
I'm still split on Righetti as a pitching coach, I wonder if he's working with Cain on this?
by xanthan on Jul 24, 2007 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: I say give him a break.
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Duh.
by lyricalkiller on Jul 24, 2007 9:52 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by Pants Man on Jul 24, 2007 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Although maybe I'm only suggesting that because it would make the "Cain 43" shirt I bought back before spring training relevant again, and, of course, the $25 I spent on it.
by rocketdog on Jul 24, 2007 10:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Cain 43
by The Enchanter on Jul 25, 2007 7:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pitch Count
With Cain, it seems he's just trying to compensate for the fact that this POS offense can't score more than two runs for him, so he's thinking he has to be perfect. That's bad news. But as for the falling K/9, I remember him talking in Spring Training about trying for strikeouts less in order to keep his pitch count down, and trying to get hitters to just put the ball in play. Seems like a reasonable idea, except when you walk four batters per game at least, your pitch count is going to jump right back up there... Captain Obvious has spoken.
by JRPhillips on Jul 24, 2007 11:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Pitch Count
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
7-7, 112.2 IP, 4.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
This year, through July 24th:
3-12, 123 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.41 WHIP
The WHIP is definitely up, ERA is way down and of course, the win-loss record stinks on toast, which we all agree he has minor control over.
Not sure what all this means though - he might just be a damn good second half pitcher. I'm not sure we need to get him skipping starts, unless it's done with a nod to his workload.
Don't forget, this guy is actually four months YOUNGER than Tim Lincecum. He's a work in progress, certainly, but I don't sense he's so emotionally fragile that he needs to be coddled.
by otis29 on Jul 24, 2007 12:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by JakeS on Jul 24, 2007 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by JakeS on Jul 24, 2007 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
I think it's just that a lot of us expected him to build off his second half last year and instead he's regressed pretty far from where he was in second half '06.
by jponry on Jul 24, 2007 12:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by otis29 on Jul 24, 2007 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
last night they showed that cain was second in "quality starts", meaning he has gone six innings, allowing 3 or less runs. he has done that 9 times. that is not the sign of a pitcher who needs to be put away for a start.
by Cynema the Band on Jul 24, 2007 3:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by jponry on Jul 24, 2007 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
Tim also has nine quality starts -- but out of only 14 games, not 20 as with Cain. Tim's first start wasn't a quality start, and none of his starts in his four-game problem streak were, either, but every other game he has pitched has been a quality start.
Matt's nine quality starts indicates he doesn't have quite as many wins as one would expect, but that he isn't as far over in his losses as one might assume.
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by Cynema the Band on Jul 25, 2007 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by jponry on Jul 25, 2007 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by Cynema the Band on Jul 25, 2007 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by jponry on Jul 25, 2007 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on Jul 24, 2007 4:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by Punch Rockgroin on Jul 24, 2007 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by JakeS on Jul 25, 2007 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Time for Cain to take a break?
by sharksrog on Jul 25, 2007 12:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

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