Results tagged ‘ Fredi Gonzalez ’
A Much Different Doc
Uh, relax and stay calm everybody?
Following a substandard 2012 and a troubling spring training in Florida, Roy Halladay lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his season debut last night at Turner Field. He allowed six hits, five runs, three walks, two home runs and struck out nine. Typically, when a pitcher records nine of his first 10 outs on strikeouts he is dominant. But Halladay was not dominant. Far from it. He threw 95 pitches (55 strikes) in those 3 1/3 innings as his performance only raised more concerns and doubts about his ability to return to form, despite Halladay and Charlie Manuel insisting everything will be fine.
The Braves certainly noticed a difference.
“It was a little bit different,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “I couldn’t tell you what it is. His velocity was maybe a (tick) or two below what you’ve seen. But I couldn’t tell you much more than that, not living with him or not knowing what’s going on over there.”
“Not velocity wise,” said rightfielder Jason Heyward, when asked if Halladay looked the same. “But he has a lot of weapons. So it was no surprise to see the strikeouts. Once he gets two strikes against you with him, he can got whatever way he wants and pick at you. We did wear him down and we made sure we got some pitches to hit. When we hit him, we hit him hard.”
Halladay insisted he will fix his problems and he will be better.
Phillies Rivals React to Lee Trade
Here is some reaction from NL East rivals regarding the trade that brought Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to the Phillies:
Braves right-hander Derek Lowe: “I think everybody knew they were going to get one of the two, either Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee. It definitely helped them. And they’ve got Pedro (Martinez) coming back soon. So it definitely made it harder on us.”
Braves catcher David Ross: ”You hate to see the team that you’re chasing get better. But if you want to make the playoffs and reach the World Series, you’re going to have to beat the Roy Halladays, Cliff Lees and Josh Becketts. In one sense, I wish the Phillies hadn’t gotten better. But in another sense, I don’t think that he’s unbeatable.”
Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida: “They’ve got four lefties now. It looked like a good trade for them on paper.”
Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla: “It’s a good pickup for the Phillies. A Cy Young Award winner last year. … Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Happ, Moyer. They’ve got a good rotation.”
Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad: “Good for them, I guess. Obviously, you know what he did last year, so he can dominate. He dominated the American League, which is a good league, so it’s a bit tough for us. It adds a really good arm to their rotation. But, like I said, we’ll see what happens when you play them, I guess. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez: “I saw that. Good for them. That’s a good deal. I know that Francisco kid is pretty good, too. And I know that we liked, as an organization, we liked that Lou Marson guy – the catcher that Cleveland got. Good trade for both sides, I guess.”
Mets manager Jerry Manuel had little reaction because he said the Mets just need to focus on themselves.
That’s probably a good idea.
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Cardinals third baseman Mark DeRosa, who played with Lee this season in Cleveland, said he unexpectedly gave Lee the news he had been traded.
“I actually called him,” DeRosa said. “He hadn’t heard the news yet. I said, ‘It’s coming across the ticker that you got traded to the Phillies.’ And he was sitting in the clubhouse in Anaheim with Kerry Wood and said nothing had been told to him yet.
“Cliff’s a legitimate No. 1 starter. I hate the fact that he’s going to Philly, but at the same time I’m happy for him because he deserves to be pitching in some big games. He was a great teammate.”
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Todd Zolecki
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