Mainers Baseball -

[Zeno]

Article today in Seattle Times about the pitcher Hernandez. Hernandez (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002164665_blai30.html)

Should he start pitching this year? Lord knows the Mariners need pitching. Also, is Moyer coming back? I assume he is because I haven't heard about him retiring.

-Zeno

[Steve McQueen]

It's a crime not to let this kid pitch.

The AL West will be the most competitive division in baseball this year, and the Mariners could use a hurler like this kid.

[DesertCat]

It would be a crime to let this kid pitch in the majors this year, for once the Mariners know what they are doing. The counter example is Doc Gooden, who had one HOF year, and slid quickly into mediocrity. You can't be too careful with young pitchers. Common wisdom these days is increasing their yearly innings steadily creates less risk of major arm injuries. Minor league pitchers throw fewer and less stressful innings than MLB pitchers. If this kid is jumped to the Majors, he's going to be facing much tougher hitters, have to throw many more pitches, and he's going to throw more of his hardest pitches. Working his way up to that level seems makes sense from a health perspective.

And maybe more importantly, there is a significant service time issue. The Mariners have already learned this lesson with ARod. They brought him up early so he could struggle for two partial MLB seasons at ages 18 and 19 (65 games, 5 homers, hit .220 something). This supposedly cost the Mariners his age 25 year season (52 HR, .318 ave with Texas) by starting his service clock too soon.

[ThaSaltCracka]

I don't see much of a reason to rush him, he is 19 years old. Also, I have heard Price is terrible with young pitchers, so maybe thats another reason.

Also, Moyer is coming back, which should be interesting. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Steve McQueen]

He needs to retire.

Interesting fact about Moyer: He's never had a season ERA below 3. Or even close to 3. He made an All-Star team for the first time at age 40.

Disclaimer: Dodgers fan.

[ThaSaltCracka]

he doesn't walk a lot of people though.