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I’m with you rats about comparing hicks to rosenthal but I think hicks is more an 8th inning guy. Perhaps we should think about picking up Kimbrel
Well Brian we are now 3-3 against them so you would have to say we are competitive. They are still 1 1/2 games ahead of us in the standings but that looks better than it did a few days ago.
We are back at Wrigley next weekend.
Hicks needs to go down to Memphis and learn to control all his pitches IF he is doubting himself. He has to be able to overlook the bad spots and not walk so many hitters. I wonder how his control would be if he would just throw 96-97 with that filthy movement. Only once in a while reach back for the 101+ stuff.
The Cubs haven’t dominated the Cards since 2017. Very competitive in the 25 games since. StL has the very slight 13-12 edge. Time to stop living in the past! 😉
At times, Hicks does seem to have trouble re-vectoring when he strays a little off course. That becomes a mental/psychological challenge after a while.
Knizner looked good behind the plate. If he was the one calling pitches most of the game, he did a great job. The only part of his defensive game we didn’t get to see was his throwing. He seemed to be trying too hard at the plate but maybe he always swings like he did in the game today.
Wainwright looked like the Waino of old. He had the ability to use that bulldog mentality and turn back the clock about 5 years. He lowered his ERA by over a half a run today.
Hicks is 22. Let the pitching coach work with his confidence. He can do the job. He may just need to be 23 or 24 to have the confidence to do it every day. He’ll get there.
Today was about Wainwright and Wong. Could either have done any more? Excellent control at the right time for Wainwright.
Wong, two singles, RBI, run scored, great plays in the field. stolen base. He did something good every time he came to bat.
If they are going to work on his confidence in the majors, he shouldn’t be in the closer’s role. The #1 thing the closer has to have is the confidence that he will control the situation every time he goes out on the field.
I tend to agree with Diz. Hicks is in a bit of a funk now, but let’s not forget that he is 11 of 12 in save situations this season. Maddux’ job is to help figure it out.
Some are assuming his issue is confidence. We have no idea if that is actually the case.
Brian, you are right that I am assuming confidence is his issue. When I was watching him pitch today, it appeared he was throwing the pitches where he wanted. After the walk to Contreras, he seemed to not be able to find the strike zone. He appeared to “lose it”. I have no way of knowing whether or not confidence is the issue.
I like having bullpen choices like Gant, Brebbia, and CMart, and Hicks. Although CMart’s control seems off at times too. I am not advocating any change in roles, just do what they did today if Hicks struggles.
I tend to agree with Diz. Hicks is in a bit of a funk now, but let’s not forget that he is 11 of 12 in save situations this season.
Not commenting on the sentiment of your statement, but I hate the blown save stat.
In the Cards’ last game against Atlanta, Hicks entered the 9th ahead 3-0. He left the game after facing 4 batters, ahead 3-2, runners on 2nd and 3rd, no outs. Miller and Brebbia finish the inning and actually do a good job in allowing just one more run. However, Miller gets the blown save because the tying run (charged to Hicks) scored while he was pitching. “Blown save” can be a worthless — no, actually a very misleading stat.
Some are assuming his issue is confidence. We have no idea if that is actually the case.
Brian,
All you have to do is look at him out on the mound and you can see, when he gives up a hit or a walk, that he is shot. He almost looks scared to me.Jeepers folks, he’s 22. Never had command like needed. Why is he the late inning guy in pressure situations???
Gant for the late guy now. Or Martinez.
r/Esteemed Rat
I would certainly not make Hicks a starter. He doesn’t have enough pitches. He will be ok in the pen but Schildt doesn’t have to use him in the 9th every time. We have others who can do it.
As for the Cub-Cardinal issue I will not rest easy until we advance further than they do. It hasn’t happened since 2014. I don’t care if we finish 4th as long as they are 5th. I am not going to get too excited about playing them even during the season only to see them advance to the playoffs while we are sitting home.
Oh boy was that spectacular! Dave….you are one in a million! You and me have a date, Dave…… PBP tuesday night vs Cincy. You get to call the Reds at bats and me the Cards. Be there or be []
OK, let’s put aside saves.
Interestingly, Hicks’ ERA this season is almost identical to last, 3.60 vs. 3.59.
However both his FIP (3.15) and xFIP (3.26) are lower this season than last and lower than his current ERA.
BABIP and ground ball rates almost the same, too. Strikeout rate is up and walk rate is down. Good. The only real negative measure I noticed is home runs being up.I go by what I see on the field.
And what I saw last Sunday was a shell-shocked 22 year old blow it against Atlanta.
And what I saw today was a shell-shocked 22 year old on the brink of blowing it against the Cubs.
I don’t care about his UTR, DIBBH, BABBP, fWIN or anything else.
r/Esteemed Rat
Yeah I wasn’t supremely confident in just giving Hicks the closers role this year. I wanted to grab someone(s) who had closer experience. Miller was a good lefthanded compliment which IMO the jury is still out. We’re lucky Gant has embraced his role and is thriving in it. I believe the bullpen is where he’s best utilized rather than the rotation.
Don’t really know what if anything is going on with Hicks. I do know he’s in an unusual situation with his diabetes type 1 in which the side effects can include fatigue among others. So he has to manage that carefully. I can’t imagine what that is like. It has to somewhat suck seeing as he’s only known about it for a few short years.
Let’s hope we’ve turned a bit of a corner and go into next week ready to take another positive step forward.
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