MLB Player News: [Alert: HI] Braden Looper (SP), STL

Posts: 4569 · Posted: May 07, 2007 12:07 am

Baseball Player News: Braden Looper (SP), STL
By: Jeff Brown

News: Braden Looper continues to baffle the baseball world, throwing six innings of one-run ball for his fourth win of the season in St. Louis' 3-1 win over Houston Sunday.

Views: Looper, who accounts for a third of the Cardinals' wins this season, allowed six hits, two walks and struck out three over his 100-pitch outing, dropping his ERA to 2.66 on the season.

Posts: 3150 · Posted: May 07, 2007 5:48 am

Worth to add in a dinasty league for David Bush?

Posts: 10116 · Posted: May 07, 2007 10:11 am

Prior to Adam Wainwright's win on Friday night, no Cardinals starting pitcher other than Looper had won a game since April 8th.

Who would've thought that Looper would be the anchor of the staff?

Posts: 1275 · Posted: May 07, 2007 10:20 am

But how long do you think he will keep it up is the real fantasy question... I would say the second time through the teams he gets hit hard... If it doesn't happen before then.

Posts: 10116 · Posted: May 07, 2007 10:26 am

FantasyGuru wrote:

But how long do you think he will keep it up is the real fantasy question... I would say the second time through the teams he gets hit hard... If it doesn't happen before then.

Watching him thus far, that hasn't been the case.

The only time he really starts to get hard is when he gets gassed--and that's to be expected, given that he's a relief pitcher who's starting for the first time in his career (college or pro).

Posts: 1275 · Posted: May 07, 2007 10:39 am

Exactly my point, so how long before the whole starting role starts to push him over the hill and get smacked around?

Posts: 10116 · Posted: May 07, 2007 10:50 am

FantasyGuru wrote:

Exactly my point, so how long before the whole starting role starts to push him over the hill and get smacked around?

It's more likely he gets acclimated to starting, rather than regressing.

It's like a workout regiment. If you've never ran ten miles before, it'd probably be pretty hard on you if out of nowhere you just tried to run ten without any training.

But if you start by running a mile a day, then two miles, then three and so on until you got to ten, it'd be much easier.

Your point seems counterproductive. Don't tasks typically become easier the more you practice them?

Posts: 6169 · Posted: May 07, 2007 11:40 am

I'm not quite as optimistic as Mike is -- the last several years, Looper's gotten killed by LH hitters, and now suddenly, they can't touch him? Something will give ......

And if that means that he settles in at a 3.80-4.00 ERA pitcher the rest of the way, the Cards would be thrilled.

Something will give, but with the way the Cards have been babying him, I don't think it will be a drastic fall-off any time soon. All of his starts have been 5-6-7 innings, and he's thrown 90, 93, 94, 94, 96, 100 and 101 pitches (not consecutively), so his leash is on tight and they know his limitations.

So, yes, if by going from 2.66 to 3.80 over the course the year constitutes "getting smacked around", that will happen. I just call it a normalizing of the best possible outcome from a pitcher that I didn't think could last five innings or whose ERA would never be below 6.00 as a SP.

As for the original question -- if by dynasty league, you mean you keep your entire roster, I'd hang onto Bush mainly because he's five years younger and has much more upside. We are seeing Looper at his Twilight Zone best.

If you can squeeze Looper onto your roster for a short period some other way, sure. But I'd spot-start Bush and ride him out.

Posts: 10116 · Posted: May 07, 2007 5:34 pm

Jeff Brown wrote:

I'm not quite as optimistic as Mike is -- the last several years, Looper's gotten killed by LH hitters, and now suddenly, they can't touch him? Something will give ......

And if that means that he settles in at a 3.80-4.00 ERA pitcher the rest of the way, the Cards would be thrilled.

Something will give, but with the way the Cards have been babying him, I don't think it will be a drastic fall-off any time soon. All of his starts have been 5-6-7 innings, and he's thrown 90, 93, 94, 94, 96, 100 and 101 pitches (not consecutively), so his leash is on tight and they know his limitations.

So, yes, if by going from 2.66 to 3.80 over the course the year constitutes "getting smacked around", that will happen. I just call it a normalizing of the best possible outcome from a pitcher that I didn't think could last five innings or whose ERA would never be below 6.00 as a SP.

As for the original question -- if by dynasty league, you mean you keep your entire roster, I'd hang onto Bush mainly because he's five years younger and has much more upside. We are seeing Looper at his Twilight Zone best.

If you can squeeze Looper onto your roster for a short period some other way, sure. But I'd spot-start Bush and ride him out.

That's what I meant, Jeff. I don't expect this kind of start from Looper throughout the season. But if he's posting a 3.80-4.00 ERA, it will still put him in the upper half of starting pitchers, and by a considerable amount.

I took the term "smacking around" to mean like how Kip Wells has been smacked around.

Posts: 6169 · Posted: May 07, 2007 5:58 pm

stlsportsfan wrote:

Jeff Brown wrote:

I'm not quite as optimistic as Mike is -- the last several years, Looper's gotten killed by LH hitters, and now suddenly, they can't touch him? Something will give ......

And if that means that he settles in at a 3.80-4.00 ERA pitcher the rest of the way, the Cards would be thrilled.

Something will give, but with the way the Cards have been babying him, I don't think it will be a drastic fall-off any time soon. All of his starts have been 5-6-7 innings, and he's thrown 90, 93, 94, 94, 96, 100 and 101 pitches (not consecutively), so his leash is on tight and they know his limitations.

So, yes, if by going from 2.66 to 3.80 over the course the year constitutes "getting smacked around", that will happen. I just call it a normalizing of the best possible outcome from a pitcher that I didn't think could last five innings or whose ERA would never be below 6.00 as a SP.

As for the original question -- if by dynasty league, you mean you keep your entire roster, I'd hang onto Bush mainly because he's five years younger and has much more upside. We are seeing Looper at his Twilight Zone best.

If you can squeeze Looper onto your roster for a short period some other way, sure. But I'd spot-start Bush and ride him out.

That's what I meant, Jeff. I don't expect this kind of start from Looper throughout the season. But if he's posting a 3.80-4.00 ERA, it will still put him in the upper half of starting pitchers, and by a considerable amount.

Okay. Cool.

stlsportsfan wrote:

I took the term "smacking around" to mean like how Kip Wells has been smacked around.

Yeah, Wells should have welts on his body with all the smacking around he's taken.

Posts: 6772 · Posted: May 07, 2007 6:18 pm

I bet the mets wish they still had them on their starting roster right now

BRADEN FREAKIN LOOPER----- argh!!!!!!!!!!!