Fanpost: Hey Joaquin: You Doing All Right Bro?

by dbp_mickey on May 2, 2011 10:34 AM EDT

Joaquin Benoit so far doesn’t look anything like the guy who dominated in Tampa Bay last year. Seriously. Nothing at all. And the numbers so far support the claim. Through May 1st Benoit has already allowed more earned runs than he did all of last year, with most of the damage coming in his last three appearances.

So what’s the problem? Why is this guy, who was so dominant last year, getting whacked around so badly?

Whether it’s a control issue, or a complete disregard for what worked for him last year, his attack plan for hitters has pretty much gone out the window.

Last year his best out pitch to left-handers was the change-up sinking and running off the outer half of the plate. We’ve barely seen it at all, certainly not in the last week. Benoit also got a lot of put-outs against lefties with a fastball that would start off inside then dart over the inside corner.

Against right-handers he’d run that same fastball in on the hands or just throw his change-up down in the zone. Also, you’d see some of his third pitch, the deadly slider he’d throw a foot off the plate that induced some real ugly swings. Again, were not seeing very much of this.

Aside from his inability to find out-pitches for batters on both sides of the plate, he’s having two other major issues. While his fastball hasn’t lost any velocity from last year, it has lost its late tailing action that made it so hard for batters to square up. Now when he tries to get lefties out with fastballs on the outer half, they’re just poking them safely in the outfield, and making it look rather easy.

The second issue is something Jim Leyland eluded to after the game today. To paraphrase Jim, he said Benoit’s change-up is off. I’d agree with that. Joaquin has all but rolled the change-up to the plate lately. It makes it hard to induce swings and misses with the pitch if the hitter is certain it won’t be a strike.

Joaquin Benoit was beyond brilliant last year, and he doesn’t have to be that good to be effective. But he needs to re-visit some of the tactics that made him successful last year, and the straight-as-an-arrow fastball has got to go. He clearly has the ability - perhaps Rick Knapp just needs to channel it out of him. Otherwise, the eighth inning might not be the right place for Benoit anymore, which would suck since that would mean we just wasted a ton of money.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bless You Boys writing staff.

Tweet Comment 10 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

No he isn't as good as last year

He is as good as he was every other year besides the career year he had last year.

Everyone still so happy that we paid 15 million for a mediocre pitcher that had a career year?

by wilsonm24 on May 2, 2011 12:41 PM EDT reply actions

...and this is a surprise?

The guy has ugly career numbers.
Seriously, we handed him a silly contract based on about 60 innings of major league success. Relievers, in general, are a waste of money to sign.
I’m sure he’ll rebound somewhat, but to expect 2010 Tampa performances regularly is overly optimistic.

Then again, the current regime has a pretty good track record of throwing silly money at players, only to be disappointed. The unfortunate thing is that most of those mistakes (Percival, Bonderman, Willis, Sheffield, Perez, J. Jones, Inge, Mesa, Robertson, Damon, Guillen, Ordonez (this year), Martinez (in the future), and Benoit) are and were completely predictable.

The heart of this team is Verlander, Scherzer, Miggy, Avila & the young OFers. Everyone else, coaches included, should have been seriously reevaluated in the offseason and going forward.

by rings on May 2, 2011 2:18 PM EDT reply actions

We'll see how this pans out.

However, I am not a man who favors signing relievers.

Free Scott Sizemore*!

*with purchase of a Scott Sizemore of equal or lesser value.

by 13194013 on May 2, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I favor signing relievers

but not generally to three year, $ 16.5 million contracts.

DD has made a huge exception to his general avoidance of free agents when it comes to closers. Urbina, Percival, Jones, Lyon, Valverde. Even when the money was tight (spent) he found some dough for a closer. Extending that to a set up guy is new for DD.

I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!

by Tigerdog1 on May 2, 2011 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

His career numbers dont lie

I can’t believe DD shelled out that kind of money for a pitcher hampered by injuries and a piss poor career stat line. I think we are seeing what we are going to get from him for the remainder of his contract…

by Siggzilla on May 2, 2011 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

3 bad outings

7 pretty solid outings before that. I’m not ready to pack it in on this guy. His 2005 and 2007 lines are also very strong (not silly good, like 2010, but still strong.)

The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981

by momotigers on May 2, 2011 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Couple things

I’m aware Benoit was average in Texas. I’m also aware that you don’t have to study baseball every day to realize the contract we gave him was “Aggressive” to be polite.
But am I surprised at what’s unfolded the first month with Benoit? Yeah a little bit. A huge part of what made Benoit so successful last year, was that he developed a fantastic change-up, a pitch he never had in Texas. This is something the Ray’s announcers eluded to a couple times last year. It just seems weird to develop a new pitch one year, and completely forget how to throw the next year. And like I said in the post, it looks like he’s abandoned so many of things that made him wildly successful last year. But whatever. My guess is he’ll get his act together soon enough, and at least be an above average set-up guy. But obviously the contract will go down as a biff.

by dbp_mickey on May 2, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

They didn't give him this contract to be

a set up man for the entire 3 years. Valverde’s contract is up after this year with a club option for next year. I’m pretty sure DD was thinking bye bye Valverde and hello Benoit you’re the new closer for 2012…..pending his numbers this year were similar to last years….time will tell

If God wanted us to play soccer then he wouldn't have given us arms.
~Mike Ditka

by NateSecor24 on May 4, 2011 8:35 AM EDT reply actions

I think the point of the article is

pretty accurate though. Benoit isn’t the same pitcher. He threw his slider at a rate of 12.2% last year, inducing swings and misses on it. This year as a Tiger, he has thrown it just 1% of the time. And his change up doesnt have the same downward movement.

The Tigers have changed the way Benoit is pitching, turning him almost strictly fastball/change pitcher, and I think thats part of the problem. Why you would change anything with what he did last year is beyond me.

detroitbaseballpage.com

by dbpjohn on May 4, 2011 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

I agree they have

changed the way he pitches. I’ve been saying all along this team needs a change of scenery. New head coach, hitting coach, pitching coach, and 3rd base coach. Keep Brookens, that guy knows his stuff. Why would they change Benoit? Also, why don’t they tell Verlander to calm the F down on the mound and start mixing in offspeed pitches earlier in the game. Cannot groove fastballs in fastball counts to professional hitters!!

If God wanted us to play soccer then he wouldn't have given us arms.
~Mike Ditka

by NateSecor24 on May 7, 2011 3:03 PM EDT reply actions