Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Marquis Relegated to Bullpen Duty

The Rockies announced yesterday that Jason Marquis will begin the NLDS against the Phillies in the bullpen. Ubaldo Jimenez is pitching Game 1 as we speak. Aaron Cook will pitch in Game 2. Jorge De La Rosa will be unavailable due to a groin injury.

Therefore, Jim Tracy has elected to go with Jason in Game 3 - Jason Hammel, that is. Not that I'm questioning the presumptive NL Manager of the Year's decision here, but Hammel's second half (4.23 ERA) wasn't that much better than Marquis' second half (4.56 ERA). One other thing to consider: Hammel's ERA at Coors was 5.73 this year while Marquis' ERA at Coors was 3.92. If the series goes to a Game 4, Marquis could be called upon to toe the slab.

The Dodgers have released their 25-man postseason roster, and Brad Ausmus is on it. Never had a doubt.

Finally, here's a good write-up from The Boston Globe on Kevin Youkilis that examines his intensity, what makes him a polarizing figure, and how he was overlooked and underrated for most of his life leading up to his MLB career.

2 comments:

William J. Tasker said...

Thanks for the link to the Youkilis article. It helped me understand him more. In the end, I still don't like him much. It's the impression he has that he works harder than anyone else. He may do just that, but it's the chip on his shoulder that bugs me. But at least the article helped me not dislike him as much as before.

As for Marquis, I would feel better with him in the rotation than Hammel, that's for sure.

Josh Borenstein said...

Can't blame you for not liking him much. As a Yankees fan, it's probably a natural reflex. I would assume Pedroia rubs you the wrong way as well. I know a lot of Red Sox fans who can't stand Jeter. And if anyone in baseball has universal appeal, it's him. The biggest rivalry in all of sports will do that.