Wahoo's on First » Nick Hagadone

The View From Columbus

Jeff Mount — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00:49 +0000

I went to the Columbus Clippers game Saturday night. It is always interesting to watch Indians’ prospects, because sometimes there appears to be little correlation between minor league numbers and major league success. As it happened, there were a number of players on the field that are familiar to Indians fans, although the player I was hoping to see, Trevor Bauer, did not pitch. This was surprising because he had last pitched in Cleveland on Monday. I would have thought the Indians would try to keep him on a steady five-day routine.

Anyway, here’s how things looked: (more…)

Should Brett Myers be Guaranteed a Rotation Spot?

Jeff Mount — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:00:21 +0000

Remember Brett Myers?

You know the guy. Pitched so poorly his first couple of times out that we speculated here at Wahoo’s on First that he was hurt, then it turned out he actually was hurt. He’s been on the DL since April 21, and he is still in too much pain to begin a throwing program. Still, they have done their due diligence and seem confident that there is no structural damage to his arm, so we can assume that sometime in the next month Myers will be healthy enough to pitch again. (more…)

Possible Reasons For Demoting Lonnie Chisenhall, None of Which I Like

Jeff Mount — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:40 +0000

The careers of two Indians who were thought to be significant parts of the future took dramatic turns for the worse Monday. While the recent events on the field are ample cause for optimism, this continuing attrition of prospects is, to be blunt, alarming.

First, the easy one to analyze. Nick Hagadone has had two serious meltdowns in the past three days, making him the obvious candidate to be sent down when Brett Myers or Vinnie Pestano is activated. Hagadone has now been with the organization for nearly four years and has yet to have a sustained period of reliable performance on the major league level. Worse, he appears to be unable to handle the pressure situations that determine the value of a relief pitcher. It is unfortunate, because Hagadone has the stuff to be a closer on the major league level, but he is not able to command his pitches well enough to be trusted with anything close to that role. It would be a surprise if we see him again this year, given the other options available. (more…)