Folks are starting to take sides on the Yu Darvish question, and I’m declaring my side right now. If the playoffs were to begin next week, and if it were up to me, Yu Darvish would not have a place in the starting rotation. Right now I would give that spot to Hyun-Jin Ryu.
That said, the playoffs don’t start next week. There’s still time for Darvish and the Dodgers to fix whatever it is that currently ails him. Is it psychological? We’d almost never know if that’s the case.
Is it physical? Darvish recently spent time on the 10-day disabled list with back tightness. If he’s in pain, he’s not telling us.
Is it bad mechanics? Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt believes the trouble is an altered release point that must be recalibrated, so to speak.
Whatever it is, the baseball clock is running. The good news is, there’s enough time to figure things out and restore Darvish to the pitcher the Dodgers were hoping to receive when they traded for him. That is, IF it’s fixable.
Since joining the team, Darvish has pitched one good game (his first), and he’s rapidly devolved since then. After four more starts, he’s only pitched 19 innings, allowed 13 runs, and given up six home runs. Last night in San Diego was his shortest stint to date. Darvish looked as if the Dodgers had suited me up and shoved me out on the mound: he was uncomfortable and his pitching was horrible.
Darvish lasted only three innings. He surrendered five runs, eight hits, three walks, and gave up the lead twice. Darvish actually began the fourth inning, but after he allowed the first two Padres to reach base, the skipper had seen enough, and Darvish’s shortest day as a Dodger was over.
I wanted Yu Darvish back when the Dodgers acquired him. I still want him to help lead the Dodgers through the postseason. But that’s just not going to happen unless some major changes take place.
“There’s a gap between what I’m thinking in my mind and what I’m actually doing on the mound,” he said. “If I fix that, I feel I can pitch much better. As an example, sometimes I crow step too much to the third-base side but in my mind I’m stepping toward first-base side. It’s got me off course. Say you think you are walking straight, but you actually aren’t and you’re trying to fix it, that’s frustrating, right? It’s the same thing.” – Yu Darvish
You see…it’s easy as pie and he’ll be right as rain in no time.
Lots of folks out there are declaring the Darvish experiment over. I’m not there yet. I’ve got faith in the Dodgers blue magic, and even more in Honeycutt magic. The only question is: Can they solve the Darvish question in time for the playoffs?
I’m not voting Darvish off Post Season Island, and neither will the Dodgers. Yu Darvish is going to be on that roster, and the Dodgers will keep him in the starting rotation (barring anything catastrophic), and there’s two ways that happens:
- Yu Darvish solves his pitching problems and all is well again.
- Darvish doesn’t solve his problems and the Dodgers blindly bring him along to the postseason on faith alone.
Unfortunately, Number 2 is a very real possibility. If that happens, hold on to your red mitts. If you think the playoff atmosphere is tense and high wire, you haven’t seen anything yet.
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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When the “Big Blue Steamroller” made the deals at the deadline, I said I
was underwhelmed, and that included my take on Yu. Thought he had
as much chance to fail as succeed.
Seen nothing to change my mind, so I remain as skeptical as I was at
season’s start, and during the amazing mid-season excellence, that
this is a championship side.
Not cynical, just skeptical. Way too many questions, on the mound and at
the plate, about proven playoff poise…
Gas Can Darvish is not on my post season roster. Not with the fires he is lighting. We will see if he totally turns it around. So far, I am not impressed.
Leaving Darvish off the playoff roster means:
Kershaw
Hill
Wood
Ryu
If they were to then look for a right handed starter it would be from:
McC
Strippling
Stewart
Though I doubt it would be Stewart, overall it doesn’t look too good if Darvish is left off. Did I miss somebody?
Yes I did. I forgot Maeda. Still not too appealing this “depth”.
Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, Wood. Best 4 right now…but except for Kersh, not really looking to good, and Roberts sending those kids out there to try and hold serve has backfired again. Go to the MLB guys moron.
Wood not looking too good right now either.
Seems like the dodger team needs a tuneup right now. But you’re right a dodger pitcher should have more consideration as to whether he’s in the lineup or not.
This is funny stuff.
For once in my life, I am speechless……PITIFUL, just absolutely pitiful, but congrats to Cody for breaking Piazza’s rookie HR record, the rest of you guys, and especially the starting pitchers, you guys had better get a lot better very fast because AZ is not going to give you a break.
I just think the Dodgers should let Darvish pitch how he did, before he came to the Dodgers.
It is obvious that he isn’t picking up on the adjustment that Honeycutt and the Dodgers have recommended, and he did pitch much better, in his first start against the Mets.
And that was before the Dodgers tried to make him, make this adjustment..
Did anyone watch closely the play where a ground ball was hit to Gonzalez behind the bag, where Darvish ran to first to field the throw and missed the bag with his foot? I couldn’t believe my eyes. This was a routine play for most people but Darvish does not have his mind on baseball. He is elsewhere. I saw the look in his eyes on the mound, scanning the crowd, no less. You rarely ever see a pitcher look above his catcher into the stands before his windup. To me, he his rattled about something. Can’t find his center. Distracted.