I enjoy your posts and didn’t think you’d put up a cheap post like that.

I understand what your’ saying. This is just my opinion.

But a lot of these arguments about experience and Bruney sound a lot like what Torre would say about the value of experience.

And with Bruney his experience is a negative IMO not a positive. By far the best predictor of future performance is past performance.

It would be one thing if his past performance was marginal. It’s not - it is awful. HIs past performance tells you that he does not have the skill to throw the ball where he wants it.

These issues of Girardi and “trusting” Bruney and how much they mean to him sound very analagous to Torre and loyalty.

I’m really not seeing the difference here.

We talk a lot about small sample sizes here.

9 innings in spring training and 5 innings to start the season don’t mean much when compared to 150 innings of major league experience and 270 innings of minor league experience.

150 innings is a very large sample size for a relief pitcher. Very large. That’s 2-3 years worth of relief innings.

He has a WHIP of 1.6 and a BB/9 of 7.

Those aren’t just bad numbers they are astonishingly bad.

His minor league numbers are bad as well.

I don’t see how you can argue that 9 innings and losing 30 pounds compared to 150 innings of poor performance makes the it probable that this is a new pitcher.

HIs experience doesn’t mean anything to me - that’s like saying Kyle Farnsworth’s experience is a plus.

And besides his poor overall track record he did the same thing last year - he started out strongly and then imploded completely.

People keep saying he has good stuff - not true. He throws hard. That’s not the same as good stuff. Farnsworth does not have good stuff and throws as hard as anyone. If you can’t command the ball in the zone then you don’t have good stuff.

So my question to you is how many chances do you give this guy when he’s already had so many opportunities and all the evidence we have shows he is not a good relief pitcher?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04142008/sports/yankees/yankees_beat_rays_8_7_106518.htm

I for one like that he left Bruney out there for 2 more outs in the 8th, to get his confidence back. He had one bad inning after several good outings and Giradi has faith in him. I’d fear a lack of confidence like Farnsworth had all year if he didn’t have a chance to prove himself in the next inning.

But look at teh peripherals!!1!

But I still disagree. You leave Bruney in against a rookie who just got brought up. Bat speed or not, you have to trust your guys sometimes. It’s not like we had a better option. Everyone worth bringing in pitched yesterday and Girardi isn’t about to burn Mariano for near 3 innings.

And by experienced, I mean Bruney has been pitching at the major league level for a considerable stretch. Maybe his control is poor at times. That is clear. But Bruney has had some good outings so far this year and he’s shown some improvement. So how do you know he’s going to give up a second homerun to a very young, just brought to the majors, hitter? You don’t.

He can mix in the slider and keep hitters a little bit off balance. Enough at least to throw his 97mph fastball past them.