FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Yesterday I was coming home from my monthly trip to Morgantown, WV, and I listened to the entire Roalys and Orioles game on my XM. The only reason I even listened at all to that game is the fact I have Gil Meche on my fantasy team, well that and the fact the Mets were getting blown out by the Nats.

Why did I pick Meche in the first place? I originally picked Kei Igawa with the last pick in my draft, and he was going to start the season in AAA, and I needed major league help. Meche, John Patterson, and Jason Jennings looked like the best free agent pickups at the time. Patterson played for the Nationals, so I declined. Jennings got hurt pretty quick, so I picked the $55 Million Man, Gil Meche.

He hasn't really been awful this year, it's just that he plays for a crappy team. This is probably his best year ever, really. A career high in Innings Pitched (202.0), a career low ERA (3.70), 59 walks, which is his lowest since he walked 47 in 127.2 innings in 2004. He gets about 6.42 K/9, which really isn't bad, with another career low in WHIP (1.30). He also usually gets between 6 and 7 innings per start, on a consistent basis. Really, for a 3rd or 4th starter in a deep fantasy league, you could do worse, especially if you didn't pick up someone who got hot during the season. I took Meche and stuck by him. He didn't hurt my team, but the other players on his team did.

He has a 9-12 record, including 9 straight where he got the loss, or got no decision (his team ended up losing all 9), from his last win on July 20, until he won again September 12. That is amazing. During that time he allowed 26 runs (all earned except 1, by the way). In 6 of those games, he allowed 2 runs, in another he allowed only 3! Granted, he did give up 5 to the Yankees on July 25, and 6 to them on August 6, about the time the Yanks got really hot. On September 7, he faced the same Yankees and only allowed 2, for another loss. He averaged about 6 1/3 innings during this time as well, posting a 4.14 ERA. Take away the 2 Yankees games and he's posting a 2.93 ERA with 0 wins, 4 losses, and 3 no decisions during that time. What??? His team was awful during that time, with no run support. He has one of the lowest run supports in the Major Leagues, if not the absolute lowest for a regular starter.

I bet if he played for a good team, he'd be pushing 20 wins right now. If the Royals would help him, he'd probably have 13-15 right now.

Now to tie it all back together and answer--Why is Buddy Bell an Idiot?

Meche pitched an excellent game, at one point retiring 11 straight batters, until Ramon Hernandez hit a 1 out single in the 5th. Tike Redman knocked in the run with a double, Brian Roberts walked, and Melvin Mora singled in a run.

The Royals scored in the 6th when Esteban German singled, and scored on a 2 out Mark teahan double. Kansas City tied the game 2-2 in the top of the 8th with a homer by Mark Grudzielanek. That means Gil was off the hook for the loss. His pitch count was 109, if I remember correctly. If I'm the manager, I pull him. He's my ace, and I'm paying him a lot of money and this is a completely meaningless game.

Bell sends Meche back to the mound in the 8th. Nick Markakis hit a line drive 0-1 curveball right into the cheap seats. It wasn't a bad pitch, and Meche didn't make a mistake, Markakis just got enough of it for it to clear the fence.

Gil Meche's game stats: 8.0 IP (complete game), 7 Hits, 1 BB, 5 K, 3 ER and a loss.

Why would Bell send him out? I do not know. Jimmy Gobble was warming up at one point in the 7th, when Meche was having a little trouble. Why not let Gobble pitch the 8th? It was a completely meaningless game between two teams that had no shot at the post-season during spring training!!!

That is why Buddy Bell is an idiot.

(I'm not even going to go into how Daniel Cabrera of all people beat them...that's how bad the Royals really are.)

IN OTHER NEWS

I see the Astros ripped the Padres off again, sending the Jason Lane for 3 bottles of Tinactin, 2 tubes of Bengay, and a formal apology for stealing Steve Finley and Ken Caminiti from us in the early 90's.

Lane was an abomination, and if San Diego thinks he's gonna help them make a playoff push this week, they must be smoking the same stuff they had when they took Morgan Ensberg.

ATTENTION PADRES GM KEVIN TOWERS: JASON LANE SUCKS!