It's Octavio Dotel, and he has to pass his medicals first, then Alex can present him with a jersey, smile nice for the cameras, and looky here, we signed a real live major leaguer, who has closed games in past in Pittsburgh ( they still have a team ?? ) and years back in Colorado and Houston, and various other tranquil stops along the way to his retirement ( very soon coming ). The new Kevin Gregg comes with baggage, and make no mistake, he is signed as the closer, and John Farrell is aware how you treat a veteran pitcher in that role, and one who needs to be stroked and cajoled, and pampered, and well you get the picture.
The Octo man has one pitch, a fastball, and the good thing is, when he locates it, he generally has good movement, it sinks, and away from righties, so he gets ground outs and strike outs. The bad thing happens when his control goes wonky, because his ball flattens out, he presses, and tries to steer his pitches, and hitters know this and they sit on that 3-1 pitch, and well they hit a long way. He has worked on his off speed stuff for years, and has just not harnessed it adequately. This leads to blown saves, hurt feelings, catchers staring at him in disbelief, and managers pulling their hair out. Back in his early years in the Astros organisation, he backed up "lights out" Brad Lidge, not Fragil Lidgey, one hit and he melts or cracks, but the Brad Lidge who was automatic. Well Octo Man was no slouch himself. He recorded back to back years with his strikeouts well exceeding his innings pitched. He was high Octane Octavio !
Now he wavers between unleaded and propane, the propane is the risky stuff that blows past batters, is hit over the right fielders head, and they show the runner slapping hands with coaches, and serve dinner on those flights. I have always liked Dotel, he is quirky, energetic, moody, and surly all in the same day, a poor man's George Bell. Dotel will save ( if healthy ) 30 plus games, and will blow a dozen, or come damn close to it.
He will approach games in Fenway and New York like Roberto Duran entering a title fight. Honor at stake, and will enter each game with a bullfighters mentality to beat the odds, but he finds Tuesday nights in Oakland, or KC too dull to pay attention, and this is when it gets ugly.
Keep the Purcey kid handy, and Frasor will get some chances, as Octo will not go very often 2 games in a row, and when you tempt fate, you will wind up the the horns of the bull up your a**. Could be kid's reading this, so keeping it clean. So for John Farrell , just fair warning, this is not the 1999 Dotel, this car has miles on it and you have to check the brakes work, but he'll get you through the season, and that is what he's here for, the next Kevin Gregg, until this magical 2012 season when all this stuff culminates and we win the division, and white puffy clouds will fly over our beautiful pennant flag.
Welcome aboard Octo, what say we sail once around the American League in 2011, and back to port !
No comments:
Post a Comment