How do you fix Bummer?

[BamaDoc 369]

I figure I am not the only one to  notice his results or the fact that when he's on the mound and the camera zooms in , he doesn't look confident.  He looks dejected.  Maybe its just me.  He is a huge part of the bullpen if you are in the playoffs with no Crochet.  Wondering if he needs some low leverage situations to hopefully regain confidence/execution.  Katz needs to fix him.

[chw42 4,446]

I think the best you can do for now is to pitch him in less meaningful situations. Give his current role to Foster (his change up helps neutralize lefties better anyhow) and let him pitch the 6th/7th inning. 

[Harold's Leg Lift 2,227]

He has a history of slow starts. It seems to take him a little while to find the feel of his sinker/slider.  His track record says keep pitching him and the results will be there. 

[SonofaRoache 2,127]

You fix him by easing him back slowly. No high leverage situations until he has his groove back. He won't like it, but it is his own doing. The bullpen needs to be about riding the hot hand. 

[Kyyle23 4,506]

He definitely has a "oh fuck not again" look on his face most of the time

[Texsox 1,711]

7 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

He definitely has a "oh fuck not again" look on his face most of the time

Matching the crowd.

[ChiSox59 5,006]

13 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

He definitely has a "oh fuck not again" look on his face most of the time

Yep. He looked legitimately terrified yesterday. Feel for the guy. He will come around eventually but gotta stop throwing him in big spots right now. 

[southsider2k5 11,688]

You let him pitch.  It is the only way for him to regain feel and repetition.

[Tony 5,279]

Prozac and Zoloft usually work for most people. 

[oldsox 425]

I thought it was odd that they put him in with nothing but right-handed hitters facing him.

[shago 275]

Cut his balls off?

[Kyyle23 4,506]

57 minutes ago, oldsox said:

I thought it was odd that they put him in with nothing but right-handed hitters facing him.

It was definitely odd but at the same time Tony has been setting him up with lefties and he is walking those guys too.  I guess my biggest complaint about last night is he got the 8th when Graveman only threw like 6 pitches the inning before.  It was a forced move that was just not needed

[HOFHurt35 1,279]

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

You let him pitch.  It is the only way for him to regain feel and repetition.

I think for the Sox bullpen to be what it was designed to be, Bummer has to be a key factor there.   I had no problem with LaRussa rolling him out last night hoping for it to click for him.  

High leverage (when / if we get into contention) will need to be a combination of Kelly, Graveman, Bummer, and Hendricks.   

[KipWellsFan 149]

You are not crazy. He visually looks dejected anytime little things go wrong. I'm sure this occurs with other players who lack success too, but maybe they just don't show it as much as him.

Other players (e.g. Liam), can walk a guy, get angry, and get right back to it on the next hitter. It's a mental thing.

So maybe some sports psychology can help. Otherwise you gotta give him the chance to get better. Maybe lower leverage is the right idea. I actually think TLR does a decent job of working people up and down leverage levels.

[wegner 4,460]

Trade him to the Dodgers??

[EloyJenkins 1,777]

sliders work best in humid weather, right? the terrible early season weather surely hasn't helped...so unfortunately we need warm weather and TLR to not use him for 2 innings. 

[WBWSF 328]

41 minutes ago, wegner said:

Trade him to the Dodgers??

Has anybody here noticed that Kimbrel has 5 saves and a era=1.35 with the Dodgers?

[caulfield12 4,099]

11 minutes ago, WBWSF said:

Has anybody here noticed that Kimbrel has 5 saves and a era=1.35 with the Dodgers?

Dodgers generally know what they are doing...other than signing Bauer, letting Yordan Alvarez get away and holding onto Turner too long.

[southsider2k5 11,688]

14 minutes ago, WBWSF said:

Has anybody here noticed that Kimbrel has 5 saves and a era=1.35 with the Dodgers?

AKA, the most predicable thing ever.

[Texsox 1,711]

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

AKA, the most predicable thing ever.

I expected if he stayed here and continued to pitch the 8th inning he would have been almost as successful. He would have adjusted.

[greg775 1,731]

Could Dallas be a one inning guy? Bummer to minors or a mop up man?

[FoxForce2 198]

Someone with the numbers can shed light on Bummer's performance. Last year he was pretty much mediocre in the first half, but improved in the second half. His sinker doesn't appear to the have control and bite that he has shown in the past.

[Harold's Leg Lift 2,227]

4 hours ago, WBWSF said:

Has anybody here noticed that Kimbrel has 5 saves and a era=1.35 with the Dodgers?

Ya don't say.  

[ShoeLessRob 1,588]

Maybe he can try pitching right handed? 

[kitekrazy 291]

6 hours ago, WBWSF said:

Has anybody here noticed that Kimbrel has 5 saves and a era=1.35 with the Dodgers?

Not surprised since he went back to the league he is most successful.