And deliver some heat, too!

 

Link to Yahoo Sports Page

Probably the most anticpated # out of this spring are the gun readings from Koch.

Shouldn't Koch earn the job before Ozzie says he is going to close. Its not like he is the only person capable of closing. Wait to see if he has his fastball back before you declare him the closer.

I heard an interview with Koch on Talking Baseball on Sunday.

Didn't hear the entire interview, but what I DID hear made NO mention of velocity.

Billy talked about control and arm slot and managing his pitches better, but nowhere was any mention of speed.

Thought that was a little ominous....but again, I missed some of it, so maybe they covered it during the part I didn't hear.

Sox need him to bounce back. I REALLY hope he does, even though I was hoping for Marte to close.

i don't give a crap if he lost his velocity or not. what i care about is if he can find a way to get back to his 2002 status pitching 90-95mph or not.

Shouldn't Koch earn the job before Ozzie says he is going to close.  Its not like he is the only person capable of closing.  Wait to see if he has his fastball back before you declare him the closer.

So far without having a full team workout;

 

1) Thomas was moved back to 3 in the lineup. I personally thought flipping him and GIDP Maggs was a good move but that has been changed

 

2) Named the Opening Day starter. No problem with Buerhle and it was the right move as it was last year.

 

3) Named Koch the closer?????? What was the point of this. The guy was a major flop. Guillen did not see him pitch, what was the point of making this decision. Marte, Jackson, Polite and Shinjo could all fill this role if they perform to expectations. Why should Koch be guaranteed anything.

 

Sounds like Ozzie will have the roster and lineup set before a full team workout.

i don't give a crap if he lost his velocity or not. what i care about is if he can find a way to get back to his 2002 status pitching 90-95mph or not.

He's not going to get back to his 2002 status with 90-95 unless he created more motion/movement on his fastball. Even that year, he blew double digit games when he had a 100 mph fastball, just got wins because Oaklands offense bailed him out.

Well thats exactly it...Koch thorws hard but its straight as an arrow. Without movement he is pitching BP up there. Unless he gets some movement on his fastball. He will be rocked early and often. Heres to hoping!!

Throws too...damn typo.

i think that if he has lost his velocity, he and coop will find a way to get movement on his ball and/or other ways around it so that he isn't "pitching BP out there."

i think that if he has lost his velocity, he and coop will find a way to get movement on his ball and/or other ways around it so that he isn't "pitching BP out there."

Why wasn't he working on that in the off-season?

 

The way it sounds is he knows he doesn't have his good velocity yet or they'd be announcing it from the mountaintops.

i think that if he has lost his velocity, he and coop will find a way to get movement on his ball and/or other ways around it so that he isn't "pitching BP out there."

Without his velocity he is a college pitcher that throws hard and one that will be pounded (i.e. last year,) in the major league. If you could learn movement everyone would have it. Then you have to learn control. He didn't have control at 100. This is something else that can not be taught. If so Neil Cotts would be a solid prospect.

If I were the White Sox, I'd turn the guns off for Koch. I wouldn't want to see Koch looking at the readings and letting that be the judgement of whether he's suceeding or not.

 

That or I'd have a phony gun showing extra high readings for Koch so he can get confident and just relax and pitch.

 

I think one of the biggest flaws of radar guns, is the emphasis put on them. Koch needs to go out there and pitch, and if he gets guys out, then I don't give a damn what he's throwing.

i read in the paper the other day that Koch wasnt worried about his velocity and that he was more focused on hitting his spots and staying healthy.

i read in the paper the other day that Koch wasnt worried about his velocity and that he was more focused on hitting his spots and staying healthy.

i'm sure. Koch is as worried about his speed as everyone else.

i'm sure.  Koch is as worried about his speed as everyone else.

Well at least last year he was. It seemed like all he ever talked about was his velocity and such.

If I were the White Sox, I'd turn the guns off for Koch.  I wouldn't want to see Koch looking at the readings and letting that be the judgement of whether he's suceeding or not.

 

That or I'd have a phony gun showing extra high readings for Koch so he can get confident and just relax and pitch. 

 

I think one of the biggest flaws of radar guns, is the emphasis put on them.  Koch needs to go out there and pitch, and if he gets guys out, then I don't give a damn what he's throwing.

I don't always look at the radar gun, but in Koch's case its big. Unless he suddenly improves his control greatly and develops great offspeed pitches without his fastball he won't succeed. He has very little movement on his fastball regardless of how hard he throws it so he really needs to run it up there 97 MPH or so.

I don't always look at the radar gun, but in Koch's case its big.  Unless he suddenly improves his control greatly and develops great offspeed pitches without his fastball he won't succeed.  He has very little movement on his fastball regardless of how hard he throws it so he really needs to run it up there 97 MPH or so.

I think what may be wrong with Koch is he is thinking he needs to throw that hard. And while that seems like an easy dilemma, its a really hard thing for a pitcher to get out of its mind.

 

It may lead to him really throwing off his mechanics, which could definately explain the loss of 3-4 MPH. It may result in him not having good weight distribution and it may result in him throwing more with the arm then with the legs/quads.

 

I think if he just relaxed and pitched and concentrates on hitting his spots, then I think, if his arm is healthy, you'll see a return of his velocity (maybe not to 100 MPH, but pretty high). Either way if he mixes pitches in and gets guys out, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

But he can't have hitters sitting on pitchers.

Maybe what Ozzie is saying is its his job to lose.

He's not going to get back to his 2002 status with 90-95 unless he created more motion/movement on his fastball. Even that year, he blew double digit games when he had a 100 mph fastball, just got wins because Oaklands offense bailed him out.

Uh, no.

 

Koch blew 6 saves in 2002, but got 11 wins because he was used in 84 games, meaning he was brought into many games where Oakland was tied or even losing.

 

A save% of 88%(which he had in 2002 going 44 of 50 in saves), is fairly good.

And deliver some heat, too! 

 

Link to Yahoo Sports Page

I hope you're right but I see him folding like a cheap card table and Marte eventually ending up with the job.

I believe Koch was told that the closer's job was his to lose. He isn't gauranteed anything other than too much money, at this point.

I believe Koch was told that the closer's job was his to lose.  He isn't gauranteed anything other than too much money, at this point.

koch will be force feed down our thoats yas...this is how the sox work..they paid this guy big bucks so they will do everything in their power to prove they made the right move...they stuck with clayton for almost 2 years..mark my words..koch will start the season as the closer...imagine koch trying to hold a one run lead against the yankmees??

 

for those who think cooper will be able to teach koch movement...dont you think if that was possible somebody in toronto or oakland would have accomplished that already???

I'd love to be wrong the way I was wrong about Frank's batspeed coming into 2003.....But I think Billy Koch is DONE.

 

Without velocity, he's a 5.00+ ERA reliever.

 

My 92-win prediction hinges on, among other things, Koch somewhat returning to old form, but it looks more and more like wishful thinking on my part.

A save% of 88%(which he had in 2002 going 44 of 50 in saves), is fairly good.

 

I would say. Saving 12 out 14 is a wholalot easier than saving 44 in 50 in 84 appearances. Lest we forget, Uncle Tom blew 5 saves in 14 attempts for us last year. Puts things in perspective.

 

I never liked Billy Goat's ERA, but he was always a pretty good reliever before 2003, a ballsy dude -- he would make you sweat it out by stranding a GW run at 2nd in quite a few 1-run saves. A 96-100 mph heater helped.

 

What will he do now?