There is only one positive thing that I can take from the MLB American League defeating the National League in the 2014 All-Star game. The Pirate that can “man” all of the battle stations, Josh Harrison may be a perfect DH, (designated hitter) when needed for the Buccos if they happen to advance to the 2014 World Series.
Anyway, using Harrison to fill the DH position would probably cause little or no fanfare. Why? Because the potential move just makes sense, even to those who don’t.
Ladies and gentlemen did you guys see the way Adam Wainwright, the ace of the pitching staff of one of the Pirates NL Central Division rivals St. Louis Cardinals got rocked by the crème de la crème of the American League sluggers? Now the Pirates as well as the rest of the NL Central can at least pick their jaws up off the ground. They should all now realize that they don’t need kryptonite or may not be required to remove all of the nation’s phone booths because contrary to popular belief, Wainwright is not Superman and doesn’t remotely resemble Clark Kent. Wainwright told mlb.com before the game that, “he will prepare for the All-Star start just like he does all others.” He found out very quickly that the starting assignment for the All-Star game is a bit different than facing the Chicago Cubs. Judged on his performance, the scouting report had to be severely flawed or he was over confident in his pitch repertoire. Wainwright even had the gall to suggest that he “allowed” Yankees future hall-of-famer shortstop Derek Jeter to get a hit (Jeter hit a double) almost as a show of honor. Wainwright was quoted by Jeff Passan the MLB columnist for Yahoo sports as saying, “I was gonna give him a couple pipe shots. He deserved it. I didn’t know he was gonna hit a double or I might have changed my mind.”
Berry berry interesding, sounds like “stinkin thinkin” to me. Let me explain why. Did he purposely give up three runs in the first inning to the Red Sox in the first game of the 2013 World Series at Fenway? Did he “accidentally” surrender the first run of the game to the Red Sox in the first inning of the fifth game when the series returned to Fenway? Well, well, well he started two games in the series, and ended up with a 4.50 ERA and pitching 12 innings, giving up 14 hits and eight runs, six of them earned. Oh, by the way his ERA was 2.94 during the 2013 regular season. Could the post season represent the new kryptonite for Adam Wainwright and if so why would you possibly give up home field advantage for your ballclub if they advance to the 2014 “Autumn Classic” just to make Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, Pee Wee Reese, Hank Aaron or any other retiring major leaguer look good?
Adam Wainwright is an excellent pitcher with an array of pitches so varied that most hitters that face him until they at least partially figure him out, are at a distinct disadvantage. Other intangibles like, what is the pitch that he relies on the most when he is behind in the count or in trouble? What are his greatest “situational” pitches and why and when are they effective and when are certain weapons in his “arsenal” most ineffective?
I need all of you baseball aficionados’ to stay with me and listen carefully to what I am about to say. I don’t care how good any MLB pitcher may be. If a pitcher competes long enough, someone, maybe not everyone is going to figure that individual out and find a chink in their armor. When they do there will be a long line of eager students lining up outside of that “teachers” classroom textbooks and note pads in hand.
(Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-583-6741 Follow him on Twitter: @ultrascribe.)
