STL @ PIT

Had an extra game tonight and for once it didn't go to extra innings or rain delay or both!

• Zach Duke started for the Pirates and looked magnificent. This is the 1st time I have actually watched him pitch and he looked good. Now, his stuff will never wow people, as his fastball was 87-91, his curveball from 69-74, his changeup was 78-82 and his slider was 84-85, which he only used against left handers, but when he is throwing his curveball for strikes, he is a quality middle of the rotation starter. He has a Jamie Moyer like motion from a high 3/4 release. His upside is that of a middle of the rotation starter, but I think he is more of a back-end guy unless he can consistenly throw his above average curveball for strikes, as the difference in velocity really screws with a hitter. His fastball is fringe average, his changeup is above average and his slider is a tick above average, so he doesn't have too many weapons when he struggles with his curve.
• Todd Wellemeyer underwent a transformation tonight from a FB-SL-CU pitcher to a FB-CUT-CU-SL-CB pitcher. It didn't look too good, as his cutter has good cut, but he was leaving it belt high. He sat at 88-93 with his fastball, 87-91 with the cutter, 80-84 with the changeup, 75-78 with his curveball and 77-80 with the slider. It is possible he has completely scrapped the slider for the cutter and these are really curveballs. Same opinion as before, solid back-of-rotation starter for a contender and will likely not post a sub 4 ERA again.
• Matt Capps made the 9th inning exciting, loading the bases before getting out of it without allowing a run (for what it's worth, 2nd straight game I have done where the bases got loaded in the 9th). He attacked hitters with a 4-seam fastball at 93-96, a slider at 85-86 and a changeup at 86-87. He still has the look of a frontline closer when he is throwing strikes, but his frame is one that doesn't look very athletic and you have to wonder how about his recent durability issues.
• Blaine Boyer went after guys with a fastball at 90-91, a curveball at 72-77 and a cutter at 83-85. Should still be a solid guy to have in a bullpen, just not one you want pitching with a lead.
• Trever Miller showed he can get out right-handers as well, as he featured a fastball at 85-87, his frisbee slider at 73-77 and a changeup at 81-85. Very useful pitcher with his command of his secondary pitches, just got to wonder how much longer he can keep doing this.
• Brad Thompson threw 2 innings and was sitting at 86-88 with his 2-seam fastball, 77-78 with his slider, 81-82 with his changeup and 75-78 with his curveball. No real plus offering and is a guy that just tries to mix speeds and get you to hit the ball on the ground. My opinion of him hasn't changed from before. When his service time starts making raises happen, he loses a lot of his value, as a lot of guys in AAA can do what he is being asked to do.
• Tyler Greene, a 6-2 190 pound 25 year old, got another start, this one at 3B. He is showing better to me, as this is the 3rd time I have seen him. He has average power (probably a little above average for a SS) and might be able to stick as a utility infielder who can play SS (and that is very valuable to Tony La Russa). Another con to Greene though is the fact that he was almost over-aggressive in his attempts to hit the 1st pitch fastball. He swung at the 1st pitch 3 times and looked very bad when Capps threw him a 1st pitch slider. If that report gets out and teams start feeding him off-speed, we will know for sure if he is a late-bloomer utility infielder Wilson Betemit style.
• Robinzon Diaz, a 5-11 220 pound 25 year old, is a catcher who is getting his first real legitimate chance at playing time. He doesn't appear to have an above average tool, as he has some power, but wouldn't hit more then 10 home runs as a regular. He is solid defensively, but isn't someone that will just shut down a running game. He has a squatty catcher frame and he features a slightly open stance where he is standing somewhat straight up. In my eyes, it's a coinflip between him and Jason Jaramillo for the backup job when Ryan Doumit returns. It may come down to options.
• Andy LaRoche, a 6-1 210 pound 25 year old, was the main major league ready guy (with Brandon Moss) that Pittsburgh got in the Jason Bay trade. LaRoche just doesn't profile very well to me. His frame is close to maxed out and he will never have more then average power for a 3rd basemen. He has a slightly open stance with a toe turn and he has shown a hole in his swing to inside fastballs when I have seen him. For a player known for his bat when he was coming up, it looks like it may need to be his defense to carry him. His bat may barely play at 3B.
• Colby Rasmus, a 6-2 200 pound 22 year old, came in when Ryan Ludwick appeared to pull a hamstring attempting to make a catch. Rasmus is St. Louis' top prospect and you can see what they like. I was skeptical of him, as he hadn't yet proven himself in AAA, but he has a slightly open stance with a nice swing that doesn't have any real apparent holes. He still has some strides to make with pitch recognition and his ability to hit left-handers, but he does look like a guy who can be a starting CF, though I think putting him as one of the top 10 prospects in baseball may be a little immature, as I don't know if anything about him screams All-Star. Looked like above average speed and didn't do anything either bad or great in CF.
• In addition to the comments I made earlier about Shane Robinson, he is 24 years old and has just an average (and may be below average) arm from center field. He played RF after Ludwick left, but his arm will not play there and that greatly reduces his value. He has a nice looking line drive swing and will need to fight to become a 4th OF in the mold of an Endy Chavez.

Tomorrow is a busy day for me, as I have 2 charts (1 of which is an extra), a baseball practice and the 8:05 SEA-TEX game featuring Jarrod Washburn and Brandon McCarthy.

Chart Observations: PIT @ STL

• Got to watch Todd Wellemeyer and he continued to show his plus command of all his pitches. He was primarily FB, SL, CU and mixed in a few curveballs. Hasn't faced the best lineups, but is a middle of the rotation starter for a contender (decent 3, strong 4).
• Ross Ohlendorf opposed him. Ohlendorf attacked hitters with a low to mid 90's sinker, low 80's slider and low 80's changeup. Nothing about him is above average (including his command) and is a protypical RH. His ceiling is that of a back-end starter for a contender, as if his command improves, he should have the stuff (and the ability to pitch to contact) to be a solid # 4 or # 5.
• Blaine Boyer retired the only batter he faced, Craig Monroe, with a diet of plus curveballs and average fastballs. Still think he is a solid middle guy.
• Trever Miller is a good LOOGY to have in the pen. He features a high 80's fastball and a frisbee slider in the mid 70's. No reason to think he can't keep having success.
• Evan Meek could throw 3 pitches or he could throw 5. No one is really sure. He throws a fastball in the mid 90's (93-95) that has a lot of cutting action, a cut fastball in the high 80's to low 90's, a slider in the mid 80's, a curveball in the mid 70's to low 80's and a changeup (which I didn't see). No one is sure if the breaking pitch is the same pitch (I thought it was) or if he throws only cutters or if the action on the ball is just natural. That being said, he has the future to be a back-end reliever. He needs to tighten a breaking ball, as his fastball is his only real plus pitch. Think the ceiling is a closer if he develops the breaking pitch further, but is more likely to settle in as a quality middle reliever.
• Shane Robinson made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter. He is a small guy (5-9, 160) with a small frame. I thought he was African-American, but he is white. He is known as a speedster with little power and I gathered that much from his stance. He has one of those stances with the bat resting on his shoulder until he triggers, where everything works to get himself ready. He takes the bat off his shoulder and cocks it and also strides. He will never have much power hitting that way. With a whole sample size of 1 AB, I think his ceiling is as a 4th OF who can CF (those are fairly valuable) but one that will struggle to hit above .250 and provide zero power. Maybe Robinson can learn from Skip Schumaker and make himself into a super-utility guy by learning 2B.

Got the Reds-Cardinals game tonight featuring Johnny Cueto and Joel Pineiro.

Sorry about no comment on the Reds-Brewers game, but here are some from what I remember (went out last night and didn't get back to the apartment until 230)

• Braden Looper showed an inability to command his stuff last night and when he struggles like that, he will get hit (even by a Reds lineup that had 2 of their 3 best hitters sitting due to the flu). He features a high 80's to low 90's sinker/fastball, a low 80's slider and a low 80's splitter.
• Micah Owings upside is that of a # 5 starter. Just not much left there to work with. I think he needs to start focusing on his hitting and become an OF.
• Mark DiFelice continues to baffle hitters and people who like radar gun readings, as he continues to get people out. He primarily throws a low 80's cutter and a low 80's changeup. Who knows if he can keep this up? He has excellent command (and good thing b/c he is going to need it once the scouting reports are out).
• Nick Masset flashed some of his old command problems, but looks like a very capable pitcher to bridge the gap to the Reds set-up core.
• Thought Dusty made a bad decision by leaving in Arthur Rhodes to face the right handers. Turns out I am a moron.