Showing posts with label kevin slowey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kevin slowey. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Twitline: Kevin Slowey's Tumultuous 2013 Season

I'm sitting at home Monday night, minding my own business when I receive a text from a friend that reads:  "Haha, Kevin Slowey to MIAMI'S bullpen.  lol."

First off, I already knew you were laughing from the "Haha" so you didn't need to add lol at the end.  Unless you were worried that I was unaware of how "out loud" you were laughing.  Second, capitalizing entire words for emphasis is poor literary form.  Third, you know I love Kevin Slowey irrationally, why are you trying to hurt me? 

Well, mission accomplished, "friend," it did hurt me.  Slowey was a personal favorite, as you know if you have read anything from this blog or if you simply can read a title.  I felt that he was unfairly judged by stupid Twins fans.  I also felt the stupid media treated him unfairly.  Finally, I felt his stupid teammates did not appreciate him.  Now, it appears that stupid Miami is treating him like some castoff spy who has lost everything and has to rely only on the people who are still talking to him. 

I decided that it would be only fair to recap his season in the best possible manner:  inventing something called a Twitline (Twitter time line).  As such, I present to you my very first Twitline:  Kevin Slowey's tumultuous 2013 season. 

When we last heard from our hero, he was injured and had missed most of the 2012 season.  He had not been retained by the Indians and was a free agent.  At least until:
Oh, cool, welcome back Mr. Slowey.  I figured he would get a chance with some team.  He was only 28 and he had moderate success as a Twin.  Of course, a Minor League deal is still no sure thing.  I knew he faced an uphill climb.  Of course, uphill in Miami is pretty much as steep as you can adjust a treadmill, so he certainly had found the best possible landing spot.  Soon the stories were pouring in, stating that Slowey was working his way toward a rotation spot:
If you read that article, you will see that Slowey's "competition" for the last rotation spot included John Maine, Wade LeBlanc, Alex Sanabia and Brad Hand.  Not surprisingly:
Congrats, Kevin!  This feeling will last forever, I'm sure.  Pitching for the Marlins will never lead to heartbreak...
Crud.  Of course, at least there is one media member who does not hate Slowey.  I can't imagine that the Marlins purposely scored few runs for Slowey, just to punish him for reading.  I suppose it's possible, but unlikely.  Perhaps they were just waiting to explode.
/Marlins explode.  Slowey hadn't won in over two years.  Could the Marlins hold on?
The suspense is killing me!

They held on.  He won.  I celebrated with an entire pack of Klondike bars, which are from Slowey's hometown of Pittsburgh.  I like to celebrate in a culturally sensitive manner.  At this point, Slowey has reached the highest of highs.  This would not be the time to get cocky and do something weird or something that makes you a target of your teammates...
Welp.

Success for Slowey never seems to last.  He had pitched well in April, but was less impressive in May.  In June, Slowey had to do the thing that he hated most.  The very thing that drew Twins fans' ire and Twins media's catcalls and barbs:  pitch in relief.
Hooray!  This was not a normal relief outing.  He came in to what would become a 20 inning game and pitched for basically an entire Slowey start.  This shouldn't become anything permanent, so long as his next start goes well.
Welp #2.  Trounced is not a word that is generally associated with "good pitching."  However, it was just one start, right?
That hashtag is too long.  However, it does appear that he didn't just have one bad trouncing.  He had a 5.88 ERA, including that awesome relief outing.  That means his ERA must have been around 20 (I'm bad at estimating) in his starts.  Oh no, this can really only mean one thing.
Welp #3.  This was probably inevitable.  It does seem ironic that Slowey was relegated to the bullpen.  After all, the Twins tried to use Slowey in the bullpen and he famously declared that it takes him too long to get loose, so the bullpen isn't the right place for him.  I really think that he was just upset that Nick Blackburn was starting over him, but I can't prove that.  Kevin, if you are reading, back me up.

Regardless, I'm sure Twins fans/supporters will handle this news appropriately...
Cool.

Good luck in the bullpen, Kevin.  I mean that sincerely.  I'll always appreciate you.  Godspeed.  To infinity and beyond.  Please don't go out on me.  Can't find a better man.  I'm still alive.  Even Flow.

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Kevin Slowey Never Wins

September 18, 2010.  What does that day mean to you?  Possibly nothing, perhaps more than that, but ultimately, it was just another day.  It was just another day for Kevin Slowey as well.  Slowey awoke fresh that morning, went to the ballpark and started a baseball game for the Minnesota Twins.  Slowey pitched well, going 6.2 innings, giving up just two runs on five hits and a walk.  He struck out eight and improved his record to 13-6.  The ball literally jumped from his hand, like a basketball player jumping for an offensive rebound and then throwing down a powerful put-back dunk.  Little did Slowey know that he would still be waiting for his next win to this very day.

Two and a half years, but only fifteen dreadful starts later, Slowey is still searching for that next win.  The path toward that elusive win has been winding, like a snake living in a terrarium that is too small.  His travels have taken him all over the nation, but success has not followed.  This isn't easy to swallow for the 2005 second-round pick out of Winthrop.  He made Minor League Baseball look silly, like a tall guy walking on his tip-toes through a forest of miniature model train trees.  It only took him three years to reach the Big Leagues, but he was back in the Minors in just that same short, fleeting, momentary, passing period of time. 

How Slowey returned to the Minors is a sordid tale, one that is difficult to express clearly and without constant metaphor.  A Pittsburgh-native, Slowey was known for his steely demeanor and nerdish leanings.  His book learning was frowned upon and his intelligent manner of communicating was spat upon with the disdain of many generations of Proletariat backlash.  That Slowey was smarter than those in the room was a demon that seethed within his belly, lashing out repeatedly when Slowey was forced to interact with members of the Media and clownish teammates.

Slowey harnessed that demon on the mound, using it as motivation, like an eight-year-old with a father who makes him play a sport for 12 months straight and then watch videotape of his performance to make him a better player even though all he really wants to do is watch some TV.  Using that motivation, Slowey became a reliable hand, someone the Twins could really turn to in times of need.  Times like when Slowey started games.  But Slowey never really fit in with his team.  In a lot of ways, he was the Zubaz of Minnesota.  He was liked because he was comfortable, but he just didn't look right or fit well or gain the respect of the other pants, so to speak. 

2011 would be Slowey's lowest point as a pitcher.  He spent the majority of the season battling shoulder and abdominal pains like a warrior fighting a mythical beast while also learning how to love.  When he had slain his own body like a two-headed dragon, he was ready to get that next win.  However, that next win would be a figurative two-headed dragon, who could breathe both fire and ineffective pitches.  At the end of that fateful season, as if written in the stars, Slowey finished without that elusive, slippery, mysterious win and added a 6.66 ERA to boot.

This would be Slowey's final season with the Mighty Clones of the North.  The force of his potent brain was too much for the Twins' clubhouse.  He read Newsweek instead of nothing.  The Twins shipped Slowey off to the Rockies of Colorado, both physically and baseballically.  Slowey wouldn't last long amongst the mighty mountains of the Northwest, ending his travels in Cleveland, a city where all dreams come true. 
Alas, Slowey's Cleveland dreams of winning baseball were dashed, sputtered out like one of those old-timey cars that you see at a car show but that also isn't running well and is just a model at this point.  Slowey wouldn't pitch an inning for the Indians, spending his season split between the misery of injury and the humiliation of Minor League Baseball.  Slowey's tale was as winding as a long, gross rat tail, but was also very close to falling off altogether. 

Flash forward to just one year later.  Slowey had resurfaced in Miami, a city best known for Burn Notice.  Through fortitude, hard work, grit, guile, resilience, cunning, wiliness, slyness, command and control, Slowey reached the highest level of the Majors, as if he had climbed his own Mount Kilimanjaro or a really long staircase.  Now at the top once more, Slowey was ready to earn that unattainable win, and slay the dragon, oppress the Proletariat and conquer the Zubaz while getting that cameo on Burn Notice that he so richly deserves.

Fate is a cruel mistress.  Fate is unkind.  Fate is a that person who won't move over in the fast lane.  Slowey has been dynamic this season, like a magician set on fire while performing card tricks of the Gods.   And yet, that win has eluded him, like a green shell from Mario Kart that wasn't aimed quite right.  Slowey spent all of April hurling a baseball like he had never hurled before, but at the end of the month, he still sits winless.  Slowey still endures.  Slowey still burns.  Slowey still aches.  But Slowey won't relent. 

Slowey turns 29 today; bittersweet as birthdays always are.  As the hands on the clock spin like one of those breakdancing guys who is really good at spinning on his head, it is impossible to forget about mortality.  However, few will ever have to wonder what it might mean to never have another win in life.  For Kevin Slowey, he has to wonder every day if that last win, way back in September of 2010, will be his last.  One last fleeting moment of pure success, drenched with the sweat of hard work and dedication, dripping with the saliva of lessons learned, engorged with the tears of failed expectations and covered in the blood of man.  This amalgamation of bodily fluids is all one can really ask for, and all one can really hope for another. 
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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Weekend Thoughts (4/21/2013)

The Twins have swept two consecutive series, but due to crazy sucky weather, it only adds up to a four-game winning streak.  The weather is still cold, but the Twins are hot right now.  They sit in second place after beating the White Sox in two straight, and are only a half game behind the powerhouse Royals.  This week, they received good enough starting pitching, solid offense, and great performances out of the bullpen.  Is it sustainable?

Perhaps.  Thus far, the Twins have had a roughly average overall offense from their individual players.  Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham have been great, with wRC+ of 186 and 150 respectively.  Chris Parmelee, Justin Morneau and Trevor Plouffe all come in around 100 wRC+.  The combo of Pedro Florimon and Eduardo Escobar have averaged right around Mauer-level offense.  Only Ryan Doumit, Brian Dozier and Aaron Hicks have been below average, although Hicks has been below zero, so that drags things down. 

I fully expect some regression from the shortstop combo and an increase in production from Doumit, Morneau and even Hicks.  This could lead to an offense that produces at roughly this level all season.  The bullpen has been solid, and many of the performances are sustainable.  If the starting pitching can be decent, the Twins can keep this up.  If the offense dips or the pitching falls apart, then...  well let's just enjoy the ride we're on right now. 

Vance Worley

Worley looked a lot better on Saturday.  I mean, that is about as obvious a statement that one can make, but still true.  Parts of his game have been good all season.  Worley gave up his first home run of the season on Saturday, which surprised me.  He has also limited walks all season long.  The main difference on Saturday was that he racked up strikeouts.  With fewer balls put in play, he gave up fewer hits.  I had high hopes for Worley this season, and If he pitches like he did on Saturday, those hopes will be fulfilled. 

Oswaldo Arcia

Arcia has struggled in his few MLB games, but that doesn't worry me at all.  My worry is that he won't play every game while in Minnesota.  He really shouldn't even spend one game on the bench, as every game is important in his development.  However, the numbers game is one that Gardenhire needs to play carefully, as his veterans need at bats too.  With Parmelee slightly banged up, everything is cool right now.  When he feels better, the numbers game begins. 

Justin Morneau

Morneau hasn't been very good this season.  He has only five extra-base hits in 65 plate appearances and his wRC+ is at 96.  Most of his numbers are in line with last season, but his power is down.  There is plenty of time for Morneau to turn things around.  If things don't turn around, the Twins are looking at a player with low trade value, diminishing power, advancing age and a long history with the franchise.  That combination of realities does not add up well for the Twins.  We'll just have to hope Morneau starts to mash again.

Joe Mauer

Joe Mauer is neat.  This week was just a reminder of how neat he really is.  Mauer reached base 14 times in 21 plate appearances this week.  If that isn't neat, I don't know what is. 

Other MLB Notes

Roy Halladay

Halladay has bounced back with a couple of nice starts.  I'm not sure I see anything crazy different about his peripheral stats that would explain these nice starts.  I haven't seen anything that indicates his velocity is up, so that certainly doesn't help.  I hope that he is improving in some way.  Halladay is one of the best pitchers of this generation, and baseball is more fun when he is pitching well.  He can't fight his age, but I still kind of hope he does.

Joey Votto


I kind of love Joey Votto.  Baseball can be such a macho game.  Home runs are the best way to show off how big and strong and powerful you are.  If Votto understands that there are other ways to "be good" and give the team value, then more power to him.  I respect his approach.  He has lead the NL in OBP the last three seasons and is well on his way to adding a fourth season to that streak.  He makes outs at an extremely low rate and that makes him "good."

Kevin Slowey

Slowey had his best start of the season on Friday night.  He went six innings, gave up one run on four hits, walked one and struck out four.  Everything I wrote about Slowey when he signed with Miami was true and still is true today.  Much of what I wrote was meandering and self-serving, but true.  Sadly, Slowey has still not won a game in over two years.  The Twins miss Slowey in their short series this week, which is a shame.  Although, not having to hear Dick and Bert discuss Slowey is almost worth not getting to see if he could stick it to his former team. 

Ok, I'm tapped out.  Have a nice week everyone!
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Twins vs Royals Thoughts

Oh yeah, the Twins aren't supposed to be good this year.  I didn't really think the Twins were going to continue on a 107-win pace.  I know, strange, right?  I would have enjoyed it.  Regardless, some regression was likely and probably unavoidable.  The Royals series didn't go as planned, but the team has still had a successful start to the season.  Will the Twins get above .500 again this season?

Chris Parmelee

I like Parmelee.  He has good at bats because he can work a count.  I like to see a guy with patience at the plate and Parmelee is patient.  On Wednesday, he was running around looking like a bank robber, but other than that, I have no complaints.  His defense is surprisingly solid and his arm looks strong.  I want to see more, but I think he can be good enough to take over for Justin Morneau, should he be traded in July or August.  He won't be Morneau-prime, but he could be Morneau-lite.

Pedro Florimon/Eduardo Escobar

***Minority Opinion Alert!!***  I like both of these guys.  Yeah, I do.  I wrote about Florimon's value a few weeks back.  I link to the article daily, but here it is again.  You could basically make the same claims for Escobar, based on his very similar skill set.  I like both guys because they are cheap and they get the job done defensively.  When not overflowing with better options, a cheap defensive player isn't too bad. 

Both players have also hit well so far, although I don't really expect that to maintain.  I like Escobar a bit more, because he is younger and probably has more natural talent.  Having two basically identical players on the team leaves Gardenhire with more moves he can make and I suppose that is why the bench exists, eh?  Eh?

Starting Pitching

The Big Pelf, yikes!  First off, I absolutely reject that as a nickname.  Mike Pelfrey seems like a good dude, but I cannot accept that nickname.  He did not pitch well on Monday either.  It's worth remembering that he had major elbow surgery just 11 months ago.  He may not be fully healthy, but he has to be commended for giving it a go.  He should work his way back to what he once was:  nothing special, but serviceable.

Kevin Correia pitched well.

Liam Hendriks bothers me because I think he should be better than he is.  He has good stuff, seems to locate his pitches well, but can't get anyone out efficiently.  I guess he might learn that with more experience, and he is still only 24 years old.  I hope he gets a full season to iron things out.  My worry is that he'll be removed from the rotation when others are healthy because he has an option and his current pitching style taxes the bullpen.  I hope I'm wrong though.

Aaron Hicks

I still believe in Aaron Hicks and I am 100% certain that he will turn things around.  However, I'm done writing about him until something changes.  There just isn't anything new to discuss.  I'm still a big fan though.

Bullet Royals Thoughts
  • I love the Royals but I'm not IN love with the Royals.
  • Salvador Perez is a monster, both in size and in ability.
  • Alex Gordon so smooth.
  • I want to watch Kelvin Herrera at all times.
  • I'm proposing a bill that would force Billy Butler to go by Bill Butler for a trial period.  Yes, I used bill and Bill in the same sentence and yes that is worth bonus points.

Other MLB Thoughts

Atlanta Braves

I've raved about their outfield in the past and I will certainly cover their special shortstop at some point as well, but I am particularly taken by their rotation.  If Julio Teheran puts it all together and Brandon Beachy comes back, their rotation would be stacked.  Their offense is clearly great and their defense is solid as well.  They might be the second best team in their division, but they might also be the second best team in all of baseball.  I like.

Oakland

The A's are good at trading.  This off-season, they acquired Jed Lowrie.  Lowrie has always had promise, but seemed to always be injured as well.  Now healthy, he will provide Oakland with excellent offense at a premium defensive position.  Of course, if you go by his track record, he won't give them that offense for a full season.  I'd be interested in seeing how much value a player takes from a team when he can't stay healthy.  If anyone knows of a study, LMK.  Lowrie is a talent, and I hope he can play a full season. 

Kevin Slowey

Slowey was nice on Monday night.  He went 7 innings, gave up 6 hits, 2 earned runs, walked none and struck out 3.  He did give up a home run to Justin Upton, but pretty much everyone does that these days.  He's still rocking the long curls, and that works for me.  
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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Kevin Slowey named Miami Marlins fifth starter!

Kevin Slowey was named the Miami Marlins' fifth starter recently.  He joins a rotation with such stars as Ricky Nolasco, Nathan Eovaldi, Wade LeBlanc and Henderson Alvarez.  He is probably keeping the slot warm for Jacob Turner, Brad Hand and possibly Jose Fernandez.  I'm not really interested in analyzing the move.  Six people have requested more paint pictures, and I am happy to oblige.  Here is how Slowey and manager Mike Redmond celebrated this news:


I'll always love Slowey unconditionally, so I'll keep a constant Slowey update at the top of this blog.  I shall call them Slopdates, which is Slowey updates.  A million points if you can figure out why Redmond is portrayed using that color.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Miami Marlins sign Kevin Slowey



"If any Twins pitcher is going to just all of a sudden turn into Greg Maddux, it's Kevin Slowey." - Brad Swanson in 2010.

"Brad Swanson is an idiot." - Everyone else, right after the previous statement was said.

"You're mom." - Unknown.

Kevin Slowey signed with the Miami Marlins this evening.  He signed a minor league contract and I fully expect him to win a job in Spring Training, win the Cy Young Award and lead the Marlins to their 3rd World Series championship.  As you can likely tell from the title of my blog, I feel Kevin Slowey was not given a fair shake by the Twins.  It stands to reason that if you want some Kevin Slowey analysis, you would come to this blog.  Well, I don't want to let that one person in Russia who reads this blog down. 

Let me add some context, while also revealing the story behind the name of this blog (AT LONG LAST!).  I first started caring about stats late in 2009.  I was trying to create a foolproof fantasy baseball strategy and I stumbled across Ron Shandler's Baseball Forecaster.  Since I read at a roughly 3rd grade level, I only scanned the pages.  While scanning, I got it in my head that K:BB ratio is the only required stat for finding good pitchers.  I was scouring spreadsheets looking for pitchers with good K:BB  ratios who didn't have good ERAs.  I figured this would help me find some pitchers who would improve that coming season and help my fantasy team win many free Yahoo leagues.  This lead me to my hometown Twins, and Kevin Slowey.

I was already a fan, just take a look at his 2008 season to see why.  Now I was also aware that Kevin Slowey possesses an elite skill.  He doesn't walk anyone.  He has only walked 3.7% of the batters he has faced in his career.  League average is over double that.  So, Slowey doesn't walk anyone and he reaches the magic 6.0 strikeout rate that the aforementioned handbook deemed acceptable for a starting pitcher.  I was hooked.  I drafted Kevin Slowey until the cows came home.  Oddly, he was always available!  He was coming off a year when he was 10 and 3, with a 5.00 K/BB ratio.  5.0!!!!!!  That is quite high.  He only threw 90.2 innings and still had a 4.86 ERA, but I was blinded by that one ratio.  Only Roy Halladay, Dan Haren and Javier Vazquez had K/BB ratios higher than 5.0 in 2012.  Elite territory.

Unfortunately, elite results did not follow into that elite territory.  Slowey started 28 games in 2010, but only threw 155.2 innings.  He barely averaged 5 innings per start.  He posted a 4.0 K/BB ratio, but also a 4.45 ERA and 91 ERA+.  He was below average and I didn't get it.  He had such a good K/BB ratio!  The following year was even worse, as he went 0 and 8, posted a 6.67 ERA, but a dominant 6.8 K/BB with a miniscule 1.9% walk percentage.  These are crazy stats and they don't really add up on paper.  My world was shattered.

On the mound, Kevin Slowey was and probably still is a nibbler.  He thought he knew how to get everyone out, but his stuff wasn't good enough.  He seemed to prefer giving up hits to walking people, but I have no proof for that.  He resisted the Twins' pitch to contact strategy and butted heads with coaches and fellow players.  That doesn't really bother me, but when you add it to the poor results, it makes sense that the Twins traded him away after the 2011 season.  The Rockies acquired him, then turned around and sent him to Cleveland.  He only threw roughly 50 AAA innings in 2012,  missing much of the season with a stress fracture in his rib cage.  That would hurt.  Probably a lot. 

What will his 2013 season bring?  If he can somehow make the team, I still hold out hope that he will be an effective starter.  He still doesn't walk anyone and can get some strikeouts.  He has been prone to some home runs and his ground ball rates are very low.  The old Kevin Slowey would throw 100 pitches, give up 2 or 3 runs and get lifted in the middle of the 6th inning.  I used to argue with people that I would take those innings from Slowey rather than 7 terrible innings from Nick Blackburn, but that just seems like a reason to rip Nick Blackburn in this post.  Slowey's inability to pitch deep hurt the bullpen, which hurts the team.  I realize that now.  I am so sorry.     

He is a smart guy by all accounts.  You can check out his off-season blog from a few years ago if you want some proof.  He has some interesting thoughts, he spells well and uses ellipses properly (most of the time).  He seems averse to using capitalization though, but this isn't an English critique.  However, those smarts are also supposedly part of the reason why he was not accepted in the Twins clubhouse.  He read books, which was NOT COOL.  His intelligence supposedly made him aloof, or at least that was the perception.  If that is true, then he was traded for a terrible reason.  If the team just got tired of dealing with a malcontent that couldn't produce, then it makes perfect sense. 

I'll always like Kevin Slowey for some reason.  I like the idea of a nerd infiltrating a baseball clubhouse full of jocks.  If nothing else, maybe he can mentor Jose Fernandez in AAA.  I just hope Mike Redmond doesn't try to pants him or something.  That would be so Red-Dog.

By all accounts, Kevin Slowey is probably not a nerd, but a good narrative is too hard to pass up.  Who is your favorite nerd?  What is your favorite Slow-ride (my term for a Slowey-related memory)?  Which former Twin do you like for reasons unknown?  
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