Fun in Splitsville

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jorge Julio, first four appearances.

Date	Game	W	L	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	Pit.	Str.	GO	AO	RA	ERA
4/5	WSH	0	1	0.2	4	5	2	1	1	2	32	20	1	0	67.50	27.00
4/7	FLA	0	0	1.0	3	2	2	0	1	2	21	12	0	0	18.00	18.00
4/13	@WSH	0	0	1.0	2	1	1	1	0	2	24	18	1	0	9.00	9.00
4/15	MIL	0	0	1.0	2	3	3	1	0	0	27	15	2	1	27.00	27.00
Total		0	1	3.2	11	11	8	3	2	6	104	65	4	1	27.00	19.64

Jorge Julio, last five appearances.

Date	Game	W	L	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	Pit.	Str.	GO	AO	RA	ERA
4/16	MIL	0	0	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	1	21	13	0	2	0.00	0.00
4/18	ATL	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	2	15	8	0	1	0.00	0.00
4/20	@SD	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	2	14	8	1	0	0.00	0.00
4/22	@SD	0	0	2.0	1	0	0	0	0	3	37	23	3	1	0.00	0.00
4/23	@SD	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	3	25	13	0	0	0.00	0.00
Total		0	0	6.0	2	0	0	0	2	11	112	65	4	4	0.00	0.00

[Guest Edgy DC]

The main difference seems to be those air-outs that were bombs the first few times. He's also still throwing a lot of balls but not walking peeps.

In both splits, his strikeout ratio is awesome, the kind of thing, I guess, that makes teams trade a live starter like Kris Benson for him despite an awful 2005, overall-effectiveness-wise.

It's easy enough to compare him to Armando Benitez, throwing heat, having girth, coming from Baltimore (though he's Venezuelan, rather than Dominican). I think the difference is that Armando kept the ball down better.

[Willets Point]

Edgy DC wrote: I think the difference is that Armando kept the ball down better.

Not to mention that Benitez always choked in big games.

[Frayed Knot]

And that Benitez was like ... good.

It's amazing how the history re-write just continues to mount re: Armando.
Anyone w/o first-hand memories trying to learn about him from reading NYC sports writers - who have referreed to him often during J. Julio articles - could only conclude that his Met career was indistinguishable from Mel Rojas and up there as one of the worst pitchers in MLB history rather than someone who chalked up ~4 years with a 2.00-ish ERA a 1.10-ish WHiP, 12 Ks/9 and a near 90% save pct.

[Centerfield]

If Jorge Julio pitches so well he takes the closer job from a guy with 400 plus saves, and then saves 43 of 46 the following year, I will eat my shirt.