Johan is...

[Guest Edgy DC]

Taking the Johan temperature.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That's like 4 worst-case scenarios and one I'm-in-denial choice.

I want something in between the first and second choice.

[TransMonk]

I'll take #2.

I wish we had some other reliable pitchers.

[metirish]

] working through what looks like a dead arm period. He may be fair to poor his next few starts, or need to skip a start, but then he'll be fine again. Which is pretty awesome.

I voted for this although I don't know that it's a dead arm period.A combo of one and two would work.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think one and two are pretty close.

[Benjamin Grimm]

]...through. Period.

Zero for this one so far, which means that Ashie62 hasn't voted yet.

[soupcan]

I'm going dead-arm. Just makes the most sense to me.

Dominant early on, less so, then pounded hard.

It seems like his velocity has just dipped is all. He'll be back in a start or two.

Patience is a virtue my fellow Metsaholics.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Went dead-arm here, too, but in more of a logical line-of-best-fit than exact-plot.

Speaking of graphs, really interesting stuff here about Johan's velocity on Beyond the Box Score from Tommy Rancel. Maybe it's not the fastball we should worry about? (This might help explain the HR uptick over the past few starts-- a too-fast changeup is easier to hammer into seats than your typical high fastball.)

]Like the fastball, Johan's slider has also decreased in velocity, but he maintains about the same velocity separation on the two pitches. Oddly enough, his change up is actually up a full tick in 2009. If you look at his velocity charts you'll notice that there have been peaks and valleys throughout the past two plus years... Even though Santana's heater is 2.2 miles slower than it was in 2006, it is actually been more effective. In 2006 his fastball was 2.1 runs above average. This year it is at 3.1. As I mentioned above Santana's change up is actually up in velocity, but year over year it is down in effectiveness.

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/6/15/910205/a-check-on-johan-santanas-velocity

[ashie62]

I am cautiously optimistic that Johan will be back to his old self shortly.

I know this is not the thread but I couldn't fine one.Any words at all on Reyes other than the mlb.com 6/11 indefinite

Thanks*

[Zvon]

I hate the tag "dead arm" in association with a pitcher.
I'd rather hear "tired arm".

But I'll go with that one.
There is no debating that his fast ball velocity is down at this juncture.

on edit: <<<

[Guest sharpie]

Somebody had to be optimistic and vote option 1 -- that somebody is me.

I feel like he turned it around suddenly last year for no apparant reason -- he just got better -- just like he's about to vs. Tampa. Those Rays is toast.

[Guest themetfairy]

In Johan I Trust.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So... who went for option 3?

[metirish]

mad at Rick Peterson

[Guest OlerudOwned]

If I can't have faith in Johan, what can I trust in?

[Guest Hawkeye57]

="OlerudOwned":1xbpab5n]If I can't have faith in Johan, what can I trust in?[/quote:1xbpab5n] There is no one else to trust in. #2

Triple Dee Jun 18 2009 07:58 AM

I was having a conversation with an American tourist (Mets fan) in the Athens Metro a little earlier today (one of us was wearing a Mets cap) - his line was; "Isn't this about the same time Frank Viola started to turn sour on us".

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 18 2009 09:38 AM

="Triple Dee":1bqd1tmo]I was having a conversation with an American tourist (Mets fan) in the Athens Metro a little earlier today (one of us was wearing a Mets cap) - his line was; "Isn't this about the same time Frank Viola started to turn sour on us".[/quote:1bqd1tmo] You tell him to shut it! SHUT YOUR FAT AMERICAN FACE!

[Guest Triple Dee]

I was having a conversation with an American tourist (Mets fan) in the Athens Metro a little earlier today (one of us was wearing a Mets cap) - his line was;
"Isn't this about the same time Frank Viola started to turn sour on us".

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

="Triple Dee":1bqd1tmo]I was having a conversation with an American tourist (Mets fan) in the Athens Metro a little earlier today (one of us was wearing a Mets cap) - his line was; "Isn't this about the same time Frank Viola started to turn sour on us".[/quote:1bqd1tmo] You tell him to shut it! SHUT YOUR FAT AMERICAN FACE!