05-30-2010, 02:48 AM
In case you're wondering if it's just your imagination that every Marmol appearance is a high-wire act, uh...no. Jayson Stark talks about Marmol's historic weirdness in this article...here are some highlights:
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->The On A Roll Award
Winner: Carlos Marmol
There are certain qualities you'd ordinarily look for in a closer that you're never going to get from Carlos Marmol.
Strike-throwing, for example.
In case you'd never noticed, no pitcher in the history of his sport has walked more hitters per nine innings than the Cubs' trusty thrill-a-minute closer (who's running away from the field, at 5.82). So fine. We've established that Dennis Eckersley he's not.
But that's not why Marmol is collecting his first career Sandwich Award this week. He ascended to Sandwich-level fame for his other unprecedented talent in life:
This man can flat out strike you out.
He has pitched 24 2/3 innings this season -- and has 49 strikeouts. That means<b> he's whiffing 17.9 hitters for every nine innings</b> he's out there. And friends, that ought to be impossible. Here's what you need to know about that insane stat:
• Not only would 17.9 K's per nine innings be the greatest strikeout rate in history if Marmol could keep it up. It would be the greatest by almost three strikeouts. The all-time record for pitchers with at least 30 innings in a season is "only" 14.98, by Eric Gagne in 2003.
• Besides Gagne, just five other relievers in history ever had seasons in which they came within four strikeouts per nine innings of Marmol's current rate: Billy Wagner (14.95 in his whiffingest best season, 1999), Brad Lidge (14.93 in 2004), Armando Benitez (14.77 in 1999), Byung-Hyun Kim (14.14 in 2000) and Rob Dibble (14.08 in 1992). Crazy.
• Finally, Marmol is already up to five saves this year in which all three of his outs came on strikeouts. So before he even got to Memorial Day weekend, he was more than halfway to the record for strike-out-the-side one-inning saves. Gagne holds that record, with nine saves like that in 2003. Robb Nen had eight in 2000. The only other closers with more than six are Lidge in 2005, Wagner in 1999 and good old John Rocker in 2000 (all with seven).
So what are we to make of Carlos Marmol? Well, it's hard to overlook the fact that, thanks to all those pitches he forgets to throw for strikes, the ride can get a little rocky now and then.
<b>"It's not always domination," laughed one scout. "Sometimes it's abomination.</b> Every time Lou [Piniella] calls out there to the 'pen, I can see more gray in his beard."
But unhittability is always good. That's our motto.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->The On A Roll Award
Winner: Carlos Marmol
There are certain qualities you'd ordinarily look for in a closer that you're never going to get from Carlos Marmol.
Strike-throwing, for example.
In case you'd never noticed, no pitcher in the history of his sport has walked more hitters per nine innings than the Cubs' trusty thrill-a-minute closer (who's running away from the field, at 5.82). So fine. We've established that Dennis Eckersley he's not.
But that's not why Marmol is collecting his first career Sandwich Award this week. He ascended to Sandwich-level fame for his other unprecedented talent in life:
This man can flat out strike you out.
He has pitched 24 2/3 innings this season -- and has 49 strikeouts. That means<b> he's whiffing 17.9 hitters for every nine innings</b> he's out there. And friends, that ought to be impossible. Here's what you need to know about that insane stat:
• Not only would 17.9 K's per nine innings be the greatest strikeout rate in history if Marmol could keep it up. It would be the greatest by almost three strikeouts. The all-time record for pitchers with at least 30 innings in a season is "only" 14.98, by Eric Gagne in 2003.
• Besides Gagne, just five other relievers in history ever had seasons in which they came within four strikeouts per nine innings of Marmol's current rate: Billy Wagner (14.95 in his whiffingest best season, 1999), Brad Lidge (14.93 in 2004), Armando Benitez (14.77 in 1999), Byung-Hyun Kim (14.14 in 2000) and Rob Dibble (14.08 in 1992). Crazy.
• Finally, Marmol is already up to five saves this year in which all three of his outs came on strikeouts. So before he even got to Memorial Day weekend, he was more than halfway to the record for strike-out-the-side one-inning saves. Gagne holds that record, with nine saves like that in 2003. Robb Nen had eight in 2000. The only other closers with more than six are Lidge in 2005, Wagner in 1999 and good old John Rocker in 2000 (all with seven).
So what are we to make of Carlos Marmol? Well, it's hard to overlook the fact that, thanks to all those pitches he forgets to throw for strikes, the ride can get a little rocky now and then.
<b>"It's not always domination," laughed one scout. "Sometimes it's abomination.</b> Every time Lou [Piniella] calls out there to the 'pen, I can see more gray in his beard."
But unhittability is always good. That's our motto.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance