04/24/24
May 15, 2008
Kershaw- The Next Koufax?: With a curseball that defies descripion, and opposing players jellied legged. Can this 20 year old finally fullfill the promise of the great Sandy Koufax?
posted by giveuptheghost to baseball at 07:06 PM - 11 comments
^^^ Tommytrump wins Post of the year.
posted by Drood at 09:56 PM on May 15, 2008
Tommytrump wins Post of the year. That, my friend, is a gauntlet laying on the ground.
posted by THX-1138 at 01:24 AM on May 16, 2008
Go ahead and pick it up;)
posted by Drood at 03:13 AM on May 16, 2008
I notice that his numbers in Jacksonville (AA level?) are quite different from his numbers at the lower levels. His walk-to-strikeout numbers are 28 - 49, and his WHIP is about 1.09. While these are good numbers, they are not exactly earth-shattering. Actually, the ball stops and threatens the batter with an 86-year stretch of futility, as in "The Curse of the Bambino".
posted by Howard_T at 10:26 AM on May 16, 2008
Can this 20 year old finally fullfill the promise of the great Sandy Koufax? If you're talking about Koufax's promise of being the next great Jewish pitching hero, well, I sense that this kid wouldn't really be down for that. Ever. Every year there's two or three of these zomg-can't-miss superprospects. And like the article takes great pains to mention, they almost never pan out. He might be the second coming, sure. But we've seen second comings before. The minor leagues and high school coaching staffs all over the place are filled with them.
posted by chicobangs at 10:30 AM on May 16, 2008
OK, Drood. I'll give it a shot. I was drunk last night, but I think I have something. The ball takes a high, arcing path to the plate, almost appearing to be an eefus pitch. As it approaches the batter it stops right in front of his face and says "May your only son play goalie on an all nude hockey team. SIS BOOM BAH!"
posted by THX-1138 at 12:16 PM on May 16, 2008
I notice that his numbers in Jacksonville (AA level?) are quite different from his numbers at the lower levels. His walk-to-strikeout numbers are 28 - 49, and his WHIP is about 1.09. While these are good numbers, they are not exactly earth-shattering. I wouldn't put too much stock in his numbers from Jacksonville last year (only 5 starts), where he was pitching as a 19 year-old at AA, which is pretty impressive. (I believe the average age in AA is around 23.) Also, he was moved there at the end of last year, so some period of adjustment to his new league would be expected. This year he is at 40 K to 11 BB in 36.1 innings, which work out to great K/BB and K/9 ratios, with a WHIP just over 1. The combination of his numbers, his age, and his level are, to my mind at least, pretty earth-shattering. (Also, his aggregate K/BB at AA is 69 to 28, not 49-28.)
posted by holden at 03:32 PM on May 16, 2008
Now see, THX, that wasn't that great... But you elevated it massively at the end with "SIS BOOM BAH!":)
posted by Drood at 04:20 PM on May 16, 2008
Vic Scully reaction (Public enemy number one) to curve ball to Sean Casey was a classic, and also a glimpse of things that may come. Koufax had the best curveball for lefthander I personally ever seen, and this kid with a few years may surprise a lot of folks.
posted by giveuptheghost at 05:04 PM on May 16, 2008
Drood, I stole it from Carnak. His curses were the best.
posted by THX-1138 at 11:46 AM on May 19, 2008
With a curseball that defies descripion That must be some pitch. What does it do, come in 59 feet, stop and say to the batter...."fuck you, try and hit me" and then snap down into the catcher's mitt?