The Gasoline Award - the least successful relief pitchers of 2013

<div style="text-align: justify;">Since 1976, Rolaids has sponsored an award for the best relief pitchers of the year for both the American League and National League. I was going to name my awards the Tums Award, but figured I would get sued. So I figured I would name my award for the least successful relief pitchers of 2013 the Gasoline Award because the following list of pitchers did not put out any fires. Instead...say it with me...they poured gasoline on the fire.  </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is difficult judging relief pitchers because they could have ten good performances in a row and then get poached for an inning and have an ERA that balloons to five in a hurry. And often times they will put a base runner on only to have another guy from the bullpen come in and make sure that runner scores. That is the life of a relief pitcher.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Noting all of that, I based my award on not only ERA, but on inherited runners scored, rWAR, WHIP and WPA. Doing so seems to cover all the bases. And here are my results:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?results=gonzami02,gonzami01&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Mike Gonzalez</a></strong> - Gonzalez is a LOOGY, a left-handed specialist who pitched 75 times this past season to log fifty innings. He makes his living one lefty batter at a time. After a mostly successful career doing so, 2013 did not go well. His WHIP was 1.660, his homer per nine rate was 1.8, his WPA was -2.000 (the highest on our list). He allowed 47.7% of his inherited runners to score and this was pitching mostly to get lefties out. Lefty batters had a .780 OPS against him. Not a good season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leagubr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Brandon League</a></strong> - I love this guy's name. It sounds like a collection of super heroes. League has never been able to hang on to a closer's role and this year was his worst. He had a WHIP of 1.546 and allowed 50% (!) of inherited runners to score. Opposing batters had this triple slash line against him: .305/.354/.464. His rWAR was -1.4 and his WPA was -1.838. Nothing good to see there. Oh yes, his ERA+ was 64.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bassan01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Anthony Bass</a></strong> - I almost hate to put Bass in here as he was one of those guys that was the last guy out of the bullpen--the mop-up guy. He only had 29 appearances, but pitched 42 innings. But I have to put him in there because he allowed an .829 OPS against and allowed 66.67% of inherited base runners to score. That is unbelievable in the gasoline department. His WHIP was 1.690. His ERA was 5.26 and tied League with an ERA+ of 64. Bass had a WPA of -0.538.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rondohe01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Hector Rondon</a></strong> - Rondon's stats don't look as bad as the first three. His ERA and WHIP are better. But he allowed 50% of his inherited base runners to score. His WPA was -0.434. I suspect that he had some days where he pitched quite well and had other days where he could not get anyone out. His high walk rate probably did not help him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mijarjo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Jose Mijares</a></strong> - This is our second LOOGY on the list and if you do not get that one guy out that you are supposed to get out, things get ugly. Mijares had the highest OPS against on our list at .844, a terribly bloated WHIP of 1.776. The trouble with LOOGYs are that the other manager will pinch hit for the lefty Mijares had to face and that spelled trouble as his OPS against from right-handed batters was almost one (.961). Mijares allowed 41.30% of inherited runners to score (30% is about average) and his WPA was -1.234.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Honorable mention: <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chambjo03.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">Joba Chamberlain</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/axforjo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.blogger.com" target="_blank">John Axford</a></strong> (he did better in St. Louis)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Based on all that information, who would you give the award to? I think Mike Gonzalez gets the nod, though League gave him a run for his money. The good news for all of these pitchers is that most will probably still be employed in 2014. </div>

The Gasoline Award - the least successful relief pitchers of 2013

Since 1976, Rolaids has sponsored an award for the best relief pitchers of the year for both the American League and National League. I was ...

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Mark Rogers might win...some day

<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rogerma01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Rogers</a></b> of the Milwaukee Brewers is not a very lucky fellow. And that is unfortunate because he is from this great state of Maine and Maine is not exactly brimming with baseball success stories. And so it was pretty darned exciting when a kid who went to Mount Ararat High School in Topsham, Maine was the fifth overall selection in the first round of the 2004 draft. He had big strikeout numbers early in his years in the minors and made Baseball America's Top 100 prospects in 2005 and 2006. But he also walked a lot of people and did not progress quickly. And then he hurt his shoulder.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The injury was in 2006 and he had surgery to repair a torn labrum. A year later, he had to have another surgery to remove scar tissue from the first surgery. He finally got back in action in 2009 and seemed headed in the right direction as he had a good first year back. He also did well enough in 2010 that the Brewers called him up for his major league debut.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rogers made four appearances in 2010 for a total of ten innings including one start that lasted five innings. Rogers pitched well. He struck out eleven batters and walked only two and allowed only two hits. He was on his way, right? Not exactly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2011 was not a good year for Mark Rogers. His pitching was brutal and he went 0-5 in several levels. He pitched several levels because he had a drug suspension for stimulants thrown in the mix. For once, the 0-5 record was not mere bad luck. He earned that record. But that doesn't hold true for the rest of his minor league career. Rogers has pitched to the tune of a 4.70 ERA in the minors. No, that's not great. But it's not bad enough to compile the 16-36 record (.306 winning percentage). A record that bad requires some bad luck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rogers was pitching fairly well in Triple-A in 2012. For once, his record wasn't that bad at 6-6. He no longer struck out a lot of people and the high walk rate was still there. But he was 6-6. Then the Brewers traded Zack Greinke and Rogers got the call to the majors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rogers has now made four starts in the big leagues this season. He should have won three of them. He has not won any of them. On his first start on July 29, he had to face the Nationals. Have fun with that one, kid. And he did. He pitched five and two-thirds innings and gave up only two runs and struck out seven against only one walk. He left the game with a 3-2 lead. The Brewers would stretch that lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth. But then it happened.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Brewers' bullpen gave up eight runs and lost 11-10. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Rogers' second start, he faced the Cardinals. The poor kid was thrown into the mixing bowl in those first two starts, no? The Cards got to Rogers for five runs in five innings of work and though he struck out five and walked only one, Rogers gave up three extra base hits and earned the loss.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Rogers' third start, he pitched brilliantly, albeit against the Astros. But still. He pitched seven innings and only gave up one run on three hits and two walks. He struck out eight. The Brewers were leading, 3-1 when Rogers left the game. Francisco Rodriguez gave up a run in the eighth to make it 3-2. And then a gaffe by Carlos Gomez in the field and another blown save by John Axford plated two Astros runs to lose the game for the Brewers in walk-off fashion. Rogers was again denied his first big league win.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then he pitched just last night against the Rockies. Considering the game was in Coors Field and scoring is relative, Rogers pitched well. He pitched six innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. That is not a bad outing in Coors. Again, he left the game with his team in the lead, 6-5.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jim Henderson is the new Brewers' closer. Henderson is another interesting story. Unlike Rogers, Henderson was selected in the 26th round...by the Expos. He is a thirty year old rookie. He had recorded two saves recently and had looked like he could right the Brewers sinking ship and along the way, help Mark Rogers get his first win for his career. It did not happen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Henderson gave up three hits and two runs in the ninth and the Rockies had a walk-off win. Three times Mark Rogers had been in line for his first major league win and all three times the Brewers blew the save.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Rogers is not alone in that category for Brewers' starters. The Brewers' bullpen is one of the most intriguing stories of 2012 and has totally derailed this team's chances for a playoff spot. The Brewers have now blown 23 saves in 48 saves opportunities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After a long and winding road to get himself back to the big leagues, Mark Rogers has not embarrassed himself. The kid from Maine is holding his own. And maybe someday, Robers will get a win to show for it.</div>

Mark Rogers might win...some day

Mark Rogers of the Milwaukee Brewers is not a very lucky fellow. And that is unfortunate because he is from this great state of Maine and M...

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