Jon Rauch Baseball Reference linkTuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Justin Duchscherer SP - Jesse Litsch SP (The Bruise Brothers)
Justin Duchscherer has been consistent in two areas over his Major League career. One, he has been effective on the mound whether as a relief pitcher or as a starter. Two, he's not on the mound often enough. Drafted by the Boston Red Sox he was traded while in the minors to Texas. The Rangers called him for 5 games in the 2001 season and they were not impressed with the results. The Rangers shipped him off the Oakland and the A's liked what they saw. Justin started three games late in the season but from '04 - '07 "Duke" worked strictly as a reliever, making the A.L. All Star team in 2005. In 2008 Duchscherer was a starter again and was named to the A.L. All Star squad for the second time. Again injuries derailed him as Justin missed the 2009 and most of the 2010 seasons while rehabbing. In the off season he signed with the Orioles and is competing for a job in the starting rotation.
The other partner in the "Bruise Brothers" is local favorite Jesse Litsch. How ironic that Jesse's first Major League job was as a Batboy for the Rays! Not blessed with a triple digit fastball Litsch was not considered a Blue Chip prospect when he was drafted by Toronto in the 24th rd. in 2004. Litsch relies more on pitch location and movement and has no fear in taking the ball in a clutch situation. On May 25, 2007 Litsch was called up to fill in for an injured Roy Halladay and started against the Yankees. He went 8 2/3 innings allowing 4 hits, two walks and 1 run and won the game. Jesse stuck in the starting rotation through the rest of the 2007 season. Litsch started 28 games in 2008 but in 2009 he underwent "Tommy John" surgery. Litsch came back and started 9 games in 2010 for the Blue Jays. Now nearly two full years back from surgery Litsch should be physically back and ready to go.Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Colby Lewis SP - Hisanori Takahashi P
The story of Colby Lewis, well it could be a made for T.V. movie. A "can't miss" first round draft pick for the Texas Rangers speeds through their Minor League system and makes the opening day roster in 2002. Sent back to the minors for more seasoning he returns and spends the '03 season in the Rangers rotation. He sported a 10-9 win/loss total but he wasn't pitching very well. Lewis has rotator cuff surgery and then bounces around from Detroit-Washington-Oakland-K.C. and then he's out of MLB. Determined to continue playing baseball Lewis goes to Japan and in 2008-2009 is one of the league's dominating pitchers. The Rangers come calling in 2010 and he finishes 7th in the A.L. in strikeouts, 9th in the A.L. in WHIP and finishes the year with two playoff wins and a World Series victory. Colby Lewis is one great story!
It's fitting that Hisanori Takahashi should be linked on the same page with Colby Lewis. Like Lewis Takahashi pitched in the Japanese professional league in 2009 before appearing in MLB in 2010. Hisanori is an old school left hander who relies on mixing up his pitches to keep the hitters off balance. He pitched his entire career in the Nippon league with the Yomiuiri Giants and signed as a Free Agent in 2010 with the New York Mets. With the Mets Takahashi was Mr. Everything. He began the year in the Mets bullpen, then on May 21 he made his first Major League start....against the New York Yankees going 6 innings and not allowing a run. Later in the year the Mets needed a closer so Takahashi filled that role for them finishing with 8 saves on the year. Hisanori had a release clause when he signed with the Mets and in the off season Takahashi signed with the L.A. Angels.
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