Do them both a favor and shut down Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill
Can we now call it a season for Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill? Pretty, pretty please?
Exactly what is supposed to be gained in the final week by continuing to send them out there?
They have all the confidence of a teenager on a first date. They almost look scared on the mound.
That they combined to blow up an outstanding starting effort by Chad Billingsley on Sunday came as a surprise to … whom exactly?
It ranked up there with politician caught in lie, Lindsay Lohan enters rehab, Vicente Padillia oils his hair.
For Sherrill, it’s been an ongoing, mystifying theme. His season numbers: 2-2, 7:08 ERA and zero saves in four opportunities.
This -- it must be reminded -- from the guy who went 1-0 with a miniscule 0.65 ERA for the Dodgers last year after being acquired prior to the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.
If you can understand that turnaround, explaining the origin of the pyramids should be a snap.
Broxton has been so bad of late, it’s almost hard to remember he actually was outstanding in the first half -- notwithstanding that fiasco against the Yankees.
In the first half, Broxton was 3-0 with a 2.11 ERA and had 19 saves in 21 opportunities. In the second half, he is 2-6 with a 6.85 ERA and three saves in eight opportunities.
He just isn’t the same guy. Whether he’s secretly hurt or just a jumbled mental case right now, it doesn’t matter. He can’t get anybody out. He pitches like he doesn’t believe he can.
Broxton averaged 7.86 strikeouts per walk in the first half and 0.85 in the second half.
It ain’t happening for him, or Sherrill. And suddenly having one decent outing in the final week isn’t going to send them into the offseason full of renewed confidence.
Shut it down, and let them relax and reboot next spring.
-- Steve Dilbeck
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Posted by: skyharbor | 09/27/2010 at 08:15 AM
Don't want to see either one of these clowns in blue next year.
Listening Ned?
Posted by: dave reynolds | 09/27/2010 at 08:54 AM
The bright spots on this years' team are so few and dim they have to use Hubble to find them.
Posted by: Labeldude | 09/27/2010 at 09:29 AM
Me thinks that Broxton is this century's Dick Radatz...
Posted by: 16blows | 09/27/2010 at 09:58 AM
What is the coaching staff doing to find out what is wrong with Broxton? I don't want to give up on him. It's a mystery.
Posted by: Padres, Giants, Rockies Thank the Dodgers | 09/27/2010 at 10:04 AM
Heared Vince say the other day,"that the Dodgers orgainization would love to thank their fans, rightly so, by having a firework day in their honor." I totally agree! They should hand out " FREE TICKETS, FREE DODGER DOGS, DRINKS, AND FREE PARKING to all Dodger fans who paid at least one game this season. If you want to thank us, this offer of graditude may help rebuild a broken and loyal relationship, we as dodger fans once had.
Posted by: ex dodger fan | 09/27/2010 at 10:45 AM
I think Broxton can be rebuilt, esp with an added pitch (a change up, pretty please?). Sherrill has been just plain brutal all season. I think he needs a new address more than new mechanics.
Posted by: phillydodger | 09/27/2010 at 11:09 AM
There's nothing much more to say, Steve.
Posted by: OldBrooklynFan | 09/27/2010 at 11:20 AM
Weisman still defending Brox over at Dodger Thoughts - Haw, haw, haw.
Posted by: Hollywood Dodger Mark | 09/27/2010 at 11:22 AM
The only "boot" that should have been used in that Dodgers blog is the boot to the rear ends of both these clowns. No sympathy for millionaires. If they don't have the chops for the bigs at this level then they can join the real working world with the rest of us.
Posted by: BMeador | 09/27/2010 at 11:24 AM
It's obvious that neither Broxton or Sherrill have been honest with the coaches, or there may have been some signs of improvement. Both Torre and Mattingly have stated that Broxton will be the closer next season. I don't think they have any choice. They're stuck with him, unless the money can be found to buy an available closer. We all know the answer to that one. Everyone responsible for improving the Dodgers is going to be blowing smoke while whistling past the cemetery when speaking about next season. Let's all get used to it.
I love shyharbor's one liner.
Posted by: Since '58 | 09/27/2010 at 11:47 AM
broxton was a great set-up guy. there is no shame in that. until he gets more bite on his slider and can throw it for strikes (remember saito's? nasty!), or develops another pitch (changeup, splitter ala gagne!), he should go back to being the set-up guy. i'd nominate jansen and kuo as kind of a joint tandem at closer. and for everyone's sake, please let honeycutt go.
Posted by: HI Dodger Fan | 09/27/2010 at 12:19 PM
Sheer sadism on Torre's part to keep putting Sherrill and Broxton out there. They self-destructed weeks, if not months ago. That's entertainment!
Posted by: BlueOrf | 09/27/2010 at 02:21 PM
The pyramids are easy.
Broxton looked bad in the 1st half too, teetering on a highwire at times, saved by line drive outs.
Goodbye, Sherrill, and good luck.
Posted by: Native Angeleno | 09/27/2010 at 02:28 PM
Broxton yes, but why shut down Sherrill? He had one bad outing, and in particular, one bat faceoff against a RIGHT hander. He has been fairly respectable most of the season against left handers. His stuff is probably just a tad worse than it was last year- just enough for righties to adjust, not quite enough for lefties.
If anyone should be shut down early, it's Torre. aTaking the game seriously enough to remove Belisario out after one batter (that he retired!), then not taking it seriously enough to go with your best (Jansen/Kuo) is jaw-dropping. That's not second guessing- even if it had worked, it would have been incomprehensible. Since it didn't work, it was unforgivable. Yeah, it's the end of a wasted season, but Joe owed it to Billingsley to do everything he could to ensure him the victory. In terms of baseball, 2011 can't come soon enough. I hope we'll also feel that way once 2011 actually arrives.
Posted by: sarcastro | 09/27/2010 at 02:31 PM
No "reboot" please.
Sherrill should not be in the Dodgers' plans next year. Broxton should be slotted to come in to mop up games where the Dodgers fall behind like 7-1 after five innings. If he improves in that role, he can move up. Potentially to a set-up man. But no farther. Never again. He is not a closer. He quailed when he had to step in for Saito, he's quailed in big-game opportunities since, and this year, second half, he just plain lost it all.
For Torre and Mattingly to claim now that Broxton will enter spring-training as the putative closer is maddening. The Dodgers will be rebuilding next year. There is no getting around that. They can rebuild trying Jansen for the closing role, with Kuo the designated #1 until his arm snaps. Which it may never do. Broxton as closer: been there; done that; didn't work out. Next.
It does not surprise me that Weisman is defending Broxton still. There is probably some obscure stat, beloved by worshippers of The Fountainhead, that "proves" Broxton is the second coming of Goose Gossage.
Posted by: kjp | 09/27/2010 at 03:57 PM
no game thread for monday night, but why is oeltjen, a rookie, playing instead of gibbons, the vet? torre, the end can't come soon enough. why don't you just resign now and let mattingly, et.al., take us home the rest of the way. you are not leading right now and it shows. and in the vein of this thread, i think we'd all feel better if kemp was also shut down for the rest of the year. the guy is barely even trying out there. it's disgraceful and embarassing. i can't see how a professional athlete would let himself look so bad.
Posted by: HI Dodger Fan | 09/27/2010 at 07:52 PM
Hi Dodger fan: Gibbons is out tonight with a sore calf.
Posted by: Steve Dilbeck | 09/27/2010 at 07:55 PM
Trade Broxton to the Mets for K-Rod!
Posted by: neoncactus | 09/28/2010 at 08:35 AM
Hate to say this, but Rick Honeycutt needs to go.
Posted by: Bobblehead | 09/28/2010 at 10:21 AM
That Broxton is pitching at any level higher than pickup softball is one of the great unsolved mysteries of mankind. The only remotely feasible explanation for him pitching for the Dodgers is the possession of highly damaging photos of Torrre or Coletti.And, by the way, he didn't just blow up in the second half of this year. He's had a mess of spectacular blowups going back three seasons. There's a difference between routine relief pitching and successful closing. It's called guts or confidence. See Saito, Kuo, Gagne. You can't teach it. Broxton can only dream of it. If he's in an LA uniform next year we're doomed.
Posted by: rodney gierasch | 10/01/2010 at 01:12 PM