Daily Dodger in review: Ronald Belisario and the maddening season

RONALD BELISARIO, 27, relief pitcher

Final 2010 stats: 3-1, 5.04 ERA, two saves in four opportunities, 1.28 WHIP.

Contract status: Under club control; eligible for arbitration in 2012.

The good: During a 19-game stretch ending July 5, he looked very much like the rookie sensation of 2009 (2.04 ERA), posting a 1.31 ERA. He was throwing heat, looking confident, seemingly back on top of his game.

The bad: The rest of the season he was unrecognizable. Unless your dreams tend to run toward Freddy Krueger. He showed up so late because of a visa problem stemming from a DUI, he missed almost all of training camp. Then in his first 16 appearances, he sported a 7.20 ERA.

Then after he seemed to have found his groove in that 19-game span, he disappeared to points unknown. He reportedly entered a rehab facility, but no explanation was ever given. When he returned, he looked a lot more like the Belisario who had started the season.

What’s next: A lot of crossing of fingers. He’ll return next season, the Dodgers hoping he has his life in order and ready to resume being a dominant set-up man.

He’s still young and has shown what he can do when focused. Alas, he’s also shown what he can do when not.

The take: The Dodgers can’t count on Belisario at this point, they can only hope. He’ll get penciled in as a set-up man going into spring training, but will be watched carefully. He’s way too talented to be given up on, but needs to earn back the team’s trust.

If he can turn it back around, it’s major points for what was a disappointing 2010 bullpen.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Labeldude]

Belli, Troncoso, Brox, Sherrill... thay can't all be as bad as they became. JoJo gets a lot of the blame, but its time to replace the pitching coach. 3/4 of the younger pitching staff is regressing, and only thing they all have in common is Honeycutt.

[Auto Club]

We have a free map of Albuquerque awaiting Mr. Belisario.

[k]

I would dump the entire 'pen except Jansen and Kuo, except that we already know that for some unknown reason, Mattingly thinks Broxton can still pitch. That, and with little or no money, how we gonna replace anybody?

[OldBrooklynFan]

He's another one like Broxton that's hard to give up on. He can turn it on for a length of time, like 19 or 20 games. Like you say Steve, we just have to wait and see.

[Since '58]

Belisario's under contract. Why are we even having this discussion?
Hey k, what do you expect Mattingly to say? "Hey, screw Broxton. We can dump him and find somebody better." That more like it, k? This is getting tiresome.

[These Dodgers Suck!!]

Hey Steve, dont forget to review Manny's year here.

[realistic_dodger_fan]

when it comes to the like of Belisario and Elbert how man chances are you give them. It just becomes pathetic after a while. My argument for Broxton is how many times did he actually get to settle in and get continual work. I mean for the beginning part of the season he couldnt get a save opportunity and then when he did get a chance he was over used. did you not know that he had pitched consecutively 4 game and 3 game stretches in his career before the 100 game mark. People point to the Yanks game as a turning point. The dodgers had a 4 run lead why was he even throwing that day. Torre has a track record of abusing pitchers and if dont believe it just look at Wade and recently Troncoso. This bullpen can be dangerous and shut down again if they can make a little addition and add a guy like Balfour. Along with NT sherrill, and getting rid of Martin and Belisario. It would be far from realistic to dream of Dodgers trading for the likes of Greinke

[confused dodger fan]

Damn only 27?? He looks like 37!