posted on Sunday, July 09, 2006 2:25 AM
by
Jim
Midseason Review: Bobby Jenks
| W-L | ERA | IP | H
| R
| ER | BB | K
| SV | SvOp |
2-1
| 2.83 | 41.1
| 33
| 13
| 13
| 13
| 49
| 26 | 27 |
Something nice: The 96 percent success rate in save situations tells the story here. He's grown into a pitcher. He doesn't just throw the fastball -- he gets grounders, and he readjusts when he sees hitters finding patterns. What a steal.
Must improve: Holding runners. This isn't that important -- if paying the least bit attention to the runner takes away from his stuff, then never mind -- but I'm always a little bit afraid that runners who get to first will get to second on their own soon enough.
Three best games May 24
Did you know that it took Bobby nearly two months to pitch a perfect outing against a team that wasn't the Kansas City Royals? Me neither. Here it was, a 1-2-3 inning against Oakland. Bobby Kielty's leadoff tapper back to the mound was the only time the A's put the bat on the ball against him.
June 25An underrated Jenks moment, since it didn't result in a win: Neal Cotts leaves him runners on first and third with one out in the 10th inning, and Jenks gets Brad Ausmus to ground into a double play -- on the first pitch -- to end the inning.
July 5Bobby changes strategies on the fly after he sees Orioles hitters going fastball or bust to the tune of three hits and one run before recording an out. After a brief mound meeting, Jenks turns to the breaking ball...and strikes out the side.
Three worst gamesApril 12Jenks gives up a homer in his second straight outing and turns a three-run lead into a one-run lead. He ends up with the save, but that's how bad closers do it.
May 5Truly a "WTF" game. Jenks enters the ninth against the Royals with a runner on first and a one-run lead. He leaves after two walks, two hits, and two runs, and after all's said and done, it's his first and only blown save of the year. Ozzie has to use four pitchers in the ninth.
May 10
It's cold, it's raining, and Jenks helps turn a one-run ballgame into a six-run affair when he can't get either of the guys he was brought into face out. Tim Salmon singles, Juan Rivera doubles, three runs score, and then Matt Thornton douses the field in gasoline and tosses a match on it.
Grades
Arm: A
What a fun pitcher to watch. He has that little slider that registers around 92, and while it looks like he shouldn't be throwing it, it seems to just be slow enough and move enough to keep hitters off-balance.
Head: A-It took awhile, but he's learning how to make in-inning adjustments. If only Mark Buehrle or Javier Vazquez would take notes. And let's not forget that he hasn't gotten in trouble once since joining the Sox. If he keeps that up, maybe one day people will stop writing
befuddling smear jobs.
Awards
Fireman of the Week,
June 25-July 1Fireman of the Week,
June 4-10Fireman of the Week,
May 21-27Fireman of the Week,
May 14-20Fireman of the Week,
April 16-22