This is just what the Phillies need, more injuries to an already awful bullpen. If you didn’t get a whiff of the local baseball team last night, you missed quite a pitching display. At one point or another, it seemed like the entire bullpen had a chance to come in and stink up the joint in a 15-9 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And left-handed setup man J.C. Romero was part of the problem…again. But, in a post-game interview he revealed quite a bit. He’s having arm trouble. One one hand he said he was fine, and on the other he says that he’s still recovering from his November elbow surgery.
“Trust me, if I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have had the surgery,” Romero said, per Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “I never saw this coming. My arm is going fast and my hand is going slow. When I hang a pitch, they bang it.”
He said his arm speed is fine, but it’s his hand that is “lazy.” This would be the reason for his awful control.
“I didn’t know it would take this long to get accustomed to,” he said. “But no excuses. I’ve got to adjust. I’ve got to learn my body. I’ve got to roll with the punches. I’m working through something in my arm. Perhaps it’s scar tissue.”
Romero then said that he “does not believe in cortisone shots,” so that wouldn’t be an option.
“I’ve got enough to compete,” Romero said. “I just have to find a way to compete.”
Well, right now it’s not happening. And if you are trying to fight through an injury to help the team, do everyone a favor and don’t. It doesn’t help when you walk reliever George Sherrill in his first ever plate appearance in the majors.
If Romero can’t find his control soon, they need to shut him down and find bullpen help elsewhere. They probably should get help regardless because this is not a championship pen.
He’s not been the same since the “Steroid” issue..
It seems like most players once they stop using them, just don’t perform at the level they were previously…His control has always been an issue, but this year it’s off the charts..I think His career is done here in Philadelphia
After last night i think it’s obvious they should give Scott Eyre a ring. Herndon was horrible…we had the game in reach and he’s playin tee-ball with the Dodgers.And i though Kyle shoulda been yanked earlier. But thats Charlie…he rolls with his guys.
Charlie has had to roll with his Starters for too long all season due to lack of quality bullpen..
Pitchers like Hallady can handle it.. but Blanton,Kendrick and even when Moyer was pitching are
at their best for about 6 innings max, then they tire, get the ball up and get tagged..
Charlie’s lack of Confidence in the Bullpen has been a year long issue and the eventual downfall of this 2010 Season (to begin the season counting on Romero and Lidge) after their injuries and off-season surgeries and there poor seasons from 2009 was too optimistic and not realistic, the likliehood that either one performs like they did in 2008 is just wishful thinking… They needed to secure an experienced LHP for the Bullpen and should have re-signed CH Park instead of expecting big things from Baez and Herndon