Comments on: Impressions From Week One of Grapefruit League Action

By: John Parent

John Parent — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:33:59 +0000

Bob Cluck couldn’t figure it out, neither could Chuck Hernandez. Knapp hasn’t had much of a chance to work with Bondo due to the injury, so I guess we can hope he can work some magic there. I have resigned myself to assuming that Bonderman will always struggle in the first inning, I just hope he can struggle less going forward.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:38:19 +0000

If he can’t get out of the first inning with fewer than 2 runs and fewer than 30 pitches, his third pitch will never do him any good. Most decent relievers don’t have a third pitch, but that shouldn’t interfere with their ability to get through the whole batting order once. I don’t think it really comes into play until the third time through the order. As for Bondo, I don’t know what makes him so hittable early on, but I hope the coaches do.

By: John Parent

John Parent — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:15:19 +0000

You’re dead-on about Bondo, and he wasn’t trouble-free in his debut this spring either, allowing a hit and a walk to the first two batters before getting out of it. He has shown that he can be a good pitcher with two pitches, but I doubt he ever becomes what he could have become without adding a third pitch.