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Thread: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

  1. #31
    Titanic Struggles Caveat Emperor's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    He's had a very good start to the season.

    My long-term assessment of him (doesn't throw hard enough, no true "out" pitch, gets hit solidly when he can't locate precisely) remains unchanged, though.

    ETA: Also worth noting that his HR/9 is well below his career average -- currently at .81 HR/9 off a career average (that's been pretty consistent) of 1.22 HR/9. He's succeeding, in part, this year because he's being uncharacteristically stingy with the longball.
    Last edited by Caveat Emperor; 05-22-2013 at 12:08 PM.
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  3. #32
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Quote Originally Posted by SunDeck View Post
    I think the notion that a big league pitcher needs motivation to pitch well is crazy. It's the highest level of competition on the planet in baseball; he didn't get there by being unmotivated to pitch well. Rather, Leake needs to be extremely accurate to pitch well and if he's off by a hair's breadth, he's not going to have a good outing.
    Agree 100%, Leake doesn't have a screaming 95 mph fastball which allows mistakes... Instead he is a location pitcher who if misses will get punished more than a power pitcher ali Homer/Latos...

  4. #33
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Quote Originally Posted by SunDeck View Post
    I think the notion that a big league pitcher needs motivation to pitch well is crazy. It's the highest level of competition on the planet in baseball; he didn't get there by being unmotivated to pitch well.
    In the case of Leake, there seems to be a perception held by some fans that by making his pro debut in MLB and not experiencing the minors, he doesn't appreciate being at the pinnacle. There's a perception that Leake had his roster spot handed to him on a silver platter. Not saying I subscribe to that theory, but it has come up before.
    /r/reds

  5. #34
    Member Tom Servo's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Quote Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor View Post
    He's had a very good start to the season.

    My long-term assessment of him (doesn't throw hard enough, no true "out" pitch, gets hit solidly when he can't locate precisely) remains unchanged, though.

    ETA: Also worth noting that his HR/9 is well below his career average -- currently at .81 HR/9 off a career average (that's been pretty consistent) of 1.22 HR/9. He's succeeding, in part, this year because he's being uncharacteristically stingy with the longball.
    In general I agree, but I have renewed hope that Leake can turn into Bronson as he matures more. I mean your assessment fits Bronson to a tee as well, and he obviously gets by.
    “I don’t care,” Votto said of passing his friend and former teammate. “He’s in the past. Bye-bye, Jay.”

  6. #35
    Member klw's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    I have long been a Leake supporter and give him credit for pitching well. I think he has stumbled in the past when he is skipped over to give him more rest and cut down on his innings. The more he throws the more consistent I think he will be.

    Now if he just remembers that he needs to make returns to customer service to get store credit, he will be all set.

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    smixsell (05-22-2013)

  8. #36
    Member membengal's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    I have been a critic, and I am thrilled with what he is getting done. Great news for this team if he can sustain this.

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    Tom Servo (05-22-2013)

  10. #37
    Et tu, Brutus? Brutus's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Quote Originally Posted by traderumor View Post
    Leake is a typical sinker baller with average stuff. When he keeps the sinker down and throws strikes, he makes it look easy. When he can't push it down, then he gets wild and the elevated sinker gets crushed. And seldom is he in the middle of the continuum.
    That's the thing, seldom does he actually get "crushed." His career quality start percentage is 60%. Major League average: 53%. He's not getting crushed very often.
    "No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda

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    jimbo (05-22-2013),REDREAD (05-22-2013)

  12. #38
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    I'll give him the exact same credit Brantley did last night. He beats the teams he's supposed to beat, and struggles against top tier teams. He's a #3 at best but really a #5, because it's rare to see a pitcher at their ceiling all the time.
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    max venable (05-28-2013)

  14. #39
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Leake is improving. Just like most players his age do. As long as he stays healthy, I expect him to be a solid starter for many years to come. One day we'll look up, see the number of wins he's got, and say, "Wow, Leake got it done, didn't he?"

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    HokieRed (05-22-2013)

  16. #40
    Flash the leather! _Sir_Charles_'s Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post
    I'll give him the exact same credit Brantley did last night. He beats the teams he's supposed to beat, and struggles against top tier teams. He's a #3 at best but really a #5, because it's rare to see a pitcher at their ceiling all the time.
    I think he's still pretty early in his career to say he's an anything "at best". When he's good, he's VERY good.

  17. #41
    Member CrackerJack's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    I'm guessing there's a lot of teams wishing they had a "Leake" in the back end of their rotation (no pun intended).

    Did Arroyo ever have an "out pitch?" A 95 mph fast ball? The guy's been as good as any starter they've acquired over the years, and people still call him a "junk baller" (a back-handed compliment if I ever heard one).

  18. #42
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Quote Originally Posted by bellhead View Post
    Agree 100%, Leake doesn't have a screaming 95 mph fastball which allows mistakes... Instead he is a location pitcher who if misses will get punished more than a power pitcher ali Homer/Latos...
    I've always thought Leake throws a little harder then he gets credit for. In trying to find something to back that up I came across this article that also features some other Reds pitchers. Seems that so far this year Leaks FB averages over 90mph. Not a flame thrower but not really a soft tosser either.

    http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/com...12-velocities/

    I've also thought Leake has some room to grow physically and this article possibly backs that up.
    Last edited by Captain Hook; 05-22-2013 at 09:05 PM.

  19. #43
    Charlie Brown All-Star IslandRed's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Quote Originally Posted by _Sir_Charles_ View Post
    I think he's still pretty early in his career to say he's an anything "at best". When he's good, he's VERY good.
    Yep. When he's on his game he looks like a B-version of Maddux. And when he's bad he gets lit up like a 100-foot-tall Christmas tree. Arroyo has always been like that, when he's bad he's really bad, but Bronson's also figured out how to scrape through a start when his stuff isn't bad but just so-so. That's what Leake needs to do, gain more consistency and figure out how to keep the ball in the park on the "meh" days.
    Reading comprehension is not just an ability, it's a choice

  20. #44
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    I made the mistake the other night of watching "Baseball Tonight" as I normally just watch MLB Network for scores and details.
    Anyway, Aaron Boone was also making the point of how Leake struggles against the better competition while beating the weak teams. Ravich or whatever his name is , said " not a very ringing indorsement " of Leake.
    If this was the Joey Hamilton/Jimmy Anderson days and Leake was our #1, then yes I could say I agree.
    However, he is our # 5 starter and and I doubt too many team's # 5 guy is going to fair well when pitching against the Cincy/STL/Atl type teams.
    If he is facing Wainwright or Cain then yes, we are at a disadvantage. If it is our # 5 against another # 5, then I like our chances.
    Again though, this was my mistake for watching Baseball Tonight.

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    REDREAD (05-23-2013)

  22. #45
    Registered User mattfeet's Avatar
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    Re: Let's give Mike Leake some credit.

    Have you seen Cain pitch this year? Id rather go to the hill with Leake than Cain.


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