This is what ticks me off about Milton... this comment!!!

[redsfan4445]

I read this in the paper today
""I could just feel myself kind of spinning off the ball and getting underneath it instead of driving right towards home plate," Milton said. "I went back out in the fourth focusing on that and everything was back where it should be"

I have watched Milton pitch for 2 seasons and seen him do this ONLY 2 times.. one game in spring training last year and the Washington Nationals game the same season Wilson got hurt.. EVERY other time he has NOT driven himself towards homeplate.. he either stays ontop by not extending towards the plate which he has either hid an injury..(the knee) or arm and this is so frustrating.. he is a VET and should have known this since his days with the Twins!! if you watch his no-hit game, his mechanics in that game are NOTHING like he has been with the reds other than the two games i mention watching on TV..Atleast the NEW pitching coach is addressing this and not like Tom Hume did acting as a temp pitching coach for the late Vern Ruhle

Anyway i feel better venting

[Redhook]

Correcting one's mechanics during the course of action is a key attribute of all great athletes.

Glad to see Milton fits into that category.

[RANDY IN INDY]

Personally, I think Milton's knee prevents him from driving to the plate like he once did. To begin last season, he was driving hard to the plate, but then suddenly changed back to easing through his delivery and laying back. I think the knee really bothers him.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by RANDY IN CHAR NC

Personally, I think Milton's knee prevents him from driving to the plate like he once did. To begin last season, he was driving hard to the plate, but then suddenly changed back to easing through his delivery and laying back. I think the knee really bothers him.

His stats indicate he clearly is a different pitcher after the knee injury...

[ND_redsfan10]

Jerry Narron was complimentary of this performance, even if he was only speaking in relative terms. That's what I find bizarre. It's basically an admission on the part of management that this guy has made the rotation no matter what he's done...and the only reason for that is his contract.

Let's look at it in terms of microeconomics. The bloated contract to which Milton is currently signed can now be considered a sunk cost. They've already paid him the first two years' of it and they essentially are going to have to pay this year no matter what. Trying to "get your money's worth" is a fool's endeavor...The goal should be finding the most suitable starting pitching candidate, not handing out jobs based on contracts which should not have been offered yet cannot be reversed or voided.

With that said...there may NOT be a better option than Eric Milton, but perhaps Milton would raise his own standards if he felt he was actually in competition. Narron isn't helping things.

Who else fills this rotation? I have no idea. But I certainly would rather give it to an unknown than an Eric Milton. We know what we're getting with Eric Milton - a below-average, homerun prone left hander. At this point in his career, nothing is going to change that.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by ND_redsfan10

Jerry Narron was complimentary of this performance, even if he was only speaking in relative terms. That's what I find bizarre. It's basically an admission on the part of management that this guy has made the rotation no matter what he's done...and the only reason for that is his contract.

Let's look at it in terms of microeconomics. The bloated contract to which Milton is currently signed can now be considered a sunk cost. They've already paid him the first two years' of it and they essentially are going to have to pay this year no matter what. Trying to "get your money's worth" is a fool's endeavor...The goal should be finding the most suitable starting pitching candidate, not handing out jobs based on contracts which should not have been offered yet cannot be reversed or voided.

With that said...there may NOT be a better option than Eric Milton, but perhaps Milton would raise his own standards if he felt he was actually in competition. Narron isn't helping things.

Who else fills this rotation? I have no idea. But I certainly would rather give it to an unknown than an Eric Milton. We know what we're getting with Eric Milton - a below-average, homerun prone left hander. At this point in his career, nothing is going to change that.

Milton's no dummy. You can't make him believe there's a competition when everybody and their brother knows there isn't one.

[CINCYREDS#1]

jeez its not that big of a deal

[wheels]

Originally Posted by CINCYREDS#1

jeez its not that big of a deal

It's a big deal when one of the worst pitchers in Reds history continues to make excuses, and have excuses made for him.

[ND_redsfan10]

Chip R, you're right, Milton is no dummy. There really is no competition. My point is that there should be. He should at least be required to have a respectable outing or two. Given his contract and his relatively successful history, I'm not saying Milton needs to put up a sub-4 ERA to "prove" himself, but perhaps the ballclub would send a serious message to the "landed veterans" like Milton if they at least hinted at the possibility of him not making the team...

[cacollinsmba]

Originally Posted by ND_redsfan10

Jerry Narron was complimentary of this performance, even if he was only speaking in relative terms. That's what I find bizarre. It's basically an admission on the part of management that this guy has made the rotation no matter what he's done...and the only reason for that is his contract.

I don't see Narron's comments as the problem. Narron doesn't control the payroll, and he doesn't get to dictate when salaries like Milton's get dumped. If Milton gets dumped, it will be Castellini & Krivsky making that decision.

It doesn't help the team for Narron to discuss openly how bad Milton sucks and how he wishes he could get rid of him, but his hands are tied. Creating a clubhouse cancer isn't going to help matters at all.

[RANDY IN INDY]

It doesn't help the team for Narron to discuss openly how bad Milton sucks and how he wishes he could get rid of him, but his hands are tied. Creating a clubhouse cancer isn't going to help matters at all.

Yeah, some folks around here don't seem to get it. Milton's what he is right now. Not much anyone can do about it. Oh, except all those folks at Redszone that seem to think there is a host of teams out there that want to acquire him.

[Dracodave]

Originally Posted by RANDY IN CHAR NC

Personally, I think Milton's knee prevents him from driving to the plate like he once did. To begin last season, he was driving hard to the plate, but then suddenly changed back to easing through his delivery and laying back. I think the knee really bothers him.

I honestly believe that he's baby'd that knee and do to the repetition of his delivery that when he drives down on it, it's painfull. Perhaps he's driving down on it too hard to keep the ball low instead of adjusting his arm angle. Who knows?

Degenerative kneee and all, Milton could be worse. Do I need to say Russ Ortiz or Brian Moehler?

Milton has become what he is, a monster of repetition. Shame that poor repetition was caused by a knee injury.

[wheels]

Originally Posted by RANDY IN CHAR NC

Yeah, some folks around here don't seem to get it. Milton's what he is right now. Not much anyone can do about it. Oh, except all those folks at Redszone that seem to think there is a host of teams out there that want to acquire him.

Forget about who wants him.

DFA him. He's a sunk cost anyway, and he's worth more to the Reds gone than he is taking up a spot in the rotation.

[ND_redsfan10]

You're right in that Narron doesn't control the payroll, but instead of sugarcoating another bad performance, perhaps he could challenge him to improve. Expect mediocrity and typically that's what you'll get. Though in Milton's case, we can agree, mediocrity would be a godsend.

[cacollinsmba]

Originally Posted by ND_redsfan10

You're right in that Narron doesn't control the payroll, but instead of sugarcoating another bad performance, perhaps he could challenge him to improve. Expect mediocrity and typically that's what you'll get. Though in Milton's case, we can agree, mediocrity would be a godsend.

It may very well be that Narron is telling Milton that privately. I still think, with Milton's knee the way it is, that it's really out of Narron's hands and it's going to require Krivsky and Castellini making the move.

I agree with those that say that it is time to cut bait with Milton if he doesn't show anything soon. There are other options, and Milton's presence blocks the development of guys like EZ and Belisle.

One final thing I might add is that Castellini strikes me as an optimist. It may be that he is optimistic about not having to eat a $9 million contract this year. He may have to have another look at the glass of water after spring training and determine whether it really is half full.