Check Out My Cousin!

[barzilla]

Check this out guys. Maybe we have the next Brandon Backe (from bullpen to rotation) on our hands.

http://www.cchooks.com/news/?id=4713

[WonderMonkey]

Thats awesome! Pretty cool to know someone who is playing above HS.

[Astros4Life]

thats cool that ur cousin is so close to the majors

[PopTop]

We need to make him the official Fever-Addicts-Bleacher Gang Future Astro, Scott! And you should try and get in contact with him to do a possible interview, would be very interested to hear what he has to say now after knowing he was frustrated earlier this year about his role/future in the organization.
:gt

[barzilla]

I'll email him and see if he wants to do an interview for Astrosdaily Pops.

[echy88]

Thats awesome man. Is there somewhere you could find his stats and post them or something. Thanks.

[barzilla]

Okay, let me post the traditional statistics and then the DIPS (Defense independent pitching statistics)

Traditional
W-L: 5-5
INN: 91.2
ERA: 3.24
WHIP: 1.39

DIPS
SO/9: 6.68 (6.60)
BB/9: 2.45 (3.30)
Ratio: 2.73 (2.00)
HR/9: 0.39 (1.00)

The key for Philip is that he generally throws strikes and keeps the ball in the ballpark. His WHIP has leveled out a lot since he became a starter. As a reliever his WHIP was closer to 1.5 or 1.6. The idea of DIPS for those that aren't aware is that it is generally very difficult to predict ERAs from one season to the next (especially for relief pitchers) because a pitcher cannot control the percentage of balls in play that turn into hits. Philip gives up a lot of hits, but they are dinky hits. Next year those dinky hits might become outs. The theory behind DIPS is that if you look at only the categories pitchers can control (home runs, strikeouts, and walks) then you can do a better job predicting future ERA.

The benchmark for the DIPS statistics are parantheses. Since these numbers are occuring in AA we need to do some extrapolating. I figure Philip is in really good shape in walks and home runs. I don't think he will maintain that strikeout rate at the next level. Whenever you hear a pitching coach talk about "pitching to contact" you need to look for the barf bag. Just remember this, the Reds pitching coach stressed "pitching to contact" at the beginning of the season. They have surrendered 162 home runs already as a staff which puts them on pace to give up 228. Here's a look at their starters.

............................GS.........HR........P ROJ
Aaron Harang..........23..........13.........18
Brandon Claussen.....19..........20.........28
Ramon Ortiz............25..........23.........32
Eric Milton..............20..........34.........48

Pitch to contact indeed. Yeah, I guess their strategy is to get other teams to run out fireworks so they'll have to stop hitting home runs.

So, the strikeout ratio bothers me, but if he continues to keep the ball in the ballpark and walk few hitters he could be a successful lefty reliever.

[itzintheblood]

Scott Barzilla as in, I used to teach at Pasadena High School Scott Barzilla?

[barzilla]

That is correct, who am I speaking with?

[itzintheblood]

That is correct, who am I speaking with?

I'm Juan Quintana - I had you for World Geography I think? I don't remember, it was my freshman year, though.

[barzilla]

Ah, now I think I remember. That was a ways ago. You are making me feel old now. What are you up to now?

[PopTop]

That was a ways ago. You are making me feel old now.

If you feel old at your age, imagine how old I feel since I was a couple of grades ahead of one of your uncles when I was in high school, Scott!

[barzilla]

Ah yes Willie. Everything is relative. It's funny being a teacher, you always run into ex-students somewhere.

[PopTop]

By the way, I guess you already know about Philip going to the Arizona Fall League, right?

[barzilla]

Pops,

Yes, in fact Philip responded to the interview questions from Astrosdaily folks and the interview should be posted there within the next few days.