Monday, May 12, 2008

Gagne = Defect in French?

We learned this weekend that Eric Gagne is no longer the closer for the Brewers.

We also learned that Ned knows what's wrong with him:

Yost agreed that Gagné's pitches hadn't been the problem, but later said there were some mechanical defects that the coaching staff has picked out. Gagné is going to be given time to work through those flaws, but Yost wouldn't offer a clue what those flaws are.

"I'm not going to tell you and I'm not going to get into it because it's nobody's real business," Yost said. "Plus I don't want to let anybody know in case the opposing team sees it."

Oh, Ned's being coy. Any ideas what the flaw or flaws might be?

My guesses:

1. Ned and Mike Maddux went back and looked at tape from his earlier playing days, and discovered that he's actually left handed.

2. He tips his pitches by yelling "changement en haut" every time he's about to throw a change up, thinking nobody in the majors speaks French. [Note: I don't speak French either, but typed "change up" on an interweb translation page and this is what it came up with. Apologies in advance if I just insulted anyone.]

3. His baggy pants are taking 3-5 mph off of his fastball.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Eric Gagne pitched left handed, he would average a 2.35 ERA over the next two seasons.

I have a keen sense about that.

wv23 said...

I think opposing teams have a pretty good idea what's wrong with Gagne, no?

Anonymous said...

I can tell you whats wrong with gagne: They put him in the game.

Anonymous said...

The Cubs weren't able to solve the Gagne riddle during the last series at Wrigley...so no, I don't think all opposing teams know what's wrong with him.

But Ned does.

wv23 said...

you can restrict his effectiveness to a single series or every third wednesday in afternoon games on grass, but mr. gagne's ERA is 6.89 against the league and 9.00 against the cubs.

i would think neither is sufficient - and is a pretty good indication batters know what's wrong.

Anonymous said...

His problem is that he is actually italian thats why he keeps serving Meatballs.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the Cubs just failed to execute against Gagne in that last series.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry about wrigleyville - he's just worried that the Cubs have been playing way over their heads these first 6 weeks and still couldn't put any distance between themselves and the rest of the division... things will even out and then they'll be in trouble.

Anonymous said...

Gagne tips off the batters with his transition lenses. When he's about to throw his 92 mph fastball, the lenses go dark...

How about Ned saying in an interview on May 6th that removing Gagne from the closer duty was "ridiculous." He made one appearance after that in a non-save situation and then lost his closer job.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3384523

I also read in the sunday journal a suggestion that maybe Ned should platoon at third base since Billy Hall is hitting under the Mendoza line...Yost's response.... "Bill's bat is too fast"

I guess he just needs to hit against pitchers that throw about 115mph. Then he'll hit .300 no problem!

Why do Yost and the rest of his crooked staff have jobs?

wv23 said...

the cubs have been playing way over their heads? um, the interweb here tells me they lost four series in a row - and yet are still tied for first. good point, though.

In a Nutsack said...

That damn Interweb and it's irrefutable truths of math.

Anonymous said...

Gagne is French for "Piece of Shit"