A Look at Dodgers' Pitching Ace Chad Billingsley
Is There Really Anything Wrong with the Los Angeles Right Hander?
Sep 14, 2009
Billingsley may be fighting himself as one Los Angeles sportswriter suggested, using the term "psychological," but there are indicators to suggest otherwise.
It would be nice if baseball was as simple as winning and losing. It would also be nice is life was simple. Billingsley might not be a Cy Young Award candidate this season but he's still a solid pitcher capable of carrying the Dodgers through the postseason.
The Numbers and What They Mean
Between his start on Aug. 18 _ a victory over the playoff-bound St. Louis Cardinals _ and his Sept. 13 loss to the San Francisco Giants, Billingsley has watched his ERA rise steadily to 3.99 from 3.70. He's also increased his strikeout total, with 15 in his last 16 innings.
In the five starts that encompass his four-game losing streak, Billingsley (12-10 as of mid-September) has given up 38 hits in 27 innings after allowing 20 over 28 2-3 innings in his previous five starts. He's also received run support of two runs or less in each of those four losses.
Billingsley has not pitched past the sixth inning in 13 straight starts and has allowed a home run in each of his last four losses. In contrast, he's allowed exactly two combined in his 12 wins.
Where does that leave Billingsley and the Dodgers? "It's in there somewhere," Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said. "I know it drives him nuts but he just has to keep working on it. It will fall into place for him."
Baseball's Bottom Line
Billingsley knows a lot is expected of him. "I expect it out of myself too," he said.
It may be hard for the 25-year-old to be patient with himself, and even harder for Dodgers' fans to be patient. Torre knows better though. It could just be a matter of perspective.
"It looked to me like he was feeling for it," said Torre, a catcher in 903 of his 2,207 career games as a player. "He didn't seem to locate it. It's a domino affect; he's not winning, he's trying to find a niche for himself, trying to find a comfort zone instead of trusting it."
In other words, there's a reason the Dodgers made him their No. 1 draft pick in 2003. There's also a reason he has won 47 major-league games (and was named to the National League all-star team) as opposed to losing 29 and why there are such high expectations placed upon him. The man can pitch.
The Game of Adjustments
"I'm just trying to figure something out and get turned around," Billingsley said. "I'm not getting hit around that hard. The cutter was the pitch mostly getting hit. It was spinning out of my hand and not moving. Maybe it is my release point."
Or maybe he just needs to take a deep breath and continue pitching the way he has been pitching. After all, 12 wins in a season are something a majority of major-league pitchers would consider successful. He's also kept his ERA under control despite opponents hitting .250 against him.
"You can look at all the video you want and you can know what you're doing," Billingsley said. "You're trying to correct it and it just doesn't happen. I'm looking to find a rhythm. When you're not playing well it gets to you. I want to come out every game and give our team a chance to win. It's frustrating when I don't."
The best hitters in baseball consider a 30 percent return on at bat investment to be successful. Billingsley allows 25 percent. By the standards of the market, he's a major success. And just like the market, there are ebbs and flows, gains and losses.
Torre will keep investing in Billingsley because he knows he'll get a solid return.
