Time to start laying major chalk with Rich Hill

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UF. Champion U.
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This kid is outstanding.

Very deceptive delivery with the high front shoulder. Huge breaking ball. Mixes his pitches well. Outstanding location. Ability to pitch backwards. Good command of his breaking ball. Drops down to get the strikeout on lefthanded hitters. He is making right handed hitters knees buckle on breaking balls. Great focus on the mound, works each pitch will full conviction. Slow delivery leads to deceptive speed on the fastball.

My favorite: Not intimidated of anyone. Goes right at hitters. Loaded with confidence right now. Sky is the limit.

He's got hitters taking such defensive swings, nobody is taking a good hack up there. So many batters have no choice but to just lay the bat out there to try to make contact.

It is no fluke the way he has been pitching.

Best #2 in the league, and IMO should be an ace for years to come.
 

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Not major wood since he plays for a bad team that may be .500. Reminds me of Vasquez in the early days with Montreal and it turned out the play then was the under since they could not win but Vasquez got the ERA title.
 

Dreamin' Big
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best # 2 in the league after 3 starts this year? didn't maddux start off 5-0 last year with an era under 2.00 or so?
my theory has always been, buy low, sell high. his MLs are going to be so bad now especially with a huge cubs fanbase that will start laying heavy dough on him. in my eyes, and i bet ON him today, he will be a nice fade his next few starts.
 

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best # 2 in the league after 3 starts this year? didn't maddux start off 5-0 last year with an era under 2.00 or so?
my theory has always been, buy low, sell high. his MLs are going to be so bad now especially with a huge cubs fanbase that will start laying heavy dough on him. in my eyes, and i bet ON him today, he will be a nice fade his next few starts.

this guy isnt maddux. maddux is 40 years old and isnt a lefty, and doesnt have a curveball like this, and doesnt throw as hard as hill, and its completely different....hill's era isnt under 2.00....it is like 0.34

im looking at his stuff. he has "it". if he got lit up for 5 runs, i'd be saying the same thing because his stuff is very good. that curveball is easily top 3 in the league. like i said, it wasnt some fluke. these guys werent getting themselves out. they werent hitting missles right at people. they werent just missing balls.

he was dominating. all they could do is lay their bat out. if his curveball is on, there arent many teams that will hit him.

not to mention, these "only 3 starts" have been 3 dominant starts.and he's like 8-1 his last 9 starts

show me 5 starting pitchers with better stats than him this year.
show me 3 guys with a better curveball.

when the cubs get soriano back and they face a righthanded pitcher, which they rake, and hill is on the mound, they have a great chance to win

about fading him....a curveball is a "feel" pitch.....makes it streaky....when a pitcher that relies on the curveball is feeling that pitch well, the way hill is right now, dont fade him.

zito is struggling with his right now, and it is coming in streaks. fade zito until he gets his curveball working and when he does, bet on him

dont fade hill until he loses the feel of that curveball, because right now he's not only throwing it for strikes, he is commanding it within the strike zone
 

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Hill has come along way from May 2006...

He consistently dominated at triple AAA, and was a strikeout machine at Iowa.

But he could not figure it out with the Cubs...

Something happened from May '06 when he was sent out over the Pierzynski/Guillen deal...and then when he returned in July...

Now he is on cruise control...

From September '06 until now...the Cubs are 8-1 in his last nine starts...quality indeed. In those six September starts...he allowed 2 ER's or less in 5 of them...

Looks like Hill has finally figured it out.
 

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about fading him....a curveball is a "feel" pitch.....makes it streaky....when a pitcher that relies on the curveball is feeling that pitch well, the way hill is right now, dont fade him.

zito is struggling with his right now, and it is coming in streaks. fade zito until he gets his curveball working and when he does, bet on him

dont fade hill until he loses the feel of that curveball, because right now he's not only throwing it for strikes, he is commanding it within the strike zone

:suomi:

Very well said.
 

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I agree somewhat, but would not be at all surprised if teams start to get a read on him as from what I can tell he really only has 2 pitches. Granted, he's got a ++ curve, but his fastball is just barely + and he really has nothing else.
 

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Guys just remember that like 1 of 5 guys like this have good careers. Most of them that do continue to excel are on good teams where mistakes and bad starts have little pressure till the playoffs. I could name 100 guys that looked great early and sucked or most likely got hurt and never came back as good.

Ken Hill is a great examle since he shares the same name. Wood is reserved for good teams and good pitchers at the same time. I lay a lot of wood I know. That being said if this guy is ever -170 this year dont do it.
 

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he showed a changeup tonight to righties that was effective. his changeup doesnt need to be special....hitters are reading out of the hand fastball or curveball with him.....if he throws anything remotely close to a decent changeup, when they see it come out of the hand straight, they will read fastball, and be on their front foot on a changeup.

i havent seen hill struggle with control yet, and that is key to his success. if he cant throw that curve for strikes, he will flop. right now, he is not only throwing it for strikes, he is commanding it - and he is commanding his fastball on the corners

as long as he has a PLUS curveball like that and he can continue to locate it, that is his out pitch. if he's throwing it for strikes, you can KNOW it is coming and there is not much you can do with it but poke the bat out there and try to make contact and hit a weak grounder

if he loses feel for that curveball, cant throw it for strikes...he's done...hitters will discard the curve out of the hand and not respect it ....take it everytime.....and sit dead red on the fastball and he doesnt have the velocity to blow it by anyone

he controls the curveball like he did tonight, he is an ace. he loses control...he will flop. that simple.

bottom line...as long as he is throwing strikes, and is confident like he is now..i will be betting on him....if he loses control starts walking people...i will fade him...this guy will be streaky
 

Rx. Junior
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I agree somewhat, but would not be at all surprised if teams start to get a read on him as from what I can tell he really only has 2 pitches. Granted, he's got a ++ curve, but his fastball is just barely + and he really has nothing else.


He is working on a change up and has been throwing it effectively this year
 

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He is now on my don't bet against list for now. Thats the best I can do for you hypers!
 

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