Looks like his command has been pretty good thus far in the spring. Also looks like he's making hitters miss since his k numbers are good. What are the expectations for him this year. It seems like it's lost in the shuffle that he's still very young. People just want to right his phenomenal season with the Pirates two years ago off as a fluke but the man clearly has the goods. The problem is harnessing his control. I question whether some of last years velocity and control issues stem from playing in the WBC... complete speculation on my part, but he's a young man, and you have to feel like coupled with the innings pitched the year before that's a lot of work. Anyone seen him play this spring that can give me some insight on how he's actually looked? Though Rick Peterson thought he could turn around Victor Zambrano and didn't (I don't think anyone could) am I wrong for putting some faith in him turning Oliver Perez around? I'm taking a similar approach with an equally talented and inconsistent starter and an even more renowned pitching coach, Daniel Cabrera and Leo Mazzone? Any thoughts.
I think he had a pretty rough winter. I don't look for him to be as good consistantly as he was. I think he will look great at times w/ little consistancy. I was really big on him several years ago, when no one knew who he was in my league and he ended up leading k/9.
i'm all about him. he's always just needed the confidence and i think he got it last year in the playoffs. i think playing for a team with a chance to win will make a big difference for him too. pittsburgh can be kinda depressing...
Oliver Perez is one of my personal favorites, but I have been burned on him 2 years in a row. I will need to see something in the regular season before I get excited about him again.
I'm a die hard Pirates fan, I know all about Ollie...
Location and command wasn't his only problem in '05 and '06. Although he did walk a bunch of hitters, his velocity was way down. He was hitting 92ish for a majority of those years. In '05 the speculation was that it was caused by the Pirates forcing him to skip winter ball for the first time in his career. They went into '06 hoping that was his problem and he'd be fine because he played winter ball again. Turns out it wasn't. He inexplicably lost velocity, as well as command. Sick of trying to figure him out, they dumped him to the Mets for Xavier Nady (?).
Long story short, Peterson had his velocity back up to 96 last year and I saw a two videos side by side of his motion in New York compared to Pittsburgh. It looked as though Peterson had changed some things and he was throwing harder again.
Bottom line with Ollie is, don't write off his 2004 season. He did it all year and was terribly good. He has issues for sure, but I wouldn't rule out a 2004 repeat given the right coaching, which Peterson could provide.
ILLZ wrote:I'm a die hard Pirates fan, I know all about Ollie...
Location and command wasn't his only problem in '05 and '06. Although he did walk a bunch of hitters, his velocity was way down. He was hitting 92ish for a majority of those years. In '05 the speculation was that it was caused by the Pirates forcing him to skip winter ball for the first time in his career. They went into '06 hoping that was his problem and he'd be fine because he played winter ball again. Turns out it wasn't. He inexplicably lost velocity, as well as command. Sick of trying to figure him out, they dumped him to the Mets for Xavier Nady (?).
Long story short, Peterson had his velocity back up to 96 last year and I saw a two videos side by side of his motion in New York compared to Pittsburgh. It looked as though Peterson had changed some things and he was throwing harder again.
Bottom line with Ollie is, don't write off his 2004 season. He did it all year and was terribly good. He has issues for sure, but I wouldn't rule out a 2004 repeat given the right coaching, which Peterson could provide.
You just explained the reason why I spent a late round draft pick on him in all my leagues last year, and all my leagues this year.
And as for Ollie, we can break him down as much as we want to, but I think scientific analysis only goes so far when it comes to explaining a guy like Perez.
We need to see results b/c we all know his ceiling and we all know his floor, it's just a matter of him performing or not.
Cafe Home
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by 
