Dallas-Mavs.com Forums - View Single Post

jayC · 09-05-2003, 10:14 PM

By Jim Caple
ESPN.com

How about doing everyone a favor and cutting Mike Maroth some slack?

Mike Maroth, right, is on the verge of becoming the first 20-game loser since Brian Kingman lost 20 in 1980.

So he has a chance to become the first pitcher in a quarter century to lose 20 games in a season. Big deal. Tigers owner Mike Ilitch sells Little Casear's pizza and no one makes him feel guilty for that.

We're not going to give you the old cliché about how it takes a pretty good pitcher to lose 20 games, but we will say that not even a good pitcher could win with these Tigers. They're averaging 3.5 runs per game (less than the 1906 White Sox who were known as the Hitless Wonders) and may lose more games than anyone in modern major league history. Who knows what Maroth's record would be with a team that doesn't wear Chico's Bail Bonds on their jerseys?

Besides, it's not like he's the only one in baseball having a rough season. Look at the Rally Monkey. Ray-Mo was the darling of last year's World Series, sparking the Angels to late-game rally after late-game rally. This year the world champs have a losing record, may finish in last place and are 6-67 when trailing after the seventh inning, The Rally Monkey, meanwhile, has spent the summer riding on Geoffrey Rush's shoulder in "Pirates of the Caribbean.''

Ray-Mo's fortunes have fallen so far that San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler wrote that he saw him selling oranges on a freeway exit ramp.

Now, that's a bad summer. Compared to that, Maroth is having a great season. And compared to this team of underachievers, he's practically an All-Star.

Starting pitcher

09-05-2003, 10:14 PM	#1
jayC Diamond Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,460	Maroth loses 20 By Jim Caple ESPN.com How about doing everyone a favor and cutting Mike Maroth some slack? Mike Maroth, right, is on the verge of becoming the first 20-game loser since Brian Kingman lost 20 in 1980. So he has a chance to become the first pitcher in a quarter century to lose 20 games in a season. Big deal. Tigers owner Mike Ilitch sells Little Casear's pizza and no one makes him feel guilty for that. We're not going to give you the old cliché about how it takes a pretty good pitcher to lose 20 games, but we will say that not even a good pitcher could win with these Tigers. They're averaging 3.5 runs per game (less than the 1906 White Sox who were known as the Hitless Wonders) and may lose more games than anyone in modern major league history. Who knows what Maroth's record would be with a team that doesn't wear Chico's Bail Bonds on their jerseys? Besides, it's not like he's the only one in baseball having a rough season. Look at the Rally Monkey. Ray-Mo was the darling of last year's World Series, sparking the Angels to late-game rally after late-game rally. This year the world champs have a losing record, may finish in last place and are 6-67 when trailing after the seventh inning, The Rally Monkey, meanwhile, has spent the summer riding on Geoffrey Rush's shoulder in "Pirates of the Caribbean.'' Ray-Mo's fortunes have fallen so far that San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler wrote that he saw him selling oranges on a freeway exit ramp. Now, that's a bad summer. Compared to that, Maroth is having a great season. And compared to this team of underachievers, he's practically an All-Star. Starting pitcher