The Incredible Ohlendorf

Call him The Incredible Ohlendorf, despite his meaningless 1-11 record, because on most nights he is pitching so well that he is busting out of his jersey.   Remember seeing those nights?  It might be awhile until we get to enjoy those moments again, because last evening Ohlendorf left the game after throwing just eight pitches.  It was described after the game like this:

"“He just said he felt it warming up a little bit and he couldn’t get over it during the first couple hitters.“He felt a little stiffness and thought it would loosen up and it never did.”—John Russell"

We went over to Baseball Reference and checked out the work load that Ohlendorf has been under in the past few years.  Guess it was something nobody saw coming huh?  It upsets me

to think that nobody checks in with a pitcher that has been working increased innings–apparently nobody can look him in the eye and say ‘heh Ross, let’s sit this one out big fella?’

I have a hunch that nobody knew.  Hell, the team let him throw eight muscle tearing/popping pitches!   Wouldn’t someone see the leadoff walk and come flying out of that dugout if they had known?  But even after it was apparent that something was wrong, nobody was coming out of the dugout until he hung his shoulder so low his fingers drug across the foul line.

Remember Russell said he felt it warming up.  The fact that nobody knew is a hunch because of the tone of the answers, regardless the injury to Ohlendorf is a damn shame.  A player should be able to tell someone on the staff and feel confident he will be supported.  

Last night he might have needed to be saved from his own toughness.

"“I didn’t feel great, but I thought that I could pitch through it….. hopefully, it’s just a muscle and not in the shoulder.”—Ross Ohlendorf"

The eight pitches will remain a mystery.  It pisses me off to see one of the few promising ML pitchers on the Pirates go out like this.  But it’s been a season full of depressing injuries to Pirates pitchers.  But remember, if Charlie Morton is recalled aren’t his innings piling up as well?  Just something to watch, because an injury to Morton would be devastating.  Guess the six-man rotation talk had some meaning behind it after all.

We went over to Brooks, and looked at the location and velocity that Ohlendorf had last evening.  It wasn’t Ohlendorf at all. 

This isn’t Ohlendorf either….(credit to Dejan  for always having quality content at PG+) in this video of Ross in the clubhouse.  Ross never looks like this. 

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Some serious questions are asked by Maury at BizofBaseball in this article about the rat who leaked financial documents.