Today's game (Looper)

[Socnorb11]

Looper today:

3 innings pitched so far, 2 hits allowed, no walks, 1 strikeout. Current ERA is 0.96.



Granted, he still hasn't gone 5 or 6 innings, but is anybody starting to buy into this whole Looper idea yet?

[Socnorb11]

4 innings pitched. 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, no walks.

[clement]

After 4, still no score. Smoltz is apparently looking very sharp. Chipper Jones left in the first inning due to an injury.

Looper hasn't done anything to prevent me from being optimistic about his chances.

[ToughGuy_BlueShirt]

I just can't trust him until he does it for an extended period of time during the season and goes more than 5 and can get lefties out. So, right now no. But, I am definitely liking what I'm seeing.

[clement]

Looper opens the 5th.

Flores warming up in the bullpen.

Ground out, strike out. Looper lifted for Flores after 4 2/3.

"Looper's looked good. This might be the role that he should have been in all along," says the Braves announcer.

[Popeye_Card]

Looper hasn't done anything to prevent me from being optimistic about his chances.

True, but despite the good/great start, he hasn't yet prevented anyone from being bearish on his chances either. He rattled off some good stretches like this during the season last year too.

Here would be my criteria for judging him:

1.) Does he have a merkedly different approach to hitters? i.e., When he was a reliever, he liked to throw a lot of 4-seamers around the zone, with a lot of them being up. Is he still doing that, or is he mixing in more off-speed and breaking pitches down?

2.) Has he developed an effective pitch for lefties, who plagued him as a reliever?

3.) Does he show that he can retain his stuff into deep innings/pitch counts?

Really, I'll have to wait to form an opinion of him until I see him pitch a couple of times.

--P--

[clement]

Flores promptly gives up a 2 out double.

Pujols unassisted for the 3rd out.

[Socnorb11]

Looper hasn't done anything to prevent me from being optimistic about his chances.

True, but despite the good/great start, he hasn't yet prevented anyone from being bearish on his chances either. He rattled off some good stretches like this during the season last year too.

Here would be my criteria for judging him:

1.) Does he have a merkedly different approach to hitters? i.e., When he was a reliever, he liked to throw a lot of 4-seamers around the zone, with a lot of them being up. Is he still doing that, or is he mixing in more off-speed and breaking pitches down?

2.) Has he developed an effective pitch for lefties, who plagued him as a reliever?

3.) Does he show that he can retain his stuff into deep innings/pitch counts?

Really, I'll have to wait to form an opinion of him until I see him pitch a couple of times.

--P--

I totally agree that it's way too early to determine the move an act of brilliance.

Did anybody really think he'd even be THIS effective, though. I figured he'd have bombed by now.

[Popeye_Card]

Did anybody really think he'd even be THIS effective, though. I figured he'd have bombed by now.

I did not think he'd have these numbers, no. That goes for the entire starting staff though right now (they've all been great).

Even if the Cards trade for a Pavano or Leiber and Looper returns to the 'pen, I think this entire experience will be a positive thing for Looper. He needed a revised approach to continue to be successful even in a bullpen role.

--P--

[clement]

Ankiel goes yard on the first pitch. 1-0 Cards. First HR at home for the Cards this Spring.