Harang

[redsrbetter]

is obviously won out. Maybe all the innings of recent years have caught up to him. But I have no choice but to look Dusty's direction this year. That game in San Diego where he pitched 4 innings in relief after just 2 days rest followed by another start 3 days later just wore him down.

He has an ERA over 6 since that night. I would shut him down soon if I were upper management.

Someone should at least ask him how he feels. Ask him what the difference is between this year and last. I think he would be honest about it.

[Kingdom]

Maybe he's a player that actually cares about winning and what not, and constantly losing every season is taking its toll more than year one of Dusty.

Why are you so quick to blame Dusty for everything?

[redsrbetter]

To be honest, I haven't been blaming Dusty for a lot of things this year. I am sure that has to do with my being exhausted with the fan constant that never ends. Blaming the manager has become a ritual for Reds fans. It hasn't taken us anywhere at all.

But that move was questionable when he did it, and it has come back to hurt the team. That and batting Griffey 3rd all year collectively make him hard to deal with. The latter is easier to forgive, but the primary concern is Harang. The season is over, so why not ease him out of the rotation as well?

[brewersfan19]

what in the world has happened to Harang guys? Is he injuried possibly? frustrated? fill me in guys. I love this guy, he was on top of the world last year, one of the best.

[redsrbetter]

San Diego debacle happened to him.

[brewersfan19]

refresh my old memory!!! what happened in San Diego

[CincyRedsFan30]

Nothing happened in San Diego. Dusty was trying to win a game.

Harang was bad before that relief outing and has performed well a couple times since. He's just not mechanically sound and does have that forearm issue (which had affected him BEFORE this year).

He'll be OK.

The big problem continues to be Dick Pole. More and more signs all of the time that he just totally reaks.

Even Volquez may be feeling the affects of some of his apparent "take some MPH off your fastball and actually LOSE command" tactic.

Just miserable. And many times the pitchers seem to perform just as poorly if not worse after he's visited the mound.

[brewersfan19]

ah thanks. so you are basically saying the Dick is a Pole.

[redsrbetter]

Per C Trent:

I hope I'm wrong, I really do.
Tomorrow, we'll hear news about Aaron Harang and the MRI that he's scheduled to undergo.
There are three words I don't want to hear -- "ulnar collateral ligament." That means Harang will be mentioned in the same breath as a guy who won 288 games in the big leagues, and that's not a good thing.
Two years ago, Eddie Guaradado complained of forearm stiffness, so did Carl Pavano and so did the Marlins' Josh Johnson.

I hope it isn't career threatening for sure. But I do hope they at least shut him down for the season after this.

[redsrbetter]

Harang speaks:

per C Trent

UPDATE: John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer updates his blog having talked to Aaron Harang. Fay reports Harang saying he doesn't think it's serious and expects to make his start on Sunday. From Fay: "No, just cause from what (Dr. Tim Kremchek) did examinig last week . . . all the stuff he did was testing the ligament. With everything he did, if there was something wrong with the ligament, I would have screaming at him. He thought it was more muscle. Hopefully, it's something minor that a good amount of rest will take care of," Harang said.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Got a couple of names from Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll of guys who complained of forearm stiffness and then had Tommy John surgery.
OK, here we go: Russ Ortiz, Humberto Sanchez and Logan Kensing.
But more than having surgery, the list was much longer of players that didn't have to undergo Tommy John surgery, including Felix Hernandez, LaTroy Hawkins and Huston Street.
Will had this to say: "Most of these guys didn't (have surgery), looking at it, but it's a) enough to be worrisome and b) man, most of these guys never amounted to much after."
Most on the list were prospects, and not established starters like Harang.
CLARIFICATION: Notice I said "worst case scenario" -- that's the worst. The best case scenario is he's fine, rebounds and goes 10-2 with a 2.01 ERA the rest of the way starting on Sunday and the Reds win the World Series.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Whatever his ailment, I'm pretty confident it has nothing to do with Dusty. If anyone were to take any blame, it'd be Narron, who really DID abuse him.

He doesn't seem too concerned though. Must have something to do with that lingering forearm issue.

[redsrbetter]

Are you kidding me CRF? It was a horrible decision from Dusty to use Harang for 4 innings of relief after starting 2 days prior. Then starting him again 3 days later. That solely rests on Dusty's shoulders.

It may not be the whole problem, but it at least has added to it. I just don't see where Dusty is not to blame here.

[redsrbetter]

An MRI on Aaron Harang's right arm came back normal, and the team has diagnosed him with a strained forearm.
Harang complained of arm soreness one day after walking seven batters on Tuesday, but it appears he isn't suffering from a serious arm malady. Whether he needs a trip to the disabled list depends on how he feels over the next couple days, but the Reds have no reason to push him.

I think it would be wise to put him on the 15 day DL. Let him heal from that mental mistake from Baker.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Not a mistake, if you ask me. An effort to win one for Krivsky's miserably built team.

This issue started last year. Nothing to do with Dusty.

[missionhockey21]

C'mon man. I am not on the 'let's buy Dusty train tickets back to California' bandwagon, but that was a mistake in that situation. Harang wanted to pitch, he's a gamer, but as the manager Baker should have known the wear that has been put on Harang's arm and made the more responsible choice over what Harang wanted to do (or to have done it but given him extra rest before his next start.) Every manager makes mistakes and while that is not the cause of any troubles, perhaps it contributed, I am sure Dusty even in retrospect wishes he said thanks but no thanks to Harang.

It doesn't really matter now, it happened and likely the situation would have been the same with Harang's performance for the most part. I am just glad Harang is okay.