FREDDY GOT FINGERED

After the Yanks bombed Seattle's erstwhile ace Freddy Garcia last week, I wondered what had gone wrong with him (Garcia was roughed up again last night). Derek Zumsteg wrote an excellent column about Garcia over at Baseball Prospectus earlier this week. It seems that Freddy likes to party, and not only that, he may have playing hurt for some time now:

Garcia's a partier. It's known, and it's been interesting to see local sportswriters tiptoe around the issue, once afraid to mention it and now going so far as to say he is in fact a partier, but offering no actual proof. There are questions about Garcia's work ethic and preparation, and it's particularly awful to see him when he comes completely unraveled. There's a look on his face as if he's already checked out for the game as he serves up fastballs hitters can smoke, and I start to wish Bob Melvin would walk out to the mound, ask Freddy if he was injured, and then kick him in the balls so he can call in an emergency replacement from the bullpen. I don't really think anyone should kick anyone in the balls, by the way, that's just how frustrating Freddy's been to watch. I want to reach down from the stands and throttle him and say, "if you don't want to pitch, fake a muscle pull, don't keep giving up runs before we can get someone up in the bullpen. Intentionally walk every batter if you have to, it'll be less painful."