Sunday, April 22, 2012

Jake Peavy: Is the Chicago White Sox Pitcher's Success Here to Stay?

If Jake Peavy was an insect, he would be a caterpillar-turned-butterfly-turned-caterpillar-turned butterfly. In the spirit of Earth Day, I just had to make a nature joke.

But back to baseball.  Is Jake Peavy's newfound resurgence something that's here to stay?

If not, what is it?

In the infancy of the 2012 MLB season, Peavy has posted some pretty unearthly numbers.  Take a look at his line: 2-0 W-L 2.75 ERA 0.814 WHIP and an insane 21-2 K-BB ratio.

It seems like someone's head is up in the clouds. (The jokes keep on coming.) 

Joking aside, those numbers remind me of the Jake Peavy of old.  The one who dominated the National League from 2004-2008.  

While his numbers might seem surreal, I'm optimistic that he can be a consistent contributor the entire season.

At 94 MPH, his velocity is only a tad under what it was at his prime.  His breaking ball, although lacking bite, has been located well to this point.  If he could garner a bit more movement on this pitch, he can get away with more mistakes.

In terms of health, you never really know with Peavy.  Earlier this season, he said he's as healthy as he's going to get.  Whether this is factual is a completely different tale. 

At times, his competitive edge has stubbornly kept him from telling Sox management about elbow soreness.  He's a gamer who just wants to pitch.  

But for now, he's pitching lights out, and Sox fans should just sit back and enjoy it while it lasts.  With Peavy, it's impossible to know how long "it" will last.

If the Sox "unexpectedly" fall out of the division race later this summer, maybe trading Peavy can net us a couple prospects.

The baseball season is not a sprint; it's a marathon.

When it comes to Peavy, we'll just have to play the waiting game. 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1155489-jake-peavy-is-his-success-here-to-stay

Mark Eaton Trent Hunter Andy Hilbert Bruno Gervais Dustin Kohn Andrew McDonald

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