Baseball Toaster: Bad Altitude : LaTroya

LaTroya

2006-12-01 13:24

by Mark T.R. Donohue

The Rockies have signed right-handed relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, 34, to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. LaTroy will work primarily in the eighth inning, filling Jose Mesa's old role. (This signing does not necessarily preclude a Mesa encore in Denver, however.) Hawkins is one of a long list of Cubs relievers to earn my father's eternal enmity during his 2004-05 stint in Chicago, but I have nothing personal against the guy and one-year deals for relievers are free agency's get-out-of-jail-free cards. Hawkins and Colorado have a mutual option for 2008.

Comments

2006-12-01 13:44:39

1. Chyll Will

"LaTroy will work primarily in the eighth inning, filling Jose Mesa's old role."

They pay guys $3.5 million to regularly blow three-run leads? Where do I sign?

2006-12-02 23:29:46

2. das411

That's All Time Philles Saves Leader Jose Mesa to you Mark!

grr where is Mike C when you need him??

2006-12-03 08:20:27

3. Ed C

Have fun with "1-pitch" LaTroy. Nothing like not being able to throw anything but a completely straight, flat fastball at 93 mph in Coors Field.

Well maybe that's not being completely fair. I remember seeing him once throw a "slider" that moved about an inch.

Although maybe the Rockies' pitching coach can figure out how to teach Latoya that he doesn't need to throw a fastball down the middle of the plate when he's got an 0-2 count, you'll have slightly better luck. But I doubt it.

At least I get to look forward to the Cubs being able to hit against him a few times a year.

2006-12-04 07:30:15

4. jakewoods

How desperate are teams for pitching if hawkins still gets big deals?

2006-12-04 08:11:25

5. Mark T.R. Donohue

The depressing thing is it's hard to consider 1 yr/$3.5m a "big" deal when guys like Chad Bradford and Justin Speier are getting eight figures.