Will Hochevar ever become a true #1 ?

[Deberg_1990]

Dude seems awfully hot and cold to me. Will he ever learn to calm down and not let it all unravel??



Hochevar is perfect through five, then Indians erupt for 7-5 victory


Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/20/2815690/hochevar-is-perfect-through-five.html#ixzz1KAQXszVq

[BigMeatballDave]

I dont feel like reliving that debacle.

[KCUnited]

Motions towards home

No he won't ever be a true #1

Throws over to 1st

[SAUTO]

i doubt it.

he's not mentally strong enough IMO

[seaofred]

Nope.

[Bambi]

I like him as a #3. Can have a great stretch here and there but doesn't have the tough mind to battle in a tough spot.

[RockChalk]

No.

Mental makeup is not there, at least thus far into his career. Could be a solid #3 or 4 guy for us though in the next few years.

[wazu]

His ceiling is #3.

[Demonpenz]

he didn't have the stuff to be #1 to begin with. The good thing is that we have a pitcher that is good enough to be a #3 or #4 and be on the team. With the Kyle Snyders, Colt Griffons, I for one am thankful we have a guy that shows he belongs in the Majors.

[Deberg_1990]

he didn't have the stuff to be #1 to begin with.

Hes "stuff" is very good at times. Not sold on his mental makeup.

[blaise]

His ceiling is #3.

Yes. Considering how many teams can barely find a decent #3, if Hochevar could be a #3 that gives you a chance to win most nights I think it would be good.

[Demonpenz]

Hes "stuff" is very good at times. Not sold on his mental makeup.

it's alright, I've never been like "Holy shit" with anything that he is thrown, but he's tall ad has good pace on his pitches, he doesn't grab his elbow or look shaky phyically. He is going to be ok. Our #1 and #2 are down on the farm right now. It's fun to try to look at this year, but the talent down in the minors is staggering.

[gblowfish]

Nope.
Million Dollar Arm.
Five Cent Head.

[Saul Good]

I don't think he will ever be an ace, but I do think he could be a strong #2. He seems to be very close to putting it all together. His problem has always been that he is prone to the big inning.

I don't know if its confidence or if he just doesn't pitch well out of the stretch, but he gives up too many crooked numbers.

[Demonpenz]

Nope.
Million Dollar Arm.
Five Cent Head.

You can have a five cent head if you have devestating stuff. I've seen #1's do some dumbass stuff.

[Demonpenz]

if you Believe in being mentally tough you would obviously rank Grienke as a #4 or #5 at best. He could mow the shit out of lawns though.

[Demonpenz]

I will wait to see how Hoch handles adversity, that game was a train wreck, but I want to see how he comes out his next start. We have some guys that have overcome alot on this team, with Gordon being moved, various injuries, under preforming, and Butler dealing with his Obesity to hit at a high level.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

I would say no at this point , but then again Grienke overcame his issues and won a Cy Young, so it's not an absolute no. Doesn't seem likely however.

[KCUnited]

Geinke is a competitor, he takes his performance personal which is why he'd hit guys or spin them out of the box. With Hoch, it's more about his soft competitive nature.

[Demonpenz]

Grienke will probably throw a no hitter this year and go into the stands artest style.

[sedated]

IIRC, Yost did something similar last year as he did last night – leave Hoch in the game to work out of his own mess. Also IIRC, Hoch’s next couple of starts he looked better than he ever has, until he got hurt and was done for the season. Hopefully Yost’s approach to Hoch will work out in the long run.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

IIRC, Yost did something similar last year as he did last night – leave Hoch in the game to work out of his own mess. Also IIRC, Hoch’s next couple of starts he looked better than he ever has, until he got hurt and was done for the season. Hopefully Yost’s approach to Hoch will work out in the long run.

Yeah... sometimes you gotta let a guy clean up his own crap so he'll (and the team) can know he can do it. IMO at least.

[KCUnited]

Greinke would balk a guy over to second in a game and comment about how fat Billy is and how likely Hosmer is to bust during his postgame. Luke just sat there like he was wearing a Jayhawk costume in the Elite 8.

[gblowfish]

Billy Butler is going to be like Matt Stairs or Jim Thome. He looks like a beer league softball player. But as long as he can hit the ball, he'll have a job in the American League.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Greinke would balk a guy over to second in a game and comment about how fat Billy is and how likely Hosmer is to bust during his postgame. Luke just sat there like he was wearing a Jayhawk costume in the Elite 8.

As a KU fan I chuckled

[WilliamTheIrish]

How many "True #1"s are there that were drafted in his position?


The answer is no.

[Mr. Laz]

Will Hochevar ever become a true #1 ?
not until he becomes tougher mentally than he is now

['Hamas' Jenkins]

It has nothing to do with his mental makeup, and everything to do with his stuff. The guy doesn't have the physical skill to be a #1.

[Bambi]

Greinke would balk a guy over to second in a game and comment about how fat Billy is and how likely Hosmer is to bust during his postgame. Luke just sat there like he was wearing a Jayhawk costume in the Elite 8.

Kansas is a Champion.

Hoch-e-var??

not so much :)

[Deberg_1990]

It has nothing to do with his mental makeup, and everything to do with his stuff. The guy doesn't have the physical skill to be a #1.

BS...dude was unhittable for 5 innings last night and has had flirtations with greatness for a game or 2 from time to time.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

BS...dude was unhittable for 5 innings last night and has had flirtations with greatness for a game or 2 from time to time.

Deberg and I agree on something concerning baseball... didn't know that would ever happen.

;)

[Demonpenz]

It has nothing to do with his mental makeup, and everything to do with his stuff. The guy doesn't have the physical skill to be a #1.

I would tend to agree with this.

[Demonpenz]

If you have devistating stuff you can go out and bodyslam don zimmer.

[Demonpenz]

BS...dude was unhittable for 5 innings last night and has had flirtations with greatness for a game or 2 from time to time.

ok just looked it up. Darrel May had 5 innings of no hit ball 4 times in his career.

[Deberg_1990]

ok just looked it up. Darrel May had 5 innings of no hit ball 4 times in his career.

Didn't Hochevar have a 2 hitter and a CG shutout a couple of years ago?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Mr. Laz]

It has nothing to do with his mental makeup, and everything to do with his stuff. The guy doesn't have the physical skill to be a #1.
bullshit ... the whole word watched Hoch melt down yesterday because a little adversity freaked him out.

[DeezNutz]

He's a #4-5, and I do think that he's a mentally weak SOB.

[Deberg_1990]

Didn't Hochevar have a 2 hitter and a CG shutout a couple of years ago?
Posted via Mobile Device

I was wrong....he had 2 CG 3 hitters, one a shutout..and a 7 inning 2 hitter in 2009.

He had 1 CG 4 hitter last year.

[DeezNutz]

Career WAR of -0.7.

[Mr. Laz]

I was wrong....he had 2 CG 3 hitters, one a shutout..and a 7 inning 2 hitter in 2009.

He had 1 CG 4 hitter last year.
by every account i have seen people think that Hoch has elite talent potential.

it's his brain pan that's the problem

[shakesthecat]

Hoch's MLB equivalent of Jeff George. Million dollar arm, 10 cent head.

If he had Hershiser's mental toughness, he'd never lose

[keg in kc]

I would've said 'never' before last night. That game's moved it to a remote possibility.

[KCUnited]

I would've said 'never' before last night. That game's moved it to a remote possibility.

It had the opposite effect on me.

[keg in kc]

It had the opposite effect on me.You can't teach what he did the first 5 innings. He was dominant, there's no other way to say it. The question is whether you can coach out what happened in the 6th and 7th. You probably can't.

Beyond that, I think the team as a whole was coasting after the first inning, and I think it was the entire team that fell apart when he lost the lead. Game snowballed on everybody. Although I give them (or at least Frenchy) some credit for the 9th.

[Demonpenz]

by every account i have seen people think that Hoch has elite talent potential.

it's his brain pan that's the problem

Ceiling of kevin brown is elite talent? Not buying it

[SuperChief]

Who is Will Hochevar?

[Royal Fanatic]

It has nothing to do with his mental makeup, and everything to do with his stuff. The guy doesn't have the physical skill to be a #1.
I couldn't disagree more. Hochevar had good enough stuff to throw 10 perfect innings over his last two starts. He's got good enough stuff to have some great games in his career: he once pitched a complete game 3-hitter, and later that same year he struck out 13 in a single game.

His problem has nothing to do with his stuff. It has everything to do with his lack of mental toughness. When the going gets tough, he implodes. That's why he had two BALKS in the 6th inning last night. Balks aren't caused by a lack of stuff. That's why he gave up 6 runs in 2 innings after pitching 10 perfect innings. That's why he followed up his 3-hitter a couple of years ago by giving up 9 runs in his very next start. He doesn't pitch great games once in a while and then suddenly turn into a guy with no stuff. His problems are all in his head.

I was listening to 810 radio over the lunch hour, and Mike Boddicker (who knows a little bit about pitching) said the same thing. He said Hochever has great stuff and his only problem is that he's mentally weak. In fact, Boddicker used the term "mentally weak" at least 3 different times in his discussion with Soren Petro. I was a little surprised that a former player would use such an inflammatory term about a current player, but Boddicker wasn't shy about saying it.

The sad thing is that Boddicker said he's seen a lot of pitchers who were just like that, and NONE of them ever overcame it.

[Royal Fanatic]

ok just looked it up. Darrel May had 5 innings of no hit ball 4 times in his career.
Well, that proves right there that Hochevar has no stuff. :spock:

[Demonpenz]

Boddicker LMAO

[Royal Fanatic]

Boddicker LMAO
Are you saying that a guy who managed to win 20 games in 1984 and 134 games in his career knows nothing about pitching?

[Demonpenz]

call me when the royals have Bill Gullickson on