Ridiculed Mariners pitcher would be a perfect fit for the SF Giants
Some members of the SF Giants have expressed displeasure with the team's pitcher usage, which has leaned heavily on relievers and diminished the role of starting pitchers this season under manager Gabe Kapler. But based on some recent comments from Seattle Mariners starter George Kirby, he'd fit right in.
Facing the Tampa Bay Rays on September 8th, the Mariners' Kirby entered the 7th inning with a 4-2 lead - and a pitch count of 94. He got Taylor Walls to ground out on pitch No. 95, then Jose Siri doubled on pitch No. 96. On Pitch No. 102, catcher Rene Pinto tied the game with a two-run home run. Only then did manager Scott Servais take Kirby out of the game.
After his comments, Kirby was pilloried by old-school baseball thinkers, who believe a pitcher should never ask out, pitch until his arm falls off, and walk to school through the snow uphill both ways. For example, a multiple Cy Young winner known for his all-natural training methods blamed "modern analytics" for Kirby's comments.
Clemens knows that you never ask out of a big game! You just smear eye black on your face and scream obscenities at the umpire until he has to eject you in the second inning.
But while many people criticized Kirby, the Giants would embrace his attitude. Gabe Kapler would absolutely pull a starter for a pitch count. Or for a platoon advantage. Or because his vibes seemed off when Kapler saged the bullpen before the game.
That's assuming Kirby would have even started the game for the Giants. Most likely, he'd be entering in the third inning after Scott Alexander, Ryan Walker, or both had already gotten the game started. It's possible Kapler would have already pinch-hit for his left fielder before Kirby had thrown a single pitch.
Of course, the public pressure led to a forced apology from Kirby, who claimed that the manager "always had to pry the ball out of my hand."
That's a big difference from San Francisco, where Ross Stripling complained that the Giants weren't letting him pitch when he was healthy, claiming he was on the "phantom IL."
If Kirby is truly tired, the Giants would be happy to put him on the phantom IL, the real IL, or simply shuttle him back and forth from Triple-A when Farhan Zaidi wants to give a former Dodgers relief prospect some work in between Kirby's appearances - he has another option year left, after all.
Alex Wood has been clear about his preference for starting games, and the Giants kept using him in relief. But they weren't offended, and let him start again on September 6. He gave up five runs in 2 1/3 innings.
The Giants didn't punish Stripling for his comments, either. They gave him a chance with the bases loaded in Saturday's first game - and he walked in a run. He also said he's going to opt in for 2024, meaning he's signing on for another year of relieving, spot starts, phantom injuries, and destroying the Giants from the inside like the Dodgers sleeper agent we're totally just kidding he is, even if he does fit the profile.
It's ironic that Kirby has become the poster boy for modern pitchers who don't want to pitch late into games because he's gone at least seven innings more than all but four pitchers in baseball. Leading the way is the Giants' Logan Webb, who would be a great teammate for Kirby, if he didn't get jealous of Kirby's gaudy run support of 4.39 runs per game (Webb gets 3.19).
The Mariners probably are not going to be shopping Kirby anytime soon. The 2019 first-round pick was an All-Star this season and is under team control for years to come. It would also be out of character for the Giants to part with a massive prospect for a controllable player, especially since Kirby doesn't have an extensive injury history. Then again, the Mariners might simply trade him to the Giants because the teams make multiple trades every year (R.I.P. to the A.J. Pollock Era in San Francisco).
Kirby was back on the mound Friday and gave up four runs in six innings during a loss to the Dodgers. He only threw 81 pitches this time. Perhaps it would have been a different story if he'd had an opener.
