Did Liriano come up too soon?

Did Liriano come up too soon?

05/05/2008 4:50 PM ET
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080505&content_i...645567&

Did the Twins bring up Francisco Liriano too early? He was struggling
in the Minors, and he struggled to even throw strikes in the Majors.

-- Devon A., Cumberland, Wisc.

By far the most-asked question that I've received in e-mails recently
has been in regards to the Twins' decision to bring Liriano up so
soon. After just two Minor League starts, both in which he struggled
with command, the Twins decided to let the talented 24-year-old
left-hander join the big league rotation. It turned out to be a big
mistake -- at least, that is, numbers-wise. Liriano went 0-3 with an
11.32 ERA in three starts and looked to be way out of his league.

Despite the immense struggles of Liriano, the Twins' coaching staff
and management still believe that the call up turned out to be
beneficial. Liriano got a chance to see that he wasn't ready to pitch
in the Majors quite yet, something that it seemed neither he, nor his
agent, was so quick to believe out of Spring Training. They say he
knows exactly what he needs to work on now: commanding his fastball,
issuing fewer walks and regaining more confidence on the mound to
attack hitters like he did in his rookie 2006 season.

But the big question is just how much of a confidence blow did Liriano
endure? There is no question that when he went back down to the
Minors, Liriano was struggling to find answers and looked as confused
as anyone. He expressed to the coaches that he felt unable to throw
strikes and often looked considerably nervous before his starts. And
in his first start back with Triple-A Rochester, Liriano gave up four
earned runs over 4 1/3 innings while walking five and striking out
three. The mental aspect of pitching is often the last to come back
for pitchers coming off surgeries like Tommy John elbow reconstruction
surgery. So it's not surprising that Liriano has struggled with it.
Now it's just a matter of waiting to see when -- or if -- the lefty
can regain the dominant form he had in '06.


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