Can Wellemeyer Save Himself?

Does Todd Wellemeyer need a saving moment tonight? With a 5.56 ERA and a 4.95 FIP, I would think so.

Is today Judgment day for our estranged starter? Considering that we have 10 days until the non-waiver trade deadline, and Wellemeyer has been called into question not just by the fans but by the skipper himself, it seems like this is now-or-never time for our struggling pitcher.

It would be great to have a set of statistics that highlighted how Todd has fared when his job was on the line over the course of these two years, but it seems like he's always able to dig himself out of a ditch for a game or two before falling back into it. Call it struggling to keep afloat; Welle's been doing the doggy paddle for two months now.

We can look at last season's 13-9, 3.71 ERA statline and wonder where Wellemeyer 2.0 has gone wrong. The fact is, last year's model was perhaps an overshot in perceived value, as his 4.51 FIP shows. Based on Todd's 2008 peripherals, keeping walks under three was crucial to his success as a mid-rotation starter. With a K/9 of only 6.29, he needed his BB/9 of 2.91 to maintain that 2:1 K:BB integrity that is crucial in the makeup of a decent starting pitcher.

This year, Welle has seen his BB/9 balloon back up to career norms - 4.22 - while his K/9 drop a little bit - 5.74 - leaving his K/BB at just 1.36. In terms of what's happening after contact, he's still getting ground balls at a similar rate as last year, has a nearly identical line drive percentage - 20.7% - as '08, and has the exact same HR/9 at 1.17. In essence, we can attribute the large part of Wellemeyer struggles simply to his ability to limit walks. What's that, fans in the left-center bleachers, slightly to the right of the visiting bullpen? DUH? I guess I should keep writing.

Can Wellemeyer save himself from the potential doom that is TLR's doghouse? That all lies on how you define "saving himself." Saving himself to me means he goes 7 innings, issues 2 or less walks, and turns in the illusive Quality Start. Saving himself means he shows he can provide 6-7 innings of average pitching, not just average pitching. Saving himself means showing Mozeliak why Carl Pavano or Doug Davis, two relatively cheap deadline options, aren't improvements to the rotation.

I am plagued with two questions: can he do it, and do I want him to do it? Call me on the fence for both.

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Today's Website of the Day: Minor League Splits dot com

Want to follow the Cards' farm system with daily box scores, highlighted pitching and batting performances, and meaty stats that show beyond wins and losses? Minor League Splits is a great resource for staying updated on the farmhands as well as other team's farm systems. You'll find yourself visiting this site everyday. Seriously.

Random Video of the Day: If Man Walked on the Moon Today

What would it look like in the press if we walked on the moon today? I got a chuckle out of it.