Vote: Final Grade for Mike Pelfrey
Mike Pelfrey will not pitch again this season, according to Jerry Manuel, who told reporters yesterday the pitcher will now have time to reflect on the season, “what was good and what he went through.”
… i think this is one of the seasons for pelfrey, in which he might have taken one step back so he can take two steps forward…
Pelfrey ends the season 10–12 with a 5.03 ERA, compared to going 13–11 with a 3.72 ERA last season.
Pelfrey and Jon Niese were on a pre-season list of red-flagged pitchers by Tom Verducci of SI.com, who said both pitchers could 
be prone to a poor season in 2009 due to the number of innings pitched in 2008, a.k.a. ‘The Year-After Effect.’
…that said, he was pitching in front of a terrible, ever-changing, often-out-of-place defense… also, he seemed to get more ground balls than in previous seasons, and that is important for him to be effective… the problem was his walks, and putting himself in a position to fail, which is something no pitcher should do with that sort of defense behind him… i mean, because he was striking out more batters and getting more ground balls than in previous season, had he had a better defense up the middle, i.e., Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and anyone better than Luis Castillo, i bet he would have allowed less runs and put up much better stats…
…i still believe in pelfrey, who is under contract and not eligible to be a free agent until after 2012… if he learns to stop getting in to fights with himself on the mound, if he can learn to command his fastball better, keep getting ground balls, and learn to feel his way through an at bat, i.e., know how to pitch front to back, not just what pitch to throw; i think he’ll be fine… next season is huge for mike, since he now has 80 career starts – meaning the time to turn the corner is quickly approaching, if it isn’t here already… this season’s perceived hiccup is understandable… but, it’s time for him to get it together…
…have a good off season, mike… happy thinking…
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…i will posting other players to vote on throughout the day…
