Many scouts said that Garcia had lost a bit off his velocity at the end of the 2006 but he claimed to be okay and the Phils thought he was fine.
Reports are surfacing that he's not throwing real well right now and that's cause for major concern IMO.
That said - it's nice to have Lieber sitting back there.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/16882895.htm
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Garcia's fastball lags as Madson slings his sliderBy Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Staff Writer
Phils should keep Lieber
Garcia's fastball lags as Madson slings his slider
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Freddy Garcia and Ryan Madson have something in common. Both are searching.
Garcia is trying to rediscover his fastball. Madson is trying to find a consistent third pitch.
Both pitchers worked in a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays yesterday. The results were mixed.
Madson, who has scrapped his curveball in favor of a slider, had his best day yet with the pitch. He threw a half-dozen of them and got three quick outs in the sixth inning.
Garcia, however, didn't wow scouts with his fastball as he went three innings and did not strike out a batter in his first official Grapefruit League start.
The 31-year-old righthander, picked up in a December trade with the White Sox, pitched between 85 and 89 m.p.h. but mostly sat at 87 or 88 m.p.h.
"That's right about where he was at the end of last year," said a scout who watched Garcia from behind the backstop.
Garcia was hit hard in the first inning, allowing four hits and three runs. Neither he nor pitching coach Rich Dubee were concerned about velocity or results.
"It's spring training," Garcia said. "You don't see spring-training stats on the back of a baseball card. I'm working to get ready for the season. My fastball is at about 75 percent right now. It's different when the season starts. You make better pitches."
Dubee said Garcia was on a good track for this stage of spring training. Remember, Garcia is a veteran, not some youngster trying to make the team. His spot is secure, so he has the luxury of methodically preparing himself for the season and not worrying about results.
"Freddy's arm is all right, and that's the big key," Dubee said. "He's starting to pop the ball better. He's still building arm speed. Position players can get ready a lot quicker than pitchers. Pitchers need those reps."
There were concerns about Garcia's velocity last season. The pitcher said he was fatigued after pitching an entire postseason for the World Series champion White Sox in 2005, then participating in the World Baseball Classic last March.
"Last year, I had no time to rest," Garcia said.
Garcia threw 59 pitches and walked two. He will approach 75 pitches his next time out. After the first inning, he had better success when he mixed in breaking balls and splitters.
Garcia or Brett Myers figures to be the opening-day starter. The Phils have an off day Wednesday, and manager Charlie Manuel has indicated he could name an opening-day starter by Thursday.
It won't be Madson. After a failed attempt at starting, he's back in the bullpen this year. If he can add a third pitch to his fastball-changeup repertoire and build some confidence, he could give the Phillies' bullpen a much-needed boost.
Madson, a 26-year-old righthander, has trashed his overhand curveball because it was inconsistent, and he had a difficult time throwing it for strikes. The slider is a breaking ball that breaks later and more laterally as it reaches the plate. A slider would give Madson a second off-speed pitch, particularly against righthanded batters.
"I'm still working on the slider," Madson said. "It's a brand-new pitch. The big thing is trusting it. My fastball and changeup have been good, so I'm working a lot on my slider. If I can get it, it will give me something between my fastball and changeup."
Madson faced three batters and retired them all on a strikeout and two pop outs.
It was a good day for the Phils relievers, who were issued a mild challenge by Manuel on Friday. In addition to Madson, Kane Davis, Antonio Alfonseca and Jim Ed Warden all pitched a scoreless inning.
Nonroster player Brennan King continued to swing a hot bat with three hits, and catcher Jason Jaramillo belted a two-run homer and gunned down a runner trying to steal second.
The Phils also sent a squad to Kissimmee. That club lost, 3-2, in 10 innings to the Astros. Jon Lieber worked four innings and allowed a homer to Luke Scott. It is the only run he has given up in six innings this spring.
Spring sensation Greg Dobbs hit another homer, his third in official games. He has two others in unofficial games.
Jamie Moyer pitches against the Tigers today in Clearwater.
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Reports are surfacing that he's not throwing real well right now and that's cause for major concern IMO.
That said - it's nice to have Lieber sitting back there.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/16882895.htm
-----------------------------------
Garcia's fastball lags as Madson slings his sliderBy Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Staff Writer
Phils should keep Lieber
Garcia's fastball lags as Madson slings his slider
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Freddy Garcia and Ryan Madson have something in common. Both are searching.
Garcia is trying to rediscover his fastball. Madson is trying to find a consistent third pitch.
Both pitchers worked in a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays yesterday. The results were mixed.
Madson, who has scrapped his curveball in favor of a slider, had his best day yet with the pitch. He threw a half-dozen of them and got three quick outs in the sixth inning.
Garcia, however, didn't wow scouts with his fastball as he went three innings and did not strike out a batter in his first official Grapefruit League start.
The 31-year-old righthander, picked up in a December trade with the White Sox, pitched between 85 and 89 m.p.h. but mostly sat at 87 or 88 m.p.h.
"That's right about where he was at the end of last year," said a scout who watched Garcia from behind the backstop.
Garcia was hit hard in the first inning, allowing four hits and three runs. Neither he nor pitching coach Rich Dubee were concerned about velocity or results.
"It's spring training," Garcia said. "You don't see spring-training stats on the back of a baseball card. I'm working to get ready for the season. My fastball is at about 75 percent right now. It's different when the season starts. You make better pitches."
Dubee said Garcia was on a good track for this stage of spring training. Remember, Garcia is a veteran, not some youngster trying to make the team. His spot is secure, so he has the luxury of methodically preparing himself for the season and not worrying about results.
"Freddy's arm is all right, and that's the big key," Dubee said. "He's starting to pop the ball better. He's still building arm speed. Position players can get ready a lot quicker than pitchers. Pitchers need those reps."
There were concerns about Garcia's velocity last season. The pitcher said he was fatigued after pitching an entire postseason for the World Series champion White Sox in 2005, then participating in the World Baseball Classic last March.
"Last year, I had no time to rest," Garcia said.
Garcia threw 59 pitches and walked two. He will approach 75 pitches his next time out. After the first inning, he had better success when he mixed in breaking balls and splitters.
Garcia or Brett Myers figures to be the opening-day starter. The Phils have an off day Wednesday, and manager Charlie Manuel has indicated he could name an opening-day starter by Thursday.
It won't be Madson. After a failed attempt at starting, he's back in the bullpen this year. If he can add a third pitch to his fastball-changeup repertoire and build some confidence, he could give the Phillies' bullpen a much-needed boost.
Madson, a 26-year-old righthander, has trashed his overhand curveball because it was inconsistent, and he had a difficult time throwing it for strikes. The slider is a breaking ball that breaks later and more laterally as it reaches the plate. A slider would give Madson a second off-speed pitch, particularly against righthanded batters.
"I'm still working on the slider," Madson said. "It's a brand-new pitch. The big thing is trusting it. My fastball and changeup have been good, so I'm working a lot on my slider. If I can get it, it will give me something between my fastball and changeup."
Madson faced three batters and retired them all on a strikeout and two pop outs.
It was a good day for the Phils relievers, who were issued a mild challenge by Manuel on Friday. In addition to Madson, Kane Davis, Antonio Alfonseca and Jim Ed Warden all pitched a scoreless inning.
Nonroster player Brennan King continued to swing a hot bat with three hits, and catcher Jason Jaramillo belted a two-run homer and gunned down a runner trying to steal second.
The Phils also sent a squad to Kissimmee. That club lost, 3-2, in 10 innings to the Astros. Jon Lieber worked four innings and allowed a homer to Luke Scott. It is the only run he has given up in six innings this spring.
Spring sensation Greg Dobbs hit another homer, his third in official games. He has two others in unofficial games.
Jamie Moyer pitches against the Tigers today in Clearwater.
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