Give Helling a look

[Trots]

I see where Texas cut veteran righthander Rick Helling to create some money to sign Chan Ho Park. I think the Tigers should give Helling's agent a call and see what type of money he's interested in. Helling's not Cy Young material, but a solid starter who can eat some innings. He should also cut down on his HR total throwing in Comerica Park.

[Baseball Guru]

Agreed....He will give up some runs, evident by his history of high ERA's but he shows he can win as well, winning as many as 20 games just 3 seasons ago.......
If I'm Tigers management, why not??:confused:

[Trots]

Has anybody even heard a rumor about where Helling might be going? If Dombrowski doesn't like him, that's fine, but somebody has to give him a look, don't they?

[mets81_2000]

i heard the mets might look to sign him to replace appier but i for one want no part of helling, the guy is a choker in big games especially against the yankees and he just isnt good enough for my team but maybe he'll be good for a team like the tigers or devilrays or reds

[Trots]

Ouch. It's bad enough you don't like Helling, but comparing the Tigers to the Rays, that really hurt. (Accurate as that may unfortunately be.)

I think the Rangers as a whole generally stunk up against the Yanks, but I will admit Helling isn't a HOF caliber hurler. I'd also hate to categorize him by a couple of starts against a dynasty. Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens have both been less then Cy Young-like in a number of post-season appearances and both of them had better teams than Helling had behind him.

[Baseball Guru]

Whoaaaaa, wait just a minute Hector....
How many BIG games has Helling pitched in vs the Yanks???
The 2 I can think of are the 2 playoff games he pitched vs them in 98 when he gave up 3 runs and struck-out 9 in 6 innings and in 99 he gave up 2 runs in 6.3 innings with 8 K's......Hardly "CHOKE" #'s.....
I kinda take offense by you saying he is not good enough for your team...This is a team YOU gave up on last season while most of us stayed around and kept up hope and still believed...That is what being a fan is about......You don't give up on your team....It is like a marriage, you stick with them in good times and bad times......
I for one wouldn't mind giving him a chance as I am sure others would...He has a better career ERA than Rusch and is 14 games over .500 for his career and that is pitching in a hitter friendly park in Texas....I'd be intrigued to see what he could do at Shea with a great defensive team behind him.....
Sorry, I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I guess that post just rubbed me the wrong way.....

[mets81_2000]

No your not comming off like a jerk James , i understand how you feel ,it's just that i lump all of the texas pitchers into one group and when someone mentions someone like helling i just start to think about kenny rogers and darren oliver etc.. for some reason , the guy gives up a ton of hits but i guess with our defense most of those hits would turn into doubleplays but id rather take a chance with Dickey Gonzalez first and then if by the all star break we need a pitcher then fine phillips will get one , but i do think id rather have helling than rusch so maybe it would be wise to sign helling now maybe a one or 2 year deal at most oh and as for giving up yea i did i knew back in may that the team just plain stunk i might have overstated that a bit huh?

[Baseball Guru]

Sorry Hector...I may have vented a bit much......
I think I may have overreacted a bit to your post and just took it the wrong way....:biggrin:
I wouldn't mind maybe seeing the Mets sign Helling, trade Rusch and another OF'er to the Brewers for Burnitz....Assuming of course we couldn't get Juan:biggrin:

[Trots]

Come on. guys. Let another team consider making an off-season move. The Tigers would seem to need Helling more than the Mets. Of course, being as bad as the Rays, maybe nothing will help.

I remain surprised that in this pitching-poor era, that I haven't even heard a decent rumor involving Helling. Somebody could use him just to eat innings, regardless of his ability/potential.

[Cyberlibrarian]

Helling got released by the team with the worst pitching in baseball. What more do you need to know? :confused:

[Baseball Guru]

He has won like 61 games the last 4 years.....
An average of 15 or so games a season...I wouldn't mind having that....

[Cyberlibrarian]

James, your figures are skewed by his one stellar season. Actually, it was stellar only in terms of wins and losses. He went 20-7, but had an ERA of well over 4.

But, if you take away his 20-7 season, he's 52-51 for his career. He gives up at least as many hits as innings pitched, and also gives up a ton of homers. Is that an improvement over Kevin Appier or Rick Reed? I think not.

[Baseball Guru]

Now I never said that Helling is an improvement over Appier or Reed but from what is out there I think he is the best FA pitcher available....
I also don't think that he is much worse if at all worse than Reed....
Keep in mind that both have 72 career wins but Reed is 5 years older than Helling....
Reed has actually given up 32 more hits than innings for his career.......
Helling, 18 more hits than innings pitched.....
As for HR's, Helling has given up an average of about 6 more HR's a season more than Reed in the last 4 seasons.......
Again, place Helling in a pitchers park like Shea and with a great defense behind him, I believe he can be just as effective as Reed was.....I for one LOVE Appier and was one of the few defending him coming to the Mets last season over at Sleepers but to get another key hitter like Mo I think it will be worth trading him......
Trust me, I am a big Appier fan but we need to get some bats and I have faith that SP will get another quality pitcher......