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Livan by the Bay

Hernandez, Rogers swap coasts to enter pennant races

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Posted: Wednesday July 28, 1999 04:36 PM

Will the real Livan Hernandez please stand up? After the Marlins dealt the 24-year-old right-hander to San Francisco for a pair of minor leaguers, Giants fans could only hope their team had acquired the MVP of the '97 World Series, not necessarily the pitcher that has gone 15-21 since.

One train of thought in San Francisco is that Hernandez will regain his form, now that he'll be pitching in games that count again. Others, though, wonder if Hernandez may have left something in South Florida.

This is a kid who threw nine complete games last year and pitched nearly 250 innings. Was the decline related to a losing environment -- or fatigue?

Out of nowhere

The Reds surprising success this season started with pitching, particularly the bullpen. Ironically, from the bullpen came another moment of saving grace: the decision to convert Ron Villone from reliever to starter.

What a personal turnaround for this lefty: Even though Villone always had a lively arm, his command of the strike zone was often lacking. But who could've predicted he would surpass his career totals in wins and keep opposing batters hitting under .200?

Houston Astros coach Matt Galante said it best when he said, "That's not the same Villone I saw before."

Villone's emergence reminds me of the 180 degrees that John Tudor turned with the '85 Cardinals. Tudor was having a terrible season until a friend phoned and mentioned he saw a mechanical flaw while watching a game on TV. From that point on, Tudor was virtually unhittable. He went from a .500 career pitcher to a 21-8 record, with a 1.93 ERA. And he won three more games for us in the postseason.

Back in the Big Apple

Will new Met Kenny Rogers be able to put his mediocre first tour of the Big Apple behind him? With the weight of high expectations and a huge contract, Rogers went bust in the Bronx, particularly in his second season.

In the relative calm of Oakland, he made all "A's," going undefeated at home. But now he'll be pitching in the heat of a pennant race, in front of fans who weren't even patient with Mike Piazza.

One thing is sure: This trade came at the right time for Rogers, whose attitude and commitment were being questioned in Oakland, where he wanted out -- even with the A's in the race. That will change unless he really wants to hear some Bronx cheers ... in Queens!

 

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