Dan Miceli Given Pink Slip by Giants

Much as I, a Tiger fan, love to see bad things befall the Giants, there were some questionable umpiring decisions in the first few games that really were unfair to Dan Miceli. And of course the tabloid newspaper reporters felt no need to mention such details the next day in their patience-free diatribes.

Hopefully Miceli can get back to MLB and find another bullpen to pitch out of.

A patience-free newspaer diatribe? In Japan? I am shocked! From the posts elsewhere on this board, I got the impression that only the New York media were capable of such foul and perjorative behavior.

The guy seems to have pitched very poorly. I think he might be an ex-Met, too. If he refused a minor league type assignment, he seems to have written himself a one way ticket out of Tokyo. Can't blame management too much.

Funny how the NPB teams put gaijin players on a short rope, with a possible swift slit to the gullet, but lots of folks on this board bash the Mets, their fans, and the media for alleged poor treatment of Kaz Matsui, who has performance challenges, but who has been treated with nothing but respect by the NY Mets organization.

There is absolutely no way that any team in the U.S. would think of signing Miceli. He can't pitch, never has, never will. Place the 20+ ERA he had in Japan against all the blown leads for the Astros last year in the playoffs. Now, while I do not like the Astros, Miceli is a minor league player and should go there, stay there, and be happy there. He will not make it in the bigs again.

- The Giants just don't have any patience with their foreign players it seems.

This time, with Miceli, he wasn't pitching very good this year. The Giants advised him to pitch at ni-gun, but Miceli refused it. Miceli was 0-2 with a 20.63 ERA this year in 4 games. A team can't stick with a player forever. They offered him a chance to pitch at ni-gun. If I were Miceli, I would have taken that opporunity. I would go to ni-gun and work out my problems there. [Link - Japan Ball]

This is a interesting article by the Japan Times Wayne Graczyk on Miceli. [Link]

Some Major Leaguers don't seem to fare well overseas. So is he going back to the United States?

When I saw the Giants signed Miceli and the amount he signed for, 1.75 million US dollars, I knew it was a big mistake. The Giants have a poor track record with sigining pitchers, and the price tag was way too high. I think it would be better for them to go out and get a proven foreign pitcher in Japanese baseball. Get somebody you know that can thrive and play well in this culture. A lot of foreign players have a tough time adjusting. Seeing that I hate the Giants, it is nice to see them fail again.

With such a quick firing of Miceli, do you think Kapler may be a little worried?

I read somewhere Miceli had a contract such that it guarantees a place on the first-team squad. With a 20+ ERA, the Giants obviously can't keep such a player in the first team, so they offered him to pitch in the second team, which he refused.

So, the Giants axed Miceli, the obvious consequence. The Giants were not impatient, just couldn't relegate Miceli to the second team due to the contract requirements.

I disagree. If the Giants were more patient they would've let Miceli work out his problems by giving him some more mop-up work like they did in his last outing in order to let him try to get his control back. They would've also not given Jeff Manto or Luis de los Santos such a quick ax if they had been more patient with their foreigners.

The contract actually gave Miceli a veto on being moved down to ni-gun. He used it and the Giants management are not used to having their wishes blocked. Therefore, goodbye Miceli.

However, you have to ask this - if he had continued to pitch badly for the top team, how could the Giants use him? To lose more games?

Dan Miceli is GOD!

Sorry - what do you mean?

I am surprised Miceli went to Japan anyway - I guess he got offered big bucks, far more than he would have gotten in America.

The guy had ERA's of 3.20 and 3.59 the last two years. He'd have gotten signed by a major league team.

Miceli signed a minor league contract with the Rockies Wednesday, May 18. Miceli will build arm strength in extended spring training. [News - MLB.com]

It says in today's edition of USA Today that Dan Miceli's contract was purchased by the Rockies from AAA Colorado Springs. It says that Rockies' manager, Clint Hurdle, plans to use him as a setup man.

He's gone from being one of the worst pitchers on the Yomiuri staff to a major league pitcher in less than 3 months. Pitching in MLB is definitely not what it used to be.

Another ex-Giant just got called up also. Pitcher John Wasdin recently got called up by the Rangers and picked up a save last week.

No, pitching in MLB hasn't been what it used to, but he's with the pitching-deprived Rockies. Also, I would think his record in Japan would say something, though this isn't the case as Colorado is as pitcher deprived than any team, and he now play in Colorado.

Also, I can't think of how bad Miceli will pitch at Coors Field either. I also don't know how sure I am of him pitching as a setup man, either.

This is Miceli's third stint with the Rockies - the first (2001) was very good, the second (2003) was very bad. Who knows what 2005 will bring?