Dodgers’ Billingsley to Bullpen — For Now
March 15, 2007 by Geoff Young
Filed under Personalities
The headline reads “Dodgers release Tatis, make Billingsley reliever” but if you read the fine print, you’ll notice that right-hander Chad Billingsley isn’t being converted to a reliever; rather, he’ll be used as one to start the 2007 season. Quoth Dodgers skipper Grady Little:
We still feel like he’s going to be a great starter in the big leagues, but we feel he’s still got some learning to do. He’ll learn a lot in this role for us, and before you know it, he’ll be going seven or eight innings in the big leagues.
In other words, Little is employing the Earl Weaver philosophy of breaking in young pitchers. So don’t panic when you read the AP headline. Billingsley’s move to the bullpen isn’t permanent; it’s just where he’ll be for a while, gaining valuable big-league experience in relatively low-pressure situations. Not a bad idea, if you ask me.
