HE BROKE THE BROXTON

Way to go Slingblade. The season’s over, even Saito has been breached, and you continue to trot out Broxton in a no-win situation? Are you trying to ruin the kid? It’s his first full season in the majors, and everybody from Washington to West Adams knows he’s lost something on his fastball. He’s thrown a record number of innings. But no amount of failure persuades Forrest to abandon any of his pitchers. He did this with Tomko, who merely sucked; he does it with Hernandez, who’s old; and now he’s doing it with Broxton, who is clearly overworked.

Message to Forrest: you’ve got fifty or sixty minor leaguers just chomping at the bit to get big league experience. How about we see some Jon Meloan? Give Stults some work. Houlton? Hull? It would be nice to know if these guys have major league arms, and when better to find out than in meaningless September games?

Broxton needs to be shut down now before he loses all his confidence. The kid was lights out for five months of the season. It’s only now that he’s been overworked that he’s proved mortal. His ERA has gone up by almost a full run since September 1. Does that not tell you anything? Please please please shut him down for the rest of the season. We don’t want to screw up next year as well.