Speculations

How to Spin a Disaster

Yesterday, Cheese pitcher Nathan Eovaldi gave up eight runs, while getting only two outs in the first inning. His ERA for the day was a tidy 108.00, with a WHIP of 13.50. BP says his FIP was only 3.07, so I guess I could say he was unlucky. Or that FIP is a worthless statistic.

When one of your pitchers has a truly bad outing you can usually count on Ron, our faithful blogger, to refer to it as “chulked” in one of its many forms. Somehow, “chulked” doesn’t do it for me – perhaps because I wasn’t part of the EFL when the term was invented. I like to go to the headlines and see how other writers spin it, just so that I can wallow in pain and self-pity.

Here’s a selection of headlines relating to the incident, from today’s Internet news:

  • Yankees’ Nathan Eovaldi crushed in 12-2 loss
  • My Jaw Dropped When I Saw What Happened to this Yankees Pitcher
  • Nathan Eovaldi KO’d in 8-run first
  • Yankees P Nathan Eovaldi allows 8 earned runs
  • Might Nathan Eovaldi’s meltdown be good for Adam Warren?
  • Yankees’ Eovaldi clobbered in return to Miami
  • Nightmare start for Nathan Eovaldi Tuesday

Okay, I made up one of these. Can you guess which one?

4 Comments

  • Does “Royal Chulk” do it for you, Dave? Because that’s what it was: the first Royal Chulk of the season that I know of.

      • A Royal Chulk happens when a pitcher allows 10 times as many earned runs as innings pitched. Eovaldi was out there for 0.67 innings and allowed 8 earned runs. That’s a duodecal chulk, easily clearing the bar as a Royal Chulk.

        It’s merely coincidence that the first Royal Chulk was pitched by Vinnie Chulk while he toiled for the Royals. At least, that’s the legend in the EFL, and no one is going to check it out, or if they do, they’re going to exercise discretion about debunking it.