Livan's Freakish Arm

If you haven't seen it, Aaron Gleeman wrote a column on Livan Hernandez in Hardball Times. It notes the utter abuse Livan's arm has taken since coming up to the majors in 1997. And it's true; the guy has thrown more pitches than anyone not named Randy Johnson.

You can read it for what it's worth, but the fact that Livan can soak up so many innings provides a value to the team that far exceeds his numbers. He makes the Nats' relievers better by forcing them to throw fewer innings. He makes the Nats' more likely to win games by forcing fewer innings on the ugly end of the bullpen, meaning that there are fewer steps between him and Chad Cordero than there are for, say, John Patterson.

Some day, somewhere, there will be a Livan Hernandez appreciation day. I just might come. If they have Dippin' Dots.