Phillippe!

by ~ June 20th, 2009 at 3:04 pm

Phillippe Aumont has been promoted to AA West Tennesse after going 33.1 IP, 24 H, 12 ER, 12 BB, 35 K as High Desert’s closer.  Here is the presser.  With Aumont joining Joshua Fields, West Tenn now has a better 1-2 punch in their bullpen than Seattle has.

Some believe that Aumont will ultimately land back in the starting rotation, but at this point he’s just a stone’s throw away from the big league bullpen.  That said, he won’t get a callup this season unless Shawn Kelley’s oblique doesn’t heal, David Aardsma is traded, Sean White is stricken with insta-polio and Mark Lowe goes on indefinite bereavement– all within the realm of possibility with the way things have been going lately.

Also, right on queue, the great Pacific Prospect Report has posted two new high quality videos of Aumont.  Here is the normal footage, and here are a couple slow-mo shots.

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  • SABR Matt

    Take a look at that slo mo…watch as Aumont plants in very good position and then, inexplicably, locks his front leg arrow straight with a ferocious looking “SNAP!” and practically pole-vaults over his own body on the way through his incredibly bizarre looking follow through.

    He’ll never succeed in the rotation with that kind of ghastly drop and lock delivery. That puts all kinds of pressure on his knee, his shoulder, and his back, it robs him of velocity, and at higher levels, it’s going to lead to a ton of walks. You’re supposed to drive through your plant foot…that’s how you get repeatable command and reduce the strain on your body.

  • http://bleedingblueandteal.com Jon Shields

    It’s tough to watch and has been a problem with him since he was drafted. With that leg lock AND his abrupt deceleration he won’t stay healthy in the rotation. He may be able to make it work in the ‘pen but if the team ever decides to convert him back into a starter they’ll have to scrap his entire delivery and start from scratch.

  • SABR Matt

    I don’t get how the Mariner minor league coaches failed to notice this problem. It just leaps right out at me and I’m a neophyte when it comes to pitching mechanics…though learning quickly to be more observant.

    Aumont is a write-off as prospects go for me unless and until he changes his deliver.

  • http://bleedingblueandteal.com Dustin Shires

    Speaking with Jon earlier, we were talking a little about Aumont, and I had never watched slow-mo footage of him before, and while talking about him I noticed that, and it freaked me out.

    It really does look disgusting, like his knee is trying to blow out the backside of his leg. That problem needs to be fixed.