Future Redbirds

Dennis Dove was an obscure player until recently, mostly due to the fact that he was switched to relieving this season and went from a player on the fringe to being placed on the 40 man roster. Dove was selected in the 3rd round of the 2003 draft out of Georgia Southern U. At the time of the draft, Dove was known as having a great arm but was seen more of a project. The Cardinals were willing to undertake that project, and were patient with Dove as a starter. However, it became evident after 2 full seasons he was much more suited for relief. While he put up decent ERA’s in ‘03 (3.51 at short season A) and ‘05 (4.18 between QC and PB), beneath the surface Dove was underwhelming, especially for a hard thrower. His K/9 rate for the 03 and 05 season was only 5.82, mostly due to the fact he had no real secondary stuff, just a fastball that at times can be too straight. Dove also has more of a “max effort” delivery, which isn’t what you want to see in a starting pitcher.

(I keep referring to 03 and 05, as he was injured most of 2004.)

Upon being switched to relief, Dove shined. His strikeout rate nearly doubled (9.82 at Palm Beach, where he spent much of the season.) His walk rate also decreased from 3.21 as a starter to 2.28 and he allowed only 6.66 hits per 9 innings. He was promoted mid season but struggled in limited duty, allowing 6 home runs in 14 innings, allowing a run an inning as well as getting a strike out per inning. He pitched 9 innings in relief in the Arizona Fall League, and put up an ERA of 1.93. As I mentioned earlier, he was placed on the 40 man roster so he wouldn’t be exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

Strengths:
No questions about his velocity, Dove lives in the mid-nineties and can dial up to 96-97. His max-effort delivery is a plus in the sense that it creates some deception to the hitters.

Weaknesses:
Lack of secondary stuff. He has a below average slider and a recently ditched change, and that’s it for his complimentary pitches. And any time you hear the phrase “max effort delivery” in a scouting report, you worry about the strain it’s putting on a pitcher’s arm. The 6 homers in 14 innings at AA is troublesome. Dove’s more of a fly ball pitcher, (40% ground ball rate in PB) so watch his HR rate as he moves up the ranks.

The future:
In the near term, Memphis. If Dove can keep missing bats while keeping the ball in the park at an acceptable rate, he could very well be a September call up or make the club sooner then that should someone in the pen falter or get hurt. Dove could even win a job out of Spring Training with Kinney now on the shelf, but he’d certainly be considered a long shot. He’s struck out lefties (K/9 9.95) as well as right handers (8.73), hitters at home (9.6) and on the road (8.73), so no platoon issues. He’s the type of pitcher you bring in the game when you need a strike out or 2, and if he can discover a slider, he could possibly more then that. But when you’re throwing 97, what else do you really need?