What could have been.
By the time this card was released (2009) Dodgers fans were getting a small taste of what Billingsley would eventual regress towards. He had been a very bright spot in the Dodgers rotation until then. Chad was young and had compelling strike out numbers that made you thing a potential #1 pitcher was in our midst. If only he could refine his approach, stop nibbling on the corners, and trust his stuff. Often, he was a little wild and appeared to get rattled at the wrong time. This would cause batters to get on base at an alarming rate. Still, those instances could easily be waved away as moments of youth and inexperience. Heck, worse comes to worse he would at least be a solid #2 pitcher in the rotation.
Unfortunately, that appears to have come to pass. By 2009 Billinglsey recorded his first season with an ERA above 4.00. He won only one more game than he lost, and continued to allow batters to get on base. Although he made an All-Star appearance that season, his final end-of-season totals don't scream All-Star. Still, he was young and worth the risk.
Today, he is starting to look like a bust. The same issues that hampered him in 2009 still exist today. Am I totally negative on his future with the Dodgers. Not entirely. After all, Chad is still only 27 years old and could potentially rise to the occasion and prove his naysayers wrong. Day by day, though that is starting to look unlikely.
Featured here is a 2009 Toops Unique Solo Shot autographed card of Chad Billingsley in my collection.
i gotta agree with your assessment. i have that same card myself. it's a great card for a mediocre pitcher.
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