Casey Coleman: Probably a Nice Guy, Probably Not a Good Pitcher
Recognizing that the businessmen in attendance needed to get back to work, the Cubs and Astros agreed to not score any more runs after the fourth inning, sealing the Astros 4-3 victory and giving the loss to Casey Coleman.
Coleman has been as bad as a starting pitcher could be and after today's 3.2 inning loss against the Houston Astros, a start that saw him allow ten hits and four runs against a lineup of AAA hitters (save for Jose Altuve and Brian Bogusevic, future Hall of Famers both), Casey Coleman now has the highest ERA for any starter with more than 40 innings pitched in Major League Baseball. Here is his line on the season:
2-5, 7.43 ERA, 46 IP, 35/30 K/BB.
Fortunately for Coleman, the Cubs really don't have anyone else to throw out there, so he can take his lumps. Unfortunately, when he's walking nearly as many as he's striking out, there are going to plenty of lumps.
Coleman seems like one of those players who understands his lot in life and it makes him an easy player to root for. After making a few starts last season, Coleman sounded more like a fan being given a chance to throw out the first pitch to a game than an actual Major Leauger, making it all the easier to pull for him:
"It’s been a lot of fun getting to start for the Chicago Cubs, a lot of my friends are Cubs fans so it’s really cool to say you started a few games."
Despite Coleman's good guy status, he will need to show some drastic improvements in his limited opportunities if he wants to keep his job title as Professional Ballplayer. Because if you struggle against the Astros, you're going to struggle against the IronPigs.