Someone is going to have to do a metal version of "Tiptoe through the Tulips" if Collins is ever to get the chance to close in the big leagues.

Tiny Tim isn't that much shorter than Billy Wagner, is he?

Anywhere from 2-4 inches (depending on reports) and about 25-30 pounds.

But I'm definitely the type to let him try.

Go Tiny Tim!

OK - so I may be a little biased by my shared name with this diminutive hurler but can anyone tell me why they haven't tried him out as a starter yet?  Tim Lincecum and Pedro Martinez are both generously listed at 5'11" and he's only a few inches shorter.

can anyone tell me why they haven't tried him out as a starter yet?

The same reason that he's never listed as a top prospect.  He's apparently too small.  Does any player get less respect for what he's actually accomplished?  In 153.1 career IP he's given up 101 hits and K'd 226 against guys 3-4 years older than him.  He's been awesome.

Agreed MatO

Those numbers are ridiculous, and he's yet to seem overmatched at any point in his minor league career.

Now personally I'm fine with keeping him as a reliever, but I can see the argument for giving him a shot at the rotation.

Either way the image of him trotting out to the mound at the Dome makes me smile.

Elroy Face and Bobby Schantz were 'little guys' who did pretty well in relief a long time ago.  Face was listed as 5'8"; not sure about Schantz.  I'd like to watch Collins pitch based on his abilities, not anything else.

Shantz was listed as 5'6" and 139lbs.  Seems he was even smaller than Tiny Tim.  And started quite a few games in his career (171 - mostly in the first 10 years) before transitioning into a long relief / spot starter role.

Thank goodness Tim's still young though - lots of time for the 'Worchester Whirlwind'  to show the Jays that he should be given at shot at starting.

Free Tim "The Worchester Whirlwind" Collins!

(Sorry the name just came to me after reading a little about Ron Guidry and Bobby Shantz)

I like Collins' number!  Great shots, Gerry!

The same reason that he's never listed as a top prospect.  He's apparently too small.

With all due respect, the people making the decisions see Tim Collins on a daily basis.  The size is a worry, but a bigger worry is probably Collins' pitching style: there is some deception there and when you start talking about him as a starter you are talking about him having to get through an entire lineup up to 3+ times.  Deception rarely works for an entire game.  You cant just say "oh, he strikes out 12 guys per 9 innings pitching 1-2 innings; he should be just as dominant starting."

The only guy I've read Collins' style being compared to is Tim Lincecum, another small guy.  The only reason I've heard given for not starting Collins is his size and you would assume stamina.   I've never read anything that his stuff won't play the 2nd or 3rd times through the order.  I mean, it's pretty basic stuff: fastball, curve and change.  No trick pitches.  Fastball is above average for a lefty.  It's not the same situation as with Wallace.  They've seen Wallance probably hundreds of times at 3rd base and they didn't like what they saw.  They've never seen what Collins might do as a starter.  The guy standing beside Collins in the picture was a college reliever whose attempted conversion to starting was a failure.  They should give Collins a shot at failing as well.

I've never read anything that his stuff won't play the 2nd or 3rd times through the order.  I mean, it's pretty basic stuff: fastball, curve and change.  No trick pitches.

Its basic stuff, but for whatever reason he is getting more out of it than he probably should be...which again brings up deception.  Collins has consistently put up ridiculous strikeout numbers; yet does he have the best fastball in our system? Not a chance.  Does he have the best curveball? No.  Best changeup? No.  His stuff is good, but what exactly do you see as his top upside as a starter? I see a decent bottom rotation starter at best.  Lets not forget that he probably wont throw 91mph if you start throwing him out for 6 innings, and IMO the "magic" behind him being 5'6-5'7 with a somewhat tricky delivery wont last once you give batters more opportunities to see that his stuff isn't exactly as good as his strikeout numbers suggest.

Many, many pitchers seem to be able succeed throwing 2 innings at a time. Collins spectacularly so.  Relatively few pitchers seem to be able succeed throwing 6 innings at a time.  It seems to me that the effort to find those relatively few (with some of the others sitting on the bench and hardly pitching at all) is not worth the cost. 

Do I believe that Collins could be very effective for 120 innings a season?  Yes.  Does that have significant value?  Of course.  In 2011, if you threw out Marcum for 4 innings every 4 games and Collins for 9 batters following, I'd bet that you would get a good start out of the two of them at a rate much better than league average. 

Collins is someone you cheer on and hope for. Just a kid (in his age 20 season) he has 14 1/3 IP in AA already. Just 12 hits in those IP, but 9 walks to go with his crazy 22 strikeouts. If he can avoid those walks then he becomes a significant prospect (2 in 1 2/3 IP this season so far). Until then he would be a guy who ML'ers would wait out and get on base a ton.

The good news is he has been promoted very quickly and is one of just 2 20 year old pitchers in the Eastern League (Casey Kelly of the Red Sox is the other). Tons of time to find that control. Lets hope he does.

FYI: did a quick check and the Texas League has 2 19 year olds while the Southern League has none under 21. Thus Tim is, at worse, 4th youngest in AA and could be 2nd youngest.

Do I believe that Collins could be very effective for 120 innings a season?  Yes.  Does that have significant value?  Of course.  In 2011, if you threw out Marcum for 4 innings every 4 games and Collins for 9 batters following, I'd bet that you would get a good start out of the two of them at a rate much better than league average. 

Tried to sneak tandem starting by me like a Tim Collins curveball. 

Can Collins pitch effectively for 6 inning stretches?  I don't know, he's never tried.

It's not particular to Collins.  I think of all those pitchers with significant talent who came through the organization over the past 5-6 years for whom role was a big issue- League, Bush, Marcum, Vermilyea, Purcey, Davis Romero, now Collins, and probably a bunch I am forgetting.  Of course, you could say the same thing about McGowan and Litsch.  I think that the effort to squeeze 'em into the 180-220 inning starter slot or the 40-70 inning reliever slot is a mistake.

I promise to shut up about this for at least a couple of months.    It aint happening and I need to get over it.

I had a chuckle reading the FAQ today.

10. Don't be a one note Charlie. If you feel strongly about a point make it, even make it again. But don't return to the same point time after time. Most Batter’s Box readers are regulars; assume they know you and your perspective.

I think Collins is more suited to be a late inning reliever, as he tries to strike everyone out and his pitch count would be high per inning.  The reason his walk rate is high might also be related to him trying to strike everyone out.