From: "John D. Giorgis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: Killer Bs Discussion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Baseball Questions Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 23:45:54 -0400
O.k., I will admit to not being much of a baseball fan... in fact, I pretty much only watch the playoffs. Nevertheless, I would appreciate it if someone can answer either of the following questions:
1) Has anyone ever seen a Manager go to the mound, ask the Pitcher if he still "has it", and seen the Pitcher say "No."
Yep.
2) Has anyone ever seen a Pitcher who says "Yes" to this question not immediately proceed to get shelled?
Often. Sometimes the pitcher just needs a break in his routine for a couple of minutes in order to relax. I was pretty sleepy, but didn't this happen with the Sox pitcher in the 9th or 10th last night?
Again not much of a baseball fan, but it seems like every year Managers
wait too long to pull their "Aces" in the late innings of big playoff
games... Prior being but the latest example until now. I mean, wouldn't
you rather pull your "Ace" a little too early in a close game than pull him
a little too late? If you are good enough to be a playoff team, surely
you have guys who are good enough to go a mere *two* innings for you right???
Well, it's easy to be an armchair pitching coach. ;-)
Seriously, the answer is often, "It depends". Just because a pitcher has let a few men on or a run or two score doesn't mean he's losing it. Mets reliever Armando Benitez, (who competed with Steinbrenner for the title of 'most hated man in New York' for a while,) used to fill the bases with no outs and then... 3 up, 3 down. Of course, he used to lose spectacularly as well. So much for consistency.
I suspect that most managers also make 'pull the pitcher' decisions based on the pitcher's past record against a particular hitter. Remember the right-hander/left-hander 'rule' too. Also, imo, most managers don't act rapidly enough at getting their bullpens warmed up. The time to start warming up your hurlers is when you see a hitter crush a ball into the parking lot, not after the guy on the mound has given up 6 runs. :)
I agree with Gautam. The Yankees used at least 4 or 5 pitchers last night (including David Wells, a starter) and at least two pinch hitters who were then substituted for pinch runners. And so.... Torre once again proves that he keeps his eye on the goal: winning the game. What good does satisfying his players' egos do him or them if they lose?
Jon
Le Blog: http://zarq.livejournal.com
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