You once asked about some of the subtle nuances of baseball. I don't know
if you had to a chance to watch game 2 of the ALCS - New York vs Boston....
Pedro Martinez, who was the best pitcher in the league from 1997 - 2000 and
is still considered to a number 1 pitcher, pitched a good game. Throwing 6
innings, giving up 3 ERs, and striking out 7 is considered a "quality"
start during the regular season. Quality starts are a performance that,
under normal circumstances, gives your team a chance to
win. Unfortunately, that isn't good enough in the postseason. One of the
beautiful things about baseball is the contrast between the regular season
and the playoffs; the contrast getting larger each round.
The regular season is a marathon. You play 160+ games. The goal is to win
as more games then anyone else in your division and hopefully more then
anyone else in your league. This forces managers and teams to conserve
their resources - the players and in particular their pitchers. Managers
are more likely to give their best players a day off to keep them
rested. The Division Series is a run and the League and World Series is an
all out sprint. During the playoffs, managers know there is no
tomorrow. They will send out their best pitchers back on to the mound on
short rest. Closers are asked to pitch 2 innings instead of their usual
1. I can't think of how many games the Yankees would have lost if Mariano
wasn't sent out in the 8th inning.
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