02-07-2009, 07:05 PM
<!--quoteo(post=16660:date=Feb 7 2009, 03:51 PM:name=bz)-->QUOTE (bz @ Feb 7 2009, 03:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=16658:date=Feb 7 2009, 04:42 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Feb 7 2009, 04:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=16657:date=Feb 7 2009, 03:41 PM:name=bz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bz @ Feb 7 2009, 03:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't like that philosophy. If you score runs early you don't have to worry about those late inning runs as often. Get to em early, get their starter out, then attack the bullpen early.
Ideally, you'd like players that are both clutch and can score runs at any point in the game. However, that ain't gonna happen.
The best chance for success in the playoffs is to score runs early and get to their bullpen, just like the regular season. If you are concerned about getting those late inning runs, then you team has a problem.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We're not scoring at all in the playoffs, that's the problem.
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That is because they sucked in the playoffs. Yes, we weren't "clutch" but adding clutch players isn't going to guarantee anything. Designing the team to be more clutch isn't going to do anything. We can't change the whole roster and there's limited amount of players to be added that are either "clutch", (I guess) early run scorers, or both.
The playoffs tend to be a crapshoot, but usually the better teams win. You have to play the odds and averages and just score runs. While I believe that intangibles do effect a teams performance, you can't build a team based on the unknown. That's just...dumb. You have to build a team that, simply, scores runs. The earlier in the game, the better.
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This is getting a little bit away from the original topic, but...
The point I'm making is this team needs an attitude adjustment and certain guys will not perform well in these situations. Almost all of our hitters looked like completely different guys at the plate than the last 2 playoffs than they did in the regular season. It was so obvious to me after watching almost all of their 324 regular season games those 2 years. They lack a mental toughness and that's something we need to be trying to add, and is usually a pretty good indicator of a player that is more likely to succeed in October. Alex Rodriguez, Adam Dunn, and Alfonso Soriano are going to be all over the leaderboards in a bunch of stats in the regular season but I can assure you they won't perform at the same level in the playoffs. You can see it in some guys.
Ideally, you'd like players that are both clutch and can score runs at any point in the game. However, that ain't gonna happen.
The best chance for success in the playoffs is to score runs early and get to their bullpen, just like the regular season. If you are concerned about getting those late inning runs, then you team has a problem.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We're not scoring at all in the playoffs, that's the problem.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is because they sucked in the playoffs. Yes, we weren't "clutch" but adding clutch players isn't going to guarantee anything. Designing the team to be more clutch isn't going to do anything. We can't change the whole roster and there's limited amount of players to be added that are either "clutch", (I guess) early run scorers, or both.
The playoffs tend to be a crapshoot, but usually the better teams win. You have to play the odds and averages and just score runs. While I believe that intangibles do effect a teams performance, you can't build a team based on the unknown. That's just...dumb. You have to build a team that, simply, scores runs. The earlier in the game, the better.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is getting a little bit away from the original topic, but...
The point I'm making is this team needs an attitude adjustment and certain guys will not perform well in these situations. Almost all of our hitters looked like completely different guys at the plate than the last 2 playoffs than they did in the regular season. It was so obvious to me after watching almost all of their 324 regular season games those 2 years. They lack a mental toughness and that's something we need to be trying to add, and is usually a pretty good indicator of a player that is more likely to succeed in October. Alex Rodriguez, Adam Dunn, and Alfonso Soriano are going to be all over the leaderboards in a bunch of stats in the regular season but I can assure you they won't perform at the same level in the playoffs. You can see it in some guys.
@TheBlogfines