06-02-2010, 10:53 AM
BT -- I love that you're able to make a convincing argument and hold your ground, no matter what the position. If Lou brought Zambrano off the bench to pinch hit in that situation, you'd find a way to argue that position. If he left Hill in to execute a suicide squeeze, then that would have been the right move. It takes talent to pull that off.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Most major league managers would not pinch hit a right handed catcher for a right handed catcher against a right handed pitcher in the seventh inning of a one run game with the bases loaded while a perfectly serviceable (at worst) left handed hitter is available. Period. It doesn't happen. You might disagree with the move, but you cannot, in good conscience pretend that this isn't the gold standard move for ANY major league manager.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pssst. Koyie Hill is a switch hitter. He would have hit lefty in that situation. So, Lou wasn't trying to pull some sort of "handedness" move in this situation. He was just trying to get *a better hitter* to the plate. And you can't tell me that the gold standard for ANY major league manager is to burn two players to make one move. If all things were equal, you could make the argument that bringing in Colvin to face Blanton was a good decision -- and I could agree with you. However, that wasn't the case. Lou essentially used two players for one AB when a pretty good hitting catcher was on the bench and he could have made a one-for-one swap. You can argue all you want that this was the most pivotal moment of the game and Tyler Colvin was the best option in that situation (although...that's pretty funny when you think about it), but you have to manage your bench wisely. Using Colvin when Soto was available was completely unnecessary. Take out your light-hitting backup catcher, replace him with your good hitting starting catcher. Because...if you pinch hit Hill with someone else, you have to bring Soto in anyway. It's so simple and yet Lou has to make it complicated -- it's like how he feels the need to double switch every time he makes a pitching change late in the game. He's over-managing.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Most major league managers, if given the choice between 2 bad right handers or one AWFUL left hander to bring in to face Utley, Howard and Ibanez, would choose the awful left hander. This is fact. It's remotely possible that if there was a really really good right hander available, a manager might not bring in the lefty, but Lou didn't have that choice.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So...I could bring in Carlos Zambrano to face the heart of the Phillies order...or John Grabow. Gosh...that's a tough decision. I promise you -- nobody would have been calling for Lou's head if he used Zambrano in that situation over Grabow. Nobody who has been paying attention gives a fuck that Grabow throws with his left hand -- because he has sucked complete ass no matter what the situation. Zambrano started the season shaky, but you've probably noticed that he's been better out of the pen lately. His last three appearances, he's held opponents to a .111/.200/.222 line. He has also been one of our most dependable pitchers over the last 7+ years.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->you are on extremely shaky ground<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Anyone who can argue putting Grabow in to face the heart of the Phillies' order in the 8th inning of a tie game is rewriting the very definition of "shaky ground."
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Most major league managers would not pinch hit a right handed catcher for a right handed catcher against a right handed pitcher in the seventh inning of a one run game with the bases loaded while a perfectly serviceable (at worst) left handed hitter is available. Period. It doesn't happen. You might disagree with the move, but you cannot, in good conscience pretend that this isn't the gold standard move for ANY major league manager.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pssst. Koyie Hill is a switch hitter. He would have hit lefty in that situation. So, Lou wasn't trying to pull some sort of "handedness" move in this situation. He was just trying to get *a better hitter* to the plate. And you can't tell me that the gold standard for ANY major league manager is to burn two players to make one move. If all things were equal, you could make the argument that bringing in Colvin to face Blanton was a good decision -- and I could agree with you. However, that wasn't the case. Lou essentially used two players for one AB when a pretty good hitting catcher was on the bench and he could have made a one-for-one swap. You can argue all you want that this was the most pivotal moment of the game and Tyler Colvin was the best option in that situation (although...that's pretty funny when you think about it), but you have to manage your bench wisely. Using Colvin when Soto was available was completely unnecessary. Take out your light-hitting backup catcher, replace him with your good hitting starting catcher. Because...if you pinch hit Hill with someone else, you have to bring Soto in anyway. It's so simple and yet Lou has to make it complicated -- it's like how he feels the need to double switch every time he makes a pitching change late in the game. He's over-managing.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Most major league managers, if given the choice between 2 bad right handers or one AWFUL left hander to bring in to face Utley, Howard and Ibanez, would choose the awful left hander. This is fact. It's remotely possible that if there was a really really good right hander available, a manager might not bring in the lefty, but Lou didn't have that choice.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So...I could bring in Carlos Zambrano to face the heart of the Phillies order...or John Grabow. Gosh...that's a tough decision. I promise you -- nobody would have been calling for Lou's head if he used Zambrano in that situation over Grabow. Nobody who has been paying attention gives a fuck that Grabow throws with his left hand -- because he has sucked complete ass no matter what the situation. Zambrano started the season shaky, but you've probably noticed that he's been better out of the pen lately. His last three appearances, he's held opponents to a .111/.200/.222 line. He has also been one of our most dependable pitchers over the last 7+ years.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->you are on extremely shaky ground<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Anyone who can argue putting Grabow in to face the heart of the Phillies' order in the 8th inning of a tie game is rewriting the very definition of "shaky ground."