2012 Playoff Prime Cuts Rated Rookie Starling Marte Auto /25
Late post tonight as I was watching a great game between the Pirates and Reds. The Reds got the best of the Bucs tonight 6-5 as Jason Grilli gave up a 9th inning homer to Todd Frazier. You would figure with all the advanced statistics that managers would get away from having defined roles for bullpen guys. Grilli has struggled with command this year, yet we throw him out there in every high leverage situation. I think it must be some combination of salary, loyalty and 30 years of managers doing it the same way. I just hate that we have to use the "closer" guy in the 9th no matter what. Managers will make 2 or 3 pitching changes in the 7th and 8th, but only one guys is allowed to pitch the 9th. End of rant.
It has been a good couple of weeks for receiving redemption cards. I posted about the Gerrit Cole I received from Topps last week, now Panini has come through. I redeemed this card around 8 months back. The card itself is pretty plain, but it is a nice low numbered auto so beggars can't be choosers. This will go nice with the McCutchen auto I have from this set /25 as well.
Not sure if I'll get around to posting tomorrow as I'm heading to Pittsburgh for the game. Hopefully we'll have some better results.
Thanks for reading.
Even being a fan of Mo Rivera for so long, the role of the closer just makes no sense the more I think about it. I'd rather see my best reliever (often the closer) in a high leverage situation, like bases loaded in the 7th, rather than starting with a clean slate and 3 run lead in the 9th. It kind of makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteIt would be cool if saves were given out based on actually "saving" a situation, or I guess what accounts to the modern day "hold'. Often the hold is a lot more difficult than the save. I just get so annoyed when Girardi (or any manager) brings in a crappy reliever in the 6th or 7th in a key moment because he's saving the set up man for the 8th and closer for the 9th.
End of my own rant.
I couldn't agree with you more. For lack of a better example I would rather have Aroldis Chapman pitch to Marte and McCutchen instead Jordy Mercer and a pinch hitter. The game has advanced so much, but for some reason managers can't bring themselves to cut ties with defined roles.
DeleteIt's funny because originally the closer wasn't like that. Look at Dennis Eckersley, he was used way more then just the ninth inning. I agree put your best guy out there when you need it most. Melancon has been great this year he needed to be out there.
ReplyDeleteThe thing with Melanco is that he is better suited for the power guys. He doesn't give up homeruns. I'm a big fan of Tony Watson too.
DeleteI think back to the days in the early 1980s -- Gossage, Fingers, Sutter, etc. -- who were used for two or three innings at a time. Eckersley actually pretty close to the beginning of the trend, I think, of using closers only when winning in a "save situation."
ReplyDeleteThe bullpens are so specialized now. The only time you see multiple innings are blowout games.
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