Over Management vs. Trusting Aces
Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 8:59 am
Clayton Kershaw was taken out of the game after 87 pitches.
87 pitches.
The best pitcher in baseball.
Five innings.
Welcome to playoff baseball.
For those of us weaned on Koufax, Gibson, or even Lolich in the first, fourth, and seventh games of Series, it is hard to watch.
I can't even fathom a Manager approaching Gibson about taking him out after five innings
The move turned out alright. The Dodgers won the game.
Still, baseball fans are left wondering if playoff baseball is a pretense of future baseball.
Granted, Kershaw has not been even close to the best PLAYOFF pitcher in baseball.
But, how soon before we going to see starting pitchers used as a bridge to relievers as they are used during these playoffs?
It seems that every Manager has become Joe Maddon in that they cannot wait to over manage a baseball game.
As stated before, baseball is changing before our very eyes.
There were over 4,000 more home runs and strike outs this season than just three years ago.
Only one starting pitcher (Corey Kluber) averaged seven innings per start this season.
In the year 2000, almost 500 pitchers threw 120 pitches or more in a game. This year, less than 50 threw 120 pitches.
The average pitches per start falls every year.
Pitching changes take about five minutes. There is the meeting on the mound. The walk of the reliever to the mound.
The eight warmup pitches.
If even only three relievers are summoned from each side, fans have still spent a half hour of their time at the ball park, not watching a single meaningful pitch.
The trend is worse for fantasy players.
Wins have become impossible to forecast. They are more a case of being in the right place at the right time more than a well thought out plan.
Fantasy Football has been hurt and not as compelling with the advent of 'committees'.
Fantasy baseball is starting to see the same thing on the pitching side of things.
Luckily, during the regular season, a managers trick is not to overtax his bullpen.
It's a saving grace.
When Managers do not think that way, our game will be hurt.
It was refreshing to see Justin Verlander throw over 120 pitches and throw a Complete Game yesterday.
THAT is the playoff baseball I remember.
Throw your best pitcher for as long as you can throw your best pitcher.
Houston only had one Complete Game during their regular season.
It may not be the right thing in today's game. I get that. Agents own the game.
Who knows?
That may be the last time we see that phenomenon.
If so, thanks for the memory.
I had no dog in the hunt before the playoffs started.
I just wanted to watch good baseball.
The over managing from most clubs has turned me off.
It has me pulling for the Astros.
The Astros seem to have the only Manager remaining who trusts his Aces.
Resisting the inclination to show how smart he is, by calling in this reliever or that.
The other Managers have forgotten the origin of the word 'relievers'.
'Relief' is for tiring or beat up pitchers.
Not for over management.
87 pitches.
The best pitcher in baseball.
Five innings.
Welcome to playoff baseball.
For those of us weaned on Koufax, Gibson, or even Lolich in the first, fourth, and seventh games of Series, it is hard to watch.
I can't even fathom a Manager approaching Gibson about taking him out after five innings
The move turned out alright. The Dodgers won the game.
Still, baseball fans are left wondering if playoff baseball is a pretense of future baseball.
Granted, Kershaw has not been even close to the best PLAYOFF pitcher in baseball.
But, how soon before we going to see starting pitchers used as a bridge to relievers as they are used during these playoffs?
It seems that every Manager has become Joe Maddon in that they cannot wait to over manage a baseball game.
As stated before, baseball is changing before our very eyes.
There were over 4,000 more home runs and strike outs this season than just three years ago.
Only one starting pitcher (Corey Kluber) averaged seven innings per start this season.
In the year 2000, almost 500 pitchers threw 120 pitches or more in a game. This year, less than 50 threw 120 pitches.
The average pitches per start falls every year.
Pitching changes take about five minutes. There is the meeting on the mound. The walk of the reliever to the mound.
The eight warmup pitches.
If even only three relievers are summoned from each side, fans have still spent a half hour of their time at the ball park, not watching a single meaningful pitch.
The trend is worse for fantasy players.
Wins have become impossible to forecast. They are more a case of being in the right place at the right time more than a well thought out plan.
Fantasy Football has been hurt and not as compelling with the advent of 'committees'.
Fantasy baseball is starting to see the same thing on the pitching side of things.
Luckily, during the regular season, a managers trick is not to overtax his bullpen.
It's a saving grace.
When Managers do not think that way, our game will be hurt.
It was refreshing to see Justin Verlander throw over 120 pitches and throw a Complete Game yesterday.
THAT is the playoff baseball I remember.
Throw your best pitcher for as long as you can throw your best pitcher.
Houston only had one Complete Game during their regular season.
It may not be the right thing in today's game. I get that. Agents own the game.
Who knows?
That may be the last time we see that phenomenon.
If so, thanks for the memory.
I had no dog in the hunt before the playoffs started.
I just wanted to watch good baseball.
The over managing from most clubs has turned me off.
It has me pulling for the Astros.
The Astros seem to have the only Manager remaining who trusts his Aces.
Resisting the inclination to show how smart he is, by calling in this reliever or that.
The other Managers have forgotten the origin of the word 'relievers'.
'Relief' is for tiring or beat up pitchers.
Not for over management.