Comments on: A question about conventional wisdom

By: Hot links: sports sports sports - World of B

Hot links: sports sports sports - World of B — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:10:36 +0000

[…] links that help explain my disdain for Gardenhire’s near-unrivaled managerial idiocy: his decision to leave a well-rested Nathan on the bench during last weekend’s extra innings affair. Please, someone, justify how this makes sense. […]

By: Stone

Stone — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:42:08 +0000

This was very interesting reading…

I was at this game, as well as Saturday’s game –

We shouldn’t even be concerned about the pitching decision…it should have NEVER come down to that–Twins should have won it in nine! (Nathan Save)

If Mike Lamb could field a SIMPLE ground ball, throw to second and on to first for a double play none of you would be discussing the pitching issue.

The inning would have ended at 5-2, Delmon wouldn’t have booted the ball in left field, and Blackburn (twins best starting pitcher thus far) would have pitched longer and re’cd another win!

I blame the whole loss on a Mike Lamb “boot” - heck, I could have made that play!!

By: Confused

Confused — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:52:29 +0000

I don’t see that anyone has brought this up…but why couldn’t Blackburn go back out for the 7th inning? He wasn’t using many pitches after the Rangers tied it up in the 3rd and probably could have gotten through the 7th without going much over the magic 100 mark (he was at 90).

This is another angle I’m surprised no one is mentioning since it would have pushed the relievers back an inning and would have given the Twins another chance to score before Rincon was put in to lose the game for us. I too stopped watching when they put him in since I knew that is our way of waving the white flag.

By: burnsyfan

burnsyfan — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:37:48 +0000

Gardy blew it on the Rincon over Nathan call…maybe they can trade him midseason…then Juanee would be gonee.

By: BC Beneke

BC Beneke — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:36:54 +0000

In a situation like that you always have to worry about getting beat with your best! Not your 8th best.

It’s the extra innings and one run will win the game, you bring in your best pitcher, and work your way down the list from best to worst. End of conversation. Gardy Screwed the pooch, and thought it was Punto.

By: B Dubz

B Dubz — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:47:22 +0000

You have to put your elite stopper to get the win. Nathan has pitched 2 innings in the past and has excelled. Baseball people have to get past the “closer” moniker and more appropriately use the word “stopper.”

Example, Borowski of CLE led the league in saves (closing) but is certainly NOT a “stopper.” What’s more important–Nathan’s save numbers or the number of team W’s?

There’s very little “non-conventional” thinking in baseball. It only seems that way because someone is coming up with new ways to crunch statistics every year. In practice, not much is changing. You’ll see Milwaukee or St. Louis bat the pitcher 8th sometimes, but I don’t see any outside-the-box thinking in baseball.