ALDS Takeaways, Part 3: Rocco Baldelli and His Security Blankets

I would have used Duffy the same way I did during the season. I say this even though I was concerned he might revert to his "deer in the headlights" look of previous years. But he had earned the chance this year, and one has to have someone to fill that spot. On this team that was him. As for Dobnak and Littel? No way that Dobnak starts in NY. FB v GB ratio be damned. He had no chance in those bright lights. Put him in the friendly confines of Target Field. Zach Littel was not the man for that slot either. May preferably and Romo if I didn't trust May. But that screws up the game in later innings.

We have had the "analitics" shoved down our throats all year. Tell me that Baldelli DIDN'T know that Duffey was a ragdoll in back to back games. Inexperienced or not the information was there for him to know NOT to use Duffey in game 2.

I wasn't so concerned with who Baldelli brought in as much as I was concerned with when they were brought in. I am rock solid in my belief that all three starters were yanked too soon.

We have now seen the nationals starters pitch 21.2 innings in three starts. Each pitcher threw +100 pitches in their starts for a total of 305 pitches. Compare that to the Twins. 11 innings and 213 pitches. We are not the Yankees, but we tried to play the Yankees game.

Berrios in game one. Not being hit hard, but some mental and physical errors led to three runs. If anything, it seemed like he had settled in. He was still throwing +95 on the radar gun, which seems to be the measure of whether or not Berrios is doing well or not.

Dobnak had a rough first inning, but didn't get a couple of calls in the third inning and had been very good in such situations throughout his 'short' career as was mentioned by John Smoltz. (BTW, I am normally irritated by most former ball player hired as color guys because they tend to make overly dramatic, polarizing statements about players, but I though Smoltz was so good that I wanted the Twins to hire him to help with the pitching staff.) I just wanted Dobnak to face one more batter to see if he would continue his success in such situations. The game certainly was not out of hand at that point, but Duffey assured that it would be after a few more pitches. I won't fight to the death on this one, but I still think it was too early.

Odorizzi was the most baffling as he seemed to be cruising. Only 82 pitches and he gets the hook? (I honestly don't think it would have mattered by the third game because the Twins were completely humiliated by that game, but still, I'd like to think the team would somehow rise up and start fighting back.)

Also, I agree with rv78. It seems that the analytics so heavily vetted during the season, suddenly was of little importance to Baldelli. I'm not sure why. I'll put it down to first playoffs jitters.

Second guessing and 20-20 hindsight aside, these are supposed to be major league pitchers. They are supposed to get hitters out.

Its not on Rocco what happened. The guys he called upon didn't do the job.

But I agree that he was managing like these were regular season games and he had a lot of games to play.

In the playoffs, you win the game you are in and worry about tomorrow when it comes. Screw saving your best guys for the late innings. You can lose a game in the 5th inning as easy as the 9th. If you get down 5 runs by going to your middle relievers, its too late. 

My second guessing goes like this: I would have said "YES" if he had brought Taylor in in the 5th or 6th. Get 2 good innings in, and now you only have a couple innings to go for May, Duff, Romo etc. And you are still in the game. Taylor keeps you close. But then, what if he got shelled? Again, it comes down to the pitchers need to get guys out. Rocco ain't throwing off the mound, 

But hey, Rocco did great this year. I'm happy with him. 

I very much appreciate how well-written and persuasive this piece is, so thank you, Matthew.

During the games, my thoughts about every one of these decisions were aligned with this criticism, none more than the decisions regarding Littell, Stashak, and Gibson.

Where were Jeremy Hefner and Wes Johnson? It would be interesting to have a better understanding regarding their input in these decisions. The bottom line is that we have to hope that those two learn from the experience as much as Rocco does.

Are we really suggesting that we would have won if not for Rocco's moves?   I would say if we are playing the blame game we need to really branch out here.  I cannot believe Rocco's moves are still something people want to moan about.

We were not good enough.  Period.  Can we just cop to that and move forward?

I could line up five of the most active complainers about these moves and plug them in for Rocco and it wouldn't have made a blessed difference.  This team lost once the Yankees took the lead in game one.  This team did not deal with adversity.  At all.

If Rocco deserves criticism it should be more about the culture that seems to dictate whatever happened in the playoff was OK.  We already had a great year.  This is a common theme with this team.  Last time we were in a series and got swept Michael Cuddyer proclaimed it a "successful season"

Ummmm.  Sorry, not quite.  Not when you never had a chance and this team never had a chance.