wsnydes

Gibson is pitching though. That means they'll be lucky to plate 2 runs.

Don't forget about that hair!

Yup, the game has become pretty boring in that aspect. Even keeping score when at a game is boring because nothing happens. It's no wonder attendance is falling.

By my accounting, all they need is two catchers, a DH, a 2B, a RF, a CF, two bench players, a manager and Cleveland to be contracted. I don't know what all of this sell talk is, they're clearly right there!

I was going to make a small sample size quip, but you beat me to the punch in a more serious form. That is quite shocking. It's hard to believe, but I just read an article the other day about the league is on pace to have a higher strike out total than total hits for the first time in the game's history. That puts things in context pretty well I suppose.

As in it matters so little that you literally can't measure it?

I know that's what I've been worried most about as well. Less concerned with the bat and even less worried about when he comes back. I'm with RB in that I think the FO pulled the plug on this season already.

Are these the same ones that you had sitting out from the other day?

Yet...

I didn't think Rogers had an option left, but I could be wrong. Hildy won't be sent down, like you said. Leaving one spot to use to rotate arms, and that spot is currently occupied by someone that's actually reliable and effective. Signing Belisle only made the bullpen more rigid.

They were basically forced into the move because they built a bullpen without a spot or two that they could rotate a few guys between the minors and the big league club. It makes for odd moves like this, especially since they apparently have no desire to part with Belisle. So they have a 40 man roster full of pitchers, but no flexibility to move them in and out of the active roster to take advantage of it. Genius.

It sucks even more when you realize that Belisle still has a job.

I'm two scotches in... you're behind!

Pathetic situational hitting.

More little things this team does poorly. Dazzle made it sound like the ball was hit to the 3B side even. If that is the case, that's even worse! The runner is right there.

I'm following on radio, why did Romero not get the runner at home? Dazzle wasn't impressed with the decision to go to 2B.

It's got to be deflating for him. He does everything he's asked to do and pitches well enough in the process to earn more time and perhaps the opportunity to be put in higher leverage spots than he's been pitching in. He seems like he's a perfect guy to bridge the game to get to Pressly or Reed or Duke. I don't get it at all.

Ghost runners!

Texas has won 5 straight, so maybe not the best time to be catching them.

Also important to note that Escobar is playing so much because of Sano and Polanco not being available. Adrianza, while starting slow, has really come on of late too filling in for Polanco. Guys that haven't been hurt aren't producing either. Dozier, Kepler and Morrison have struggled most of the season. Injuries aren't the only story for this season, that is for sure.

Fair point, indeed. However, perhaps what the "offending" player needs is to realize that by continuing to make mental errors they not only hurt the team with the error, but also by being benched for repeated offenses. By benching, you hope that that gets the point across. Short term loss for long term gain.

Thank you, I appreciate the compliment! I agree that there is some luck involved with the bullpen management, no doubt. A manager can push the right buttons for a given situation all he wants, but it still boils down to the player executing. I do think that maximizing the odds of a potential outcome to be very real however. I've mentioned putting players in a position to succeed in many other posts in other threads, this is what I'm referring to. Putting the right player in the right position to maximize their chances of succeeding - and achieving a positive result for the team because of it. One recent example of where I believe that Molitor fails at this is Lance Lynn's previous start. Molitor allows Lynn to come out for the 7th inning of a 1-0 game. I had no issue with that, I actually applaud the notion of letting the starter go deeper. Lynn gives up a leadoff triple and is allowed to continue the inning. In my view, this is where Molitor failed the first time. Lynn was running out of gas and near the end anyway. In my opinion, Lynn should have been pulled at that point. Allow a fresh arm to come in and try to work out of a tough jam. To Lynn's credit, he did get two outs. However, the first of those was a sac fly that tied the game. Could that have happened to the reliever? Absolutely, but Lynn wouldn't be on the hook for the loss either (if you care about such things). After striking out McCann, Lynn then plunks Iglesias. I believe that Molitor failed here too. I realize that Jacoby Jones wasn't lighting the world on fire, but any major league hitter can be dangerous and now the go-ahead run is on base. Lynn remains in the game and gives up a 2-run HR and now an inning that started as a 1-0 lead is now a 3-1 deficit and NOW Molitor takes out his starter. The damage had already been done. At that point, Molitor may as well have let Lynn finish the inning. These types of scenarios play out more often than what I see the Maddon's or Francona's of the world allow to happen. They have a feel for the game that tells them to stop the bleeding before it starts. If the reliever brought in gives up the lead in that scenario, then so be it. That's the luck that you mentioned. But at least the manager maximized the odds of succeeding in a late game situation.

I wouldn't say that it's being ignored. It's not by me anyway. Even from my perspective, I found his post to be very interesting. However, it talks about what managers do in game. In my case, I have issue with what he's able to get across to the players behind the scenes that result in poor fundamental play and that things aren't corrected. You can argue that these things should have been addressed in the minors or in high school (which I agree with), however fact of the matter is that they are not or have not been effectively anyway. That leaves the big league guy to get things sorted out. I agree that the managers role is shrinking in game. As for the portion of the bullpen usage, I didn't interpret it to take into account when relievers are used or when they're brought in or pulled. That's my primary issue. I think he overuses a couple of guys and doesn't use his entire pen efficiently though too. He doesn't seem to have a feel for it. He too often leaves a guy in, whether it be a starter or reliever, until after the damage is done. The next guy is brought in to stop the bleeding instead of trying to avoid the puncture wound in the first place. I also agree with jimmer in that the most common complaint on fanboards is probably about bullpen management. I acknowledge that it is not easy and there is some art to it. But that's why a big league manager "makes the big bucks." Bullpen management is probably the most important aspect of a managers role in a game these days. It stands to reason that that is what people are going to zero in on. And people are going to have differing opinions on how it's done.

It's not that these things happen just once. Things happen, mistakes get made. That's not on Molitor. It's when they're repeated over and over again that I look at the manager and wonder why it hasn't been corrected.

So simple. Why are these so hard to accomplish? I mean, five easy steps! Nothing to it!