Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Garner
Specialized pitching has completely changed the way that the pitching component of a team is now managed. I do not believe that it is to the benefit of the game FWIW. Unfortunately the horse has left the barn and I don't see this trend changing any time soon...
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This is sad to me as well. If a pitcher is hot and shows no signs of diminishing... leave him in for God's sake! I have seen so many games blown by rigid managers who have some pre-determined philosophy. Go with the flow of the game, dammit!
And why is the "closer" always saved for just the 9th inning? Anyone who really watches baseball knows that the most critical inning can be the 7th or 8th (based on how many are on base, the # of outs, who's due to bat, righty/lefty matchups, the spot in the line-up, etc.)
I have seen so many games won or lost in the 6th/7th/8th innings, in which the manager saved his "closer" for absolutely no purpose. They should play to the actual situation and critical points in the game... not some pre-scripted vision of how they think it will play out.
