MLB Master Thread

[Yehuda57]

I think the average fan over rates the impact of a manager.

Most of what we have to go by is bullpen management. Girardi was infinitely better at that than his predecessor. While you can always quibble with individual decisions here and there, overall he's been excellent at not overusing or underusing pitchers.

But how can we tell how good he was with players? I'd assume he was pretty good, as the Yankees didn't under perform under him, but who can know for sure? And who is out there that you can be so certain can/will do better?

[Yankee123]

That's Mets, Yankees, Nationals, and Red Sox.

tigers. Fellow Yid Brad Ausmus.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Talk about not having any b*lls!!!
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/mlb-suspends-astros-yuli-gurriel-for-five-games-next-season-for-making-racist-gesture-at-dodgers-yu-darvish/ar-AAuatTH?li=BBnb7Kz

[Yehuda57]

Talk about not having any b*lls!!!
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/mlb-suspends-astros-yuli-gurriel-for-five-games-next-season-for-making-racist-gesture-at-dodgers-yu-darvish/ar-AAuatTH?li=BBnb7Kz

Seems like the appeals process would have kept him in the series. Doing it like this he's not going to appeal. But I think Manfred should have suspended him for the rest of the series, knowing that the appeal would keep him in.

[TimT]

How many pitches was Morton at ?

[ChaimMoskowitz]

How many pitches was Morton at ?

76?

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Great move bringing in your closer in a tie game. 

[TimT]

Great move bringing in your closer in a tie game. 

Should've stuck with Morton

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Should've stuck with Morton

Na, we are in the era of pitchers (actually managers) are wimps.

[moish]

👍

[Amusch]

Na, we are in the era of pitchers (actually managers) are wimps.

Wimps, or more aware of how quickly starters deteriorate as they get deeper into the game (not only bc of pitch count, also because of batters seeing him more often)? It's nice to make a narrative about how well each pitcher was doing when they were pulled, but it's not only about hits; there's also hard hit balls, falling behind in the count that shows that a pitcher is either tiring or getting more predictable.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Wimps, or more aware of how quickly starters deteriorate as they get deeper into the game (not only bc of pitch count, also because of batters seeing him more often)? It's nice to make a narrative about how well each pitcher was doing when they were pulled, but it's not only about hits; there's also hard hit balls, falling behind in the count that shows that a pitcher is either tiring or getting more predictable.

So which of these applies to the two starters today?

[Amusch]

Both.
Morton: Thru 5, almost all strikeouts and weak groundouts. All of a sudden in the 6th, he hits a guy, gives up a clean single, two balls hit to the OF (no Ks) and a hard hit groundball which was impressively converted into an out. Then the double in the 7th on a ball left up confirmed for Hinch what he suspected in the 6th.

Wood: Less of a sample, so I hear you there, but as soon as he hit round 3 thru the lineup, he fell behind 3-1 and left a ball right over. It could have been a bad AB for him, but he suspected that maybe he had reached his leash. I will grant you that bc of the importance of the game, he played it safe (or "wimpy") and went to his stronger arms.

This is not exactly the point I want to make, but it's similar enough: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-bullpens-took-over-modern-baseball/

[moish]

Is Peacock available tomorrow?

[jj1000]

Back to back great world series so far, baseball might actually gain some fans.

[Yehuda57]

Well, at least outside of Japan

[Barryg]

Great move bringing in your closer in a tie game. 

Referring to this?

I'm sorry, but I stand by this. He did everything he could to ruin the biggest game of his life last November, and now he completely kills his team by saving his best (and only good) relief pitcher for an inning that can never come if you use inferior pitchers!?! Can someone please explain to me why he's so smart and me, in my finite wisdom, am unable to appreciate it.

[ChaimMoskowitz]

Referring to this?

Just making a point on how easy it is to second guess any manager.

[Yehuda57]

Referring to this?

Saying the best Astros reliever is like saying the best of the yellow laffy taffies.

[Ergel]

So who you got?
Kershaw/Hill/Darvish
OR
Keuchel/Verlander/McMorton?