2011 MLB Season Discussion
- Thread starter tomalak301
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My wife and I were talking about this last night. Why are the starting pitching matchups announced well in advance for big series and the playoffs?
How come before a big Game 5 of an LCS, you couldn't have a power righty and finesse lefty warming up until right until the lineup cards are exchanged to mess with the other team?
How come before a big Game 5 of an LCS, you couldn't have a power righty and finesse lefty warming up until right until the lineup cards are exchanged to mess with the other team?
I'd imagine that because of trying to keep pitchers on the 'right' amount of rest, it's usually fairly obvious who's going to start anyway? Doesn't buy you a lot anyway, as it would only be a shock for one pitch, then it doesn't matter after that.
Even if you HAD two pitchers ready to go for Game 5 in your example, you'd be choosing between throwing your #1 pitcher (the obvious choice), bringing back the #2 guy on short rest (not really desireable, as isn't the #1 guy better anyway?), or what? Going with the #5 guy that hasn't pitched in the series (and you wouldn't likely carry the 5th starter on the playoff roster anyway, unless someone else in the rotation got hurt), or deciding to throw your long reliever in Game 5?
Not really many good choices there.
Baseball isn't really about shock value or trick plays, it's a long grind. In a regular season game, you're going going to screw up your entire rotation for the better part of a week to try and win one game, not worth the effort. In the playoffs, you usually just put your best guy out there and try to ride him out. A fan might be shocked, but the players can hit righties and lefties, and would get over it quickly. Not fundamentally different. Not like they suddenly came out in the Wildcat formation and you have no defense against it or anything...
How would it work, anyway? If you're the home team, you could be warming up your top two starters (assuming one leftie and one rightie), and then choose then, but after the first batter, the other team can send up whoever they want, because no one has appeared in a game yet, right? Not sure it counts as a pinch hit appearance (thus losing the other guy from the game) if they haven't gone out onto the field yet, lineup card or no. Maybe I'm wrong there. Either way, only way the othe team changes the lineup is if your pitcher is terrible against lefites (or righties), and you want to load up. Probably don't want to start someone like that anyway.
As the away team, guess the home team has to field their roster first (although same question about whether the lineup card is official, meaning you have to announce the pitcher), but if there's a huge split, they could still sub people out as they come up to bat.
Just seems like a lot of effort for no real gain, and you risk hurting your pitching situation for the rest of the week (or series). Heck, you don't even NEED a starting pitcher, you could just go with all relievers and play matchups, using the starters for a couple innings as you go, but if you made it to the playoffs, it was because they were reliable and consistent, so why not let them keep doing that?
Even if you HAD two pitchers ready to go for Game 5 in your example, you'd be choosing between throwing your #1 pitcher (the obvious choice), bringing back the #2 guy on short rest (not really desireable, as isn't the #1 guy better anyway?), or what? Going with the #5 guy that hasn't pitched in the series (and you wouldn't likely carry the 5th starter on the playoff roster anyway, unless someone else in the rotation got hurt), or deciding to throw your long reliever in Game 5?
Not really many good choices there.
Baseball isn't really about shock value or trick plays, it's a long grind. In a regular season game, you're going going to screw up your entire rotation for the better part of a week to try and win one game, not worth the effort. In the playoffs, you usually just put your best guy out there and try to ride him out. A fan might be shocked, but the players can hit righties and lefties, and would get over it quickly. Not fundamentally different. Not like they suddenly came out in the Wildcat formation and you have no defense against it or anything...
How would it work, anyway? If you're the home team, you could be warming up your top two starters (assuming one leftie and one rightie), and then choose then, but after the first batter, the other team can send up whoever they want, because no one has appeared in a game yet, right? Not sure it counts as a pinch hit appearance (thus losing the other guy from the game) if they haven't gone out onto the field yet, lineup card or no. Maybe I'm wrong there. Either way, only way the othe team changes the lineup is if your pitcher is terrible against lefites (or righties), and you want to load up. Probably don't want to start someone like that anyway.
As the away team, guess the home team has to field their roster first (although same question about whether the lineup card is official, meaning you have to announce the pitcher), but if there's a huge split, they could still sub people out as they come up to bat.
Just seems like a lot of effort for no real gain, and you risk hurting your pitching situation for the rest of the week (or series). Heck, you don't even NEED a starting pitcher, you could just go with all relievers and play matchups, using the starters for a couple innings as you go, but if you made it to the playoffs, it was because they were reliable and consistent, so why not let them keep doing that?
I'm trying to be positive and think the Giants will turn it around, but I'm losing hope, fast. Yes we have 1 more month, but the Giants don't hit at all and Arizona is on a tear that's pretty much clinching them the NL West. It's very frustrating to watch this Giants team that looks so anemic at the plate. Don't know what to say other than that these days.
Jeez! I think Kirk Gibson and Kevin Towers need to win Manager of the Year and GM of the Year.
It's hard to think that the D-Backs are on pace to get 92 wins this year after losing 97 games last year!
Diamondbacks magic number: 21
It's hard to think that the D-Backs are on pace to get 92 wins this year after losing 97 games last year!
Diamondbacks magic number: 21
Yes, it definitely counts. Once you're on the lineup card and it gets submitted to the umpire, it's official. Any subs after that point, even before one single pitch is thrown, burns the dude on the lineup card and makes him unavailable for the rest of the game.
That's happened at least once this year. A manager made a mistake on the lineup card and then sent the wrong guy to the plate to bat. That counted as a substitution, and the dude on the card became unavailable the rest of the game.
Still not sure why it really would be effective, though. In the playoffs, you're playing your best 9 for the most part, not going to the 25th man to get some matchup off the bench, unless the numbers are crazy, in which case you'd sub the guy in anyway. It's a slow, deliberate game; shock value and surprise really isn't a factor, just performance.
Even better (and more meaningful) stat:
1. Boston 82-51 (0 GB)
2. New York 79-52 (2 GB)
Even better stat:
Yankees defeated the Red Sox, 5-2
1. Boston 82-52
2. New York 81-52(.5 GB)
Run differential now 198.
RAMA
Even better...
Red Sox defeated the Yankees, 9-5
1. Boston 83-52
2. New York 81-53(1.5 GB)
Josh Beckett, David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jason Varitek say good day, and I'm sure they can't wait for AJ Burnett tomorrow.
Not who I'd imagine you want on the hill in batting practice.
Fixed it for you.
Which he should really be thankful for because it really could have been a lot worse for him considering the way he was pitching. The Yankees left a lot of men on base last night and I get the impression that it would have been worse for Lester if a more experienced player than Jesus Montero was in the game (Montero stranded six last night).
Anyways, hopefully these last three games have put to rest the stats comparisons that have been going on lately. Both teams are good and this is going to go down to the wire.
Too right. I was there for all three of those games. People were leaving early in droves, even last night. Some of them were keeling over during Sweet Caroline.
Too right. I was there for all three of those games. People were leaving early in droves, even last night. Some of them were keeling over during Sweet Caroline.
Word has it that last nights game clocked in at 4:21
i think I read that the first game in the series passed the four hour mark as well.
