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Sunday, October 10, 2004 |
Pickoff Moves
Newsflash: Yankees Not Guaranteed To Win It All, Fans Panic
When you read garbage like this, it's simply beyond comprehension:The fact that we did not know who was going to start Game 3 of the ALDS against the Twins until right before Game 2 at Yankee Stadium says everything about the state of the Yankees' pitching staff. And manager Joe Torre was not trying some gamesmanship about his starter or trying to keep the Twins guessing, he just simply had no idea who that starter was going to be.The Yanks have a critical weakness that might cause them to flounder at the gates of the World Series? Bestill my beating heart! Seriously, no wonder Boston fans want to strangle Derek "The Best Ever?" Jeter, all his obscenely paid teammates, and the entire eastern sporting press. (Thanks to Baseball Primer for the links.)... General manager Brian Cashman made a pretty good argument this past spring training. He said he would rather have five good right-handers than force a lefty into the mix just because he is a lefty. That in itself is true, but in reality, a team with the financial wherewithal of the Yankees, should not, under any circumstances be caught without a southpaw.
Into Hibernation Goes Batgirl
So distraught was Batgirl, she's going into "hybernation" [sic]. We'll miss you.Sheehan Wallops Scioscia
Everybody is treating Scioscia's decision to go to Washburn in Game 3 as though it were life and death, including Joe Sheehan, someone I frequently agree with. He says, "I guess what I'm saying is that I'd rather have Rodriguez or Percival facing Ortiz than Washburn, and for the last three years, Scioscia had made that same decision." However, I have to ask myself this question: would Percival have been any more effective? Both are flyball pitchers, sure death at Fenway; may as well take the left-handed poison.
Comments:
Of course Percival was the way to go:
vs. LHP:
Percival- .218
Washburn- .225
Post All-Star ERA:
Percival- 1.67
Washburn- 4.69
Career vs Ortiz:
Percival- 1 for 10, 4 K
Washburn- 3 for 7, 0 K
But he most compelling reason to use Percival in that situation is because IT'S HIS JOB. It's why he was on the roster- get late inning outs in pressure situations. For all of Scioscia’s talk of making this series “a battle of the bullpens”, he sure didn’t follow through. Percival didn’t throw a pitch- the team’s second biggest asset in the bullpen didn’t even make an appearance.
I'm not saying that Mike's decision single-handedly lost us the game or series (no, the Angels were so bad throughout that they deserved to be swept), but it was a boneheaded move, and he should be called on it.
vs. LHP:
Percival- .218
Washburn- .225
Post All-Star ERA:
Percival- 1.67
Washburn- 4.69
Career vs Ortiz:
Percival- 1 for 10, 4 K
Washburn- 3 for 7, 0 K
But he most compelling reason to use Percival in that situation is because IT'S HIS JOB. It's why he was on the roster- get late inning outs in pressure situations. For all of Scioscia’s talk of making this series “a battle of the bullpens”, he sure didn’t follow through. Percival didn’t throw a pitch- the team’s second biggest asset in the bullpen didn’t even make an appearance.
I'm not saying that Mike's decision single-handedly lost us the game or series (no, the Angels were so bad throughout that they deserved to be swept), but it was a boneheaded move, and he should be called on it.
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