You're damned if you do ...
May 7 in Arizona: The Phillies have a runner on second with no outs in the top of the seventh inning. The Phillies trail 2-1. Freddy Garcia is ready to hit. In six innings, he had allowed five hits, two runs and no walks. He has struck out two and thrown just 72 pitches. He has pitched better than he has all season. But Charlie Manuel has Jayson Werth pinch-hit for Garcia. Werth walks and the tying run eventually scores. But Antonio Alfonseca and Francisco Rosario each allow a run in the seventh and eighth innings and the Phillies lose, 4-3.
"Once we had the guy on second with nobody out, I felt like it was time for us to try to win the game," Manuel said that night. "If there were guys on first and second he would have bunted. If there was a guy on first he would have bunted."
I wrote then that I had no problem with Manuel's decision. I thought he made the correct one. I still do.
Of course, Manuel took heat for it.
You're damned if you don't ...
Last night at Citizens Bank Park: The Phillies have the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Phillies trail, 3-0. It's Garcia's turn to hit and this time Manuel lets him. Not covering the game last night, but watching the game on TV (yes, I actually spent my time away from the ballpark watching baseball), I said, "Don't you have to hit for Garcia here?" (I wasn't the only one thinking that.) Doug Davis had been cruising to that point, and I couldn't help but think that this might be their last chance to score off him. But then once I saw Garcia step to the plate I thought, "Well, it is the fifth inning. Do you really want to have the bullpen try to keep the score close through the next four innings?" Manuel must have been feeling the same way.
Garcia bounced into a double play on the first pitch and ended the threat. Garcia pitched three more scoreless innings, Ryan Madson gave up two runs in the ninth and the Phillies lost, 5-4.
I thought Manuel made the right call in Arizona. I'm not so sure about last night.
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The Phillies Report is back. It's a feature that runs on Page 2 every Tuesday in The Inquirer. After listening to people moan about the abuse Brett Myers has received from the bullpen, I decided to research it. You know, compare Myers to how other top-flight closers have been used over the years.
Guess what? Myers hasn't been abused.
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Jimmy Rollins is a hard working man.
Comments (4)
Funny, all I've been thinking about the previous 2 or 3 times Garcia has pitched is the fit he threw in the papers a few weeks ago. He sort of has Manuel over a barrell; you want the guy the ride out the rest of the year to the best of his (diminished) abilities and not go into some petulant slide which it seems he's more and more capable of doing, but you also need to do what's best for the team. I'm not there in the clubhouse or see guys up close on the bench, but I picture Freddy off to the side, marking days on the calendar.
Great job, by the way, on the blog.
Posted by john in LA | May 29, 2007 11:07 AM
Posted on May 29, 2007 11:07
Todd, I was at the stadium last night, I was thinking right off the bat, (no pun intended) that you have to hit for Garcia in that situation. Garcia did pitch well enough to keep the Phillies in the ballgame but his control wasn't the greatest and I would have pulled him for sure for Pat Burrell there. I couldn't believe that in that close of a game that you hit with the pitcher with only 1 out there. It was a no brainer, I even consulted with my Mrs. on this one and she agreed.
The Phils are gun shy about bringing in relievers, that is for sure. I am sure that Manuel would have liked to batted for Garcia, but his faith in the relief staff is not there.
Posted by Rich Baxter | May 29, 2007 12:59 PM
Posted on May 29, 2007 12:59
I was with Charlie all the way, other than letting him swing away. I would have preferred a bunt to move the runners, with the top of the lineup coming behind him. No way would I have hit for him, he was pitching a decent game, and if I had the bullpen he had, why would I lift him?
He takes a lot of heat for his moves but he has no faith in his pen, which cause him to do some strange things in these situations. And Ryan "please get hurt again" Madson proves my point. If we are gonna continue to lose games out of the pen, let's bring the staff from Ottawa and Reading up, they can't be any worse than the stiffs he has to choose from now.
Posted by jimmy mack | May 29, 2007 4:08 PM
Posted on May 29, 2007 16:08
Todd, I enjoy reading your work. I do have one question though regarding the statement about the abuse that Brett Myers has taken. How many of the closers that you researched had been the number one starter to begin the season? While I'm unsure of the proper adjustment time to go to the bullpen, I just don't believe that Myers was used properly. The fact that he was once a starter should not be an exuse to pitch him two innings at a time or in games when there is no save situation.
Posted by Cody Rhoads | May 29, 2007 4:35 PM
Posted on May 29, 2007 16:35