Let's second guess Diamond Dave some more!

by silverstadium on May 14, 2008 10:53 AM EDT Comment 10 comments

We've taken plenty of time to beat DD's poor bullpen management to death, but I don't think we should let his decisions slide just because we managed to eke out the win last night.

First (maybe) bad decision: Leaving Guts in to start the 7th with 107 pitches under his belt. (Wasn't our last argument also about leaving him in too long?) He proceeds to give up two hits before being pulled. Here's a FanShot I posted the other day with a handy chart detailing how a pitcher gets worse and worse the more pitches he throws. One argument why this is the case is because not only is he tiring, but he's going through the order a second, third, and fourth time and the batters are catching onto him. Note that Guts came back in the 7th to face the top of the order for the 4th time.

This one is a tough call. Guthrie has pitched well against the Sox in the past and he was having a tremendous game. Last time we were arguing he had another 10 or so pitches under his belt and he was just having a decent game. This time he had a 7:1 K:BB ratio in 6 IP. I think this was truly a toss-up decision, even though the chart indicates that the average pitcher has a significantly higher BA, OBP, and SLG against.

Second (clearly) bad decision: Bringing in Walker to face Ortiz. Duh. Ortiz now has a career line of .438/.471/1.000 in 16 ABs vs. Walker. JW has been terrible lately. Why oh why oh why?

All I have to say is thank God for Jim Johnson. I can't say that his strand rate and K:BB ratio give me much comfort, but man did he come up big last night!

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I wouldn't have brought in Guts for the 7th

But I don’t think it was a terrible decision that he did.

But bringing in Walker was stupid. We need to either find another LOOGY, or not carry a LOOGY on the team at all. A LOOGY who can’t get that One Out is a pointless waste of a roster spot. I love the guy, but its time to put Walker on mop up duty until he gets his act together.

"Whether your name is Gehrig or Ripken, DiMaggio or Robinson, or that of some youngster who picks up his bat or puts on his glove, you are challenged by the game of baseball to do your very best day in and day out. That's all I've ever tried to do."

by spike2131 on May 14, 2008 11:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I cannot tell you

how my heart sank when I saw Jamie Walker coming into the game. I thought the game was over for sure. I hate not liking Jamie Walker!

by Stacey on May 14, 2008 11:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Diamond Dave clearly is not a student of studying past performances.

Given how horrible Walker has been, why was he in there at such a crucial point? Then to look at how Ortiz has owned the guy, it was probably a good thing Walker gave up a walk.

The O’s got lucky on this one, and Diamond Dave should get a talking to from the front office.

by drj on May 14, 2008 11:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I can't really blame him too much...

I definitely would have pulled Guts after the first hit in the seventh; especially with an offday yesterday and tomorrow. But leaving him in to start the seventh wasn’t a mistake; he was cruising up to that point and 107 pitches is not the end of the world.

As for bringing in Walker; he has sucked recently, but he’s our lefty specialist. If you aren’t willing to use him against a big hitting lefty, then he shouldn’t be on the team.

I guess the only problem I have is if he only had Walker warmed up with a righty being the second batter of the inning.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on May 14, 2008 12:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was OK with him coming in

But I thought he should have been pulled if the first hitter reached especially since JJ was already warming up before the inning started.

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on May 14, 2008 12:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

btw, I'm referring to Guts starting the inning not Walker

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on May 14, 2008 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

for those who were ok with the move

Ortiz lifetime against Walker (http://www.thebaseballcube.com/statistics/head2head.asp?B=ortid001&P=walkj001)

AVG: .437
SLG: 1.000
AB: 16
H: 7
HR: 3

Not sure how anyone can say this is an acceptable match up in that high leverage situation.

by drj on May 14, 2008 2:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Compare that to Ortiz vs Chad Bradford

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/statistics/head2head.asp?B=ortid001&P=bradc001

2 AB
1 K
1 GIDP

Small sample size, but, still, an obviously better choice…

by spike2131 on May 14, 2008 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dave is a sucker for the L-R shit

Shit which is often taken too far.

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on May 14, 2008 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Word Booty

When a batter crushes a pitcher the way Ortiz does Walker, it’s simply an inexcusable mistake. This is like the game when we started Albers and Trembley stated before the game that he was unaware Albers had started a bunch of games for Houston last season until that night. I mean what the fuck is this? The George W. Bush approach to ballclub management where the dude in charge doesn’t care much for reading shit and prefers people to tell it to him in passing instead?

by Jonny Pops on May 14, 2008 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs