We've already got a LOOGY

by b_duardo on Jun 22, 2009 3:56 PM EDT

and his name ain't Lurch and the Hendricksons

Sherrill, the man of flat caps and big backs, has just been filling in this last year and a half. Closing is not his destiny. His destiny is Big Macs and punching out lefty batters. Just enough action so that his arteries don't congeal. But not too much that he drops dead out on the mound.

Necessity makes the perfect excuse to ease Georgie-boy into his future role. He is sick against left-handers. And when we need an out DD should use him. Then when it comes time to closing, you go with whomever is rested and available of JJ, Baez or Sherrill. (Unfortunately I don't think Ray is going to be ready for the deep end this year. Best keep him in the kiddie pool)

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The answer is Baez

vs. Left 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18.0 11 - - 2 6 13 - 0.94 .175

or JJ

vs. Left 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17.1 10 - - 1 9 12 - 1.10 .172

" I'm happy to announce that we've made Adam Jones our 4th and 5th starting pitcher as well as bench coach and team chaplain" - peter_angelos 8:04 AM May 14th from digsby

"Matt Wieters Adopted Mark Texiera's Parents Because He Felt They Needed A Son To Be Proud Of."

by getxstoked on Jun 22, 2009 5:49 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah that's all fine in theory

Regardless of you or I think of the idea of closers, it is considered the most important position in the bullpen. George Sherrill has been pitching amazingly, and to “demote” him into a LOOGY is unthinkable. It would never happen, and I don’t think it should.

I think the real answer is tossing out this idea that lefties have to face lefties and righties have to face righties and just going with the best pitcher available.

I will lead these Peoples to the promised land, also known as "Slightly Ahead of the Blue Jays." ~WietersRunDry

by Stacey on Jun 22, 2009 7:59 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

With Regard, You Are Right I Do Think The Idea of Closers is a Contrived Philosophy

foisted upon the league in the late eighties. Personally I think you pitch to matchups. It just happens that lefties generally pitch better to lefties. But in this day and age there is no reason to use generalizations, a manager should be able to have numbers crunched for him instantaneously with each projected matchup.

But demotion was your word. I guess that is why you quoted it.
I want george sherrill to be available in the most crucial moments of a game should they arise. He is our best guy to get a lefty out as the stats attest. Baez and Johnson are also good choices. The rest of the bunch, not so much.

by b_duardo on Jun 22, 2009 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions

it's all eckersley's fault

It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez

by zknower on Jun 23, 2009 12:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Scored tied with men on in the seventh seems more crucial to me than being three runs up in the ninth.

by b_duardo on Jun 22, 2009 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions

dude you don't have to tell me

Tell it to whoever decided to anoint one inning closer all across baseball.

I will lead these Peoples to the promised land, also known as "Slightly Ahead of the Blue Jays." ~WietersRunDry

by Stacey on Jun 23, 2009 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions

The need for all

the “roles” we see in baseball now is based on agents and contracts, IMO. Players feel the need to receive similar compensation to other players with similar skill sets. These skill sets have been given labels such as LOOGY, utility man, closer, ace, etc. With so many players in the MLB and MiLB, it makes it easier to identify players and pay them “accordingly”…

by sickuvitall on Jun 23, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Clearly, the widespread idea of always using your closer in the 9th is garbage

Since that’s often not the most high pressure, high leverage situation in a game…and if your closer is, presumably, your best reliever, he should be in for such situations. I think it probably is true that agents and contracts lead to that—ie, “closers” want saves for contract time, so they want the 9th…and probably also that most managers are inherently conservative and afraid to try anything out of the box. If they use the tried-and-true methods—even if they’re fundamentally flawed—and they don’t work, they can just say, welp I did what everyone else would have done.

It does seem like people within baseball are finally coming around to the foolishness of the saves category (case in point: little market for Sherrill last summer because people weren’t swayed by his saves numbers alone), so maybe this will change.

by U2boy417 on Jun 24, 2009 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions