Let the Man Pitch! · 20 October, 01:08 PM
I have to echo James Robertson’s comment about pitching changes. We’ve now seen every playoff team blow a game due to a reliever blowing up. As a Rockies fan, it was extremely frustrating to see blown saves sink the Rockies in the playoffs this year.
I don’t think managers realize that there’s risk in switching out pitchers and that pitchers generally aren’t effective coming in to face a single batter. Yet I still see criticism like Dan Rosenheck asking Why Was Cliff Lee Pitching So Late?. Lee was at about 120 pitches at the end of the 8th inning, so my only question was why he took an at bat in the bottom of the 8th if he didn’t pitch the 9th. All I can figure is that Charlie Manuel had a change of heart about pitching the 9th. To me, Manuel managed Lee perfectly: Lee was having a great game, the Phillies middle relief has been suspect, why take him out?
— Gordon Weakliem
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