There are many reasons factoring into the Braves' sub-.500 play to start the young season. The offense isn't clicking yet, the relief pitching has been subpar, and a few unlucky breaks here and there swings a close game to the opposing team (all losses by 1 run). But 3 losses to the Nationals and Pirates? Are there underlying reasons not indicated by stats that could be affecting the Braves' poor play? I say so, and I think it starts with the managing.
Don't get me wrong, Bobby Cox is a great manager. I have great respect for him and his soon-HOF career, the way he approaches the game and influences his players. Bobby will get 100% out of a player or lineup that many managers can only bring out maybe half that potential. But he does not know how to manage his pitchers during games. Too many times have I seen him keep in a starter an inning too late to lose a lead, and too many times have I seen him pull out a starter an inning or two too early and then fumble with the bullpen to lose the same lead.
Take tonight's series opener with Colorado for instance. Glavine was breezing through their lineup, and so he stumbled in the 7th with a couple of walks, but he still had good stuff that kept the Rockies batters guessing and leading into easy groundouts and a couple of K's. Maybe Bobby wanted to protect Glavine's 42-year-old arm and keep it fresh for the whole season, or thought that he lost his stamina since it's still early in the season, but Glavine could have easily finished the inning after throwing less than 90 pitches. With one out, Bobby didn't have confidence Glavine could have finished off Yorvit Torrealba and Jayson Nix? Who? That way, Moylan could have pitched the 8th and not let Boyer dish up a hanger to Holliday to lose the game like he did with Nady and the Pirates opener. (I realize Moylan gave up Zimmerman's walk-off on Opening Night in D.C., but that fate was out of the his and the Braves' hands.)
Bobby needs to calm down when he takes out his starter and not try to showcase his entire bullpen every night. It's nice to intimidate other teams by showing how great and stacked our bullpen is, but if Bobby keeps doing his thing, we won't have a great or stacked bullpen by midsummer as he slowly breaks every reliever's arm and confidence by taking them out after 1 out. For example...
| Pitchers | IP |
| J Jurrjens | 5.1 |
| J Bennett | 0.2 |
| M Acosta | 1.0 |
| P Moylan | 0.1 |
| R Ring | 0.1 |
| C Resop | 0.1 |
| W Ohman | 1.0 |
How about...
| Pitchers | IP |
| J Bennett | 4.0 |
| B Boyer | 2.0 |
| W Ohman | 0.2 |
| M Acosta | 1.1 |
| R Soriano | 1.0 |
| C Resop | 0.1 |
| R Ring | 0.1 |
| C Resop | 0.1 |
Ok, the first box score came from a win, and the second one was because of Mike Hampton's body that was apparently replaced with balsa wood and wax after '05, but seriously, is Bobby thirsty for another record, this time the one for most relief pitchers yanked after 1 out in a season? I mean, I realize that it's hard to juggle a very stacked bullpen esp. at the beginning of the season, but is pulling everybody out for 1 out really the best way to see how they fit into the relief system? Maybe the Cox is such a good manager he only needs 1 out to determine a reliever's worth and role with the team. Or how about putting a reliever (with 42 career appearances) into left field (0 career appearances) in between outs? I know Bobby is a great influence and innovator of the manager position, but he was definitely over his head on that move. Moving along now to my personal favorite so far in 2008:
| Pitchers | IP |
| T Glavine | 5.0 |
| C Resop | 1.0 |
| W Ohman | 0.1 |
| P Moylan | 0.1 |
| R Ring | 0.1 |
| M Acosta | 0.2 |
| J Bennett | 1.1 |
| R Soriano | 1.0 |
| B Boyer | 2.0 |
Way to develop rhythm and consistency with your pitchers, Bobby! I will be disappointed in any Braves game, win or loss, that does not employ at least 5 relievers, 3 of whom must pitch only 1 out and no more. Oh, and at least 5 shots into the Braves dugout of the starting pitcher's sullen facial expression after being pulled too early.
I must emphasize that I still love Bobby and I think he's awesome, and I would definitely not rather have any other manager (except maybe Joe Morgan). But it'd be nice if someone told him that relievers can go longer than 10 pitches, or that right-handed relievers can actually get out a left-handed batter (and vice versa). And honestly, you don't have to use up 3 relievers for every right-left-right(handed) batter sequence. No, seriously. Still, I think the 7 games so far has shown plenty of promise and potential, and Zalad members do not panic after a measly 3-4 start. Mark Kotsay has exceeded my expectations already, and at least our defense has looked pretty good. And we still have one of the best left fielders in Chris Resop...
1 comment:
good to see you gave resop his props as a LF. god knows hes earned it.
i too have been frustrated by bobbys itchy trigger finger this year. those IP lists are ridiculous. but why do you hold bobby accountable sometimes but not others (like the zimmerman-moylan homer)? and then this:
"Too many times have I seen him keep in a starter an inning too late to lose a lead, and too many times have I seen him pull out a starter an inning or two too early and then fumble with the bullpen to lose the same lead."
doesnt this illustrate exactly why you should cut him some slack? your post is mainly calling for him to keep his starters in longer, but, as you say, that doesnt always work either. youre simultaneously criticizing him for taking out starters and leaving them in! bizarro!
bobby doesnt get much praise for in-game managing, and consider me one of his detractors in the bullpen managing category. so basically, i agree with you in wondering, "what's up cox?". i was just confused about what i felt were contradictions. i like how you spawn discussion though.
Post a Comment