In this case, there's no question Manuel made the right call
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In this case, there's no question Manuel made the right call
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
There is no question Charlie Manuel made the right move last night in removing Kyle Kendrick from a 3-0 game for a pinch-hitter in the top of the ninth inning. Sure, the Phillies lost 4-3. But you can't blame Manuel.
Rationale?
1) In his first two starts of the season, Kendrick threw 107 pitches total. Last night, he threw 108 pitches through eight innings.
2) Due up in the ninth inning were Martin Prado, Chipper Jones and Brian McCann, who had combined for the only four hits that Kendrick had allowed on the night, including a double by Jones in his previous AB. In their careers of Kendrick, McCann and Jones were a combined 13-for-34 with three home runs, four doubles and six walks off of Kendrick.
3) The most pitches Kendrick had ever thrown in a major league game was 113. That came on June 25, 2008 at Oakland. Kendrick also allowed four hits in eight scoreless innings that day. Manuel also took him out after the eighth inning (in that case, with a 4-0 lead). The Phillies won, though, so you might not remember.
4) Kendrick was due up in the top of the ninth.
On top of all of that, the Phillies entered the season with an opportunity to find out if Ryan Madson could succeed as a regular closer. If Brad Lidge comes back healthy and effective, they might not need that knowledge. But better to get it now and not need it than to be in a position of trial-and-error after the trade deadline.
Manuel made the call. The Phillies lost. But correlation does not equal causation.
In this case, the call was the correct one.
pitching what could be the best he ever did or ever will makes running him out to start the ninth until any trouble occurs. Win some-lose some, can't win them all!! Why don't closer's wind up until they have someone on base----hell of alot easier to hit off of a stretch then a windup----Pitch count when someone is going good is bulls###t !!— jwatson- Manuel made the right call, going to the closer, it's just frustrating b/c the Braves have always hit Madson hard. On top of that, he wasn't throwing his change up for strikes, and they were laying off them... MAXIMUS-I thought your comment was a bit ignorant. "You would rather watch Madson blow a save, than see Lidge struggle to make one"? Come on...If a pitcher can get the save, he can get the save...— phigglesfan75
- He made the right call.— dondon
- Someone said, the Phillies have no backup plan for a closer if Lidge cannot go. I disagree. They have a bullpen full of potential closers. They problem is that they may all fail. Did you expect them to have a lockdown closer as a backup plan ? Of course not.— dondon
- Don't understand some of your comments. Charlie made the right call to get a closer that Atlanta hits well? I don't think that makes any sense. BTW, I would have taken Kendrick out if I had a real closer or at least put somebody else other than Madson. He has proven to be a disaster in the closer role.— EL Zorro
- those homers were served up,done and then,came dessert.the kid caught up to contreras's fastball in his zone.tip ya cap,cause that pitch heyward caught was outside,and he chased it.one game lets go phillies!!— t_darb_56
- should try baez as a closer put madsen back in his regular 8th inning spot as for lidge he is a disaster I hope he is gone after this season and certainly if he returns NOT use him as a closer at this time he is a opener"..opening the door for blown saves and losses.— only 9
- I agree with David Murphy; Manuel made the right call. He got a GREAT start out of Kendrick, and he needs to know about the closer situation. I don't think Madson's the guy; he has flourished as the 8th inning guy, and he should stay there. Last night's loss was disappointing, but it's only April. The Phils are the best team in the division, but Amaro's work isn't done. A Kendrick complete game would have been great, but Kendrick isn't going to be pitching that much in October.— 76erfn
- Madson...screwed up. End of story...strike number 1...two more and Ryan should get demoted. He's a head case— phillyfan19335
- Great post, Murphy. But what exatly do you mean by, "But correlation does not equal causation." I think you might be using too many $2 words when the $0.05 words work better. Correlation is an engineering term, meaning what you do when you send out a standard sample to many labs for testing. The labs test the sample, and if their answer comes back within statistical norms, those labs correlate. Causation in sociology means that events occur in preditable patterns, that repeat over time. (It is also a legal term, that means largely the same thing.) There is a wikipedia article for "Correlation does not imply causation," but... I think what you are saying is that Madson in the ninth was not a perfect test. After all, correlation is often when several groups of experts contunue to make the same mistake. No one game is the perfect test, just as any one test procedure may not accurately describe the substance being tested because the test, itself, is flawed. Madson 77.8% saves. League average around 80%. This blog will lead into a great article. Keep up the good work.— Squonk64
- Are you kidding? Take him out because he threw 1 more pitch in eight innings than he did in his two previous starts. No, that was the wrong move, you don't take a pitcher out in the nineth inning who is pitching a 4 hit shutout no matter what the pitch count is. If it was the right move they would have won. Didn't Madsonprove last year that he is not a legitmate closer, 6 blown saves in 16 chances. How does Madson's fastball go from 92 mph to 97 mph back to 92 mph?— dsmll
- Pre 9th inning, YES, post game NO!
- correlation is when two things are related, but not necessarily dependent on each other, causation is when one thing is the result of another thing. i finally get to use psych 151!— philsphan10
- also, i looked up "hobson's choice" and now have learned something from these comments. my night is complete.— philsphan10
- Murph, when your done playing little league come back an write some informative articles. How long have you been in Phila an watch losing season after losing season. I have to many too count. When we get a real reliever then pull a pitcher who has a lead late in the game. Matson was a stiff last year an Manual keeps believing in him, Why??? Who knows??? It was a dumb move an you writers have to stop smoothing over manuals mistakes....And if you had followed the Philles you would know they hate spending money on a bullpen an more then one quaility pitcher. We could have keep Lee for $6Mil, gee wonder what the Yankees would have done??????— Del/inFla
