Sports

I think Fabio is the perfect compliment to Blanton!! Great news!

This is all about Scott Eyre throwing 3 2/3 innings the last two nights, isn't it? Not sure I agree with it. I know they really want a second lefty in the pen, but the Cubs don't have any left-handed hitters to worry about. Fukudome is it, and Romero is enough to go after him once. Other than that, their whole lineup, Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, Theriot... are all right-handed hitters. Whatever. Hopefully Cole pitches a shutout tonight, Castro is sent back down tomorrow after Eyre gets a day of rest, and we never hear from Fabio again. Go Phils!

Remember, anyone on the roster as of teh 31st is elegible for post season. Could be that they feel an extra lefty is needed in post season, or they want to try Fabio out again before trading, cutting him in off season

Castro is a good pitcher, when he was with us remember that he really at that point had no business being on the roster yet. He was a draftee that had to be on the roster or we had to give him back. He did his mop up duty up here and did a decent job. GOt sent down to be seasoned, give the guy a chance.

I know I am still talking about last night. But if you are bringing another lefty, why not use Romero last night? And yes Rollins, the Cubs lineup is right-handed heavy. That's another reason.

RollinsWasRight is right on with his comment. The Cubs have two lefties, Fuko and Edmonds. If anything, the Phils need to stay with the righty Carpenter, or add a better one.

JEFF....I am re-posting from the last thread. Please re-read what I said. I did not say that Manuel (or any manager) SHOULD manage based on what's best for his closer's numbers or his contract negotiations. What I am saying is that managers fall into using their closers the way the role is now defined....AND I DON'T LIKE IT AT ALL. Instead of using the best pitcher in the bullpen in the most crucial inning of the game, managers hold them back until the 9th. Again, the reason they do this is because they are stuck in their thinking. Conventional wisdom now holds that you hold back your best pitcher to "close out the game in the 9th". Manuel is just like almost every other manager in this regard. I would love to see this change, because I don't agree with it at all!

A part of me wanted to go apes**t on Manuel and scream, like Apollo Creed did to Rocky, "THERE IS NO TOMORROW! THERE IS NO TOMORROW!" Unfortunately for Manuel, there are many more tomorrows left in this season and he has got to think of them as well. None of us REALLY knows the condition each bullpen pitcher was in last night. Bottom line is he was backed into a corner because of Tuesday night's game, he decided to push it and try to let Seanez finish the 8th, and it didn't work out. What if Manuel decided to push it with a reliever or two--because last night's game was too important to lose--and they got injured? Who's out, for how long, who has to cover for him, how does that affect the rest of the bullpen, and the big question...How many games do we lose as a result? I'm as frustrated as everyone else. If this were the last week of the season, I wouldn't accept any excuse, BUT we've still got 30 games to play and we need a healthy bullpen for all of them.

Another thing....Manuel is not alone in being hidebound by the “rules of using your closer”. The whole “clean inning” philosophy drives me crazy and I think it really devalues the save. A Brad Lidge save is not the equivalent of a Bruce Sutter save, (or a Goose Gossage save, or a Rollie Fingers save) IMO. We all know that many times the game is won or lost in the 7th or 8th inning. Maybe Madson is trying to hold a 1 run lead and then later we tack on a run or two and Lidge comes in with a 3 run lead. Either that or the top or the middle of the order is up in the 7th or 8th and Lidge faces the bottom of the order in the 9th. Plus, middle relievers come into games with men on base pretty regularly. The late inning “brige to Lidge” guys do as well. Meanwhile, the best bullpen arm we have only pitches when he can start an inning clean. Nonsense.

I feel that the decision he made last night should be more of an indictment of the rules of MLB instead of Manuel’s ability to manage. He was just instinctively doing what every other manager does with their closer. I would love to see all of the closers in baseball pitch in the most crucial inning of the game, whether it is the 7th, 8th, or 9th. The only way that could possibly happen is for MLB to redefine how a pitcher earns a save. If a save could be earned anywhere from the 7th inning on, you know darn well that managers would use them anywhere in the late innings of games, because there would be no reason to hold them back specifically for the 9th. They could still bring them in to start an inning (after all, they try to do that with most relievers anyway). I think if MLB would redefine the save it would be great for the game. Think about it. We would have the best pitcher in every bullpen pitching the most critical inning late in the ball game. That’s where I think Manuel really put himself in a bind. In wanting to hold Lidge back for the save, he allowed the opportunity for the Phils to lose the game in the 8th, before Lidge could even take the mound. If the rules were changed, Lidge faces the heart of the Mets order in the 8th, sets them down, earns the save, and then Seanez can finish off the bottom of the order in the 9th. Big difference? I think so!

Great. I missed him. Now when rosters expand and we can get Eaton back up the staff we will be complete.

bski, the best way to use the bullpen is the way most teams do now. The have a reliever for different situations leading to the closer. Closers are bred to be closers, most of the times, since their minor league days and that’s how the develop the closer mentality. You put a closer in a nonsave situation and is not the same pitcher. The same can be said about putting a setup man in a save situation. They have different make ups. That's the nature of the beast. One paper your theory makes sense, somewhat, but on the field is a different story. Also, in the nine inning the closer may face a tough pinch hitter. If you put your best reliever, which will be your closer, let say in the sixth or seventh, who is going to pitch to that tough pinch hitter in the ninth?

BSKI: I responded in teh previous thread that if I misread your comment I apologise. i agree that teh closer's of today are a spoiled bunch. I will put any of themup against Fingers, Sutter, Tug, Goose and just watch them get eaten for breakfast. In teh good days, relief pitchers would go 2-3 innings every day with no problems, and even start a game now and then. Zorro-of the Pinch hitter was that good, he'd be starting and not sitting on teh bench-dobbs included

jeff gross-I also agree that closers and pitchers in general are "soft". I really don't blame them for protecting there future earnings( think Hamels 07 playoff) but at the same time if you seriously think your going to hurt yourself by pitching 15-25 pitches outta the 'pen 3-4 times in week once or twice a yr you really don't belong in the bigs...You really can't call yourself a professional. I also think the mgr's really feed into it. Thats one of the things I miss about Bowa he would of called a spade a spade on that one. gross its probably the only thing I will agree with YOU on.

I said a good pinch hitter, not a good player. A good pinch hitter is a good hitter who can't be put in a line up because, he is either a bad defensive player, may be a singles and gap hitter with not enough speed (like Greg Gross), an outfielder who hits for average with good power but a liability in the field like Dobbs, Del Unser, Mota, Davalillo, etc. Those are the pinch hitters I am talking about.