08-28-2023, 07:01 AM
(08-27-2023, 03:36 PM)cinci4life Wrote: He did pitch through the 8th anyway after coming in with 2 outs in the 3rd and in fact got the first out of the 9th. The fact he threw only 66 pitches is a pretty good indicator they had a pitch count in mind for him. So whether he came in before Moll or after very likely had no influence on the number of relievers used especially since our closer blew a 3 run lead in the 10th forcing an extra pitcher for the 11th. You're really making a big deal out of nothing on this one.
You're not getting it. I'm not talking about the relievers at the end of the game, my point was that Moll wouldn't have been used at all and would have been fresh for the next game. Since Lively wound up being so pitch efficient, he might have STILL pitched through the eighth after coming in with one out in the 2nd inning instead of coming in like he did as the third pitcher with two outs in the third.
MLB has made major rule changes that have mostly taken away two of his biggest weaknesses as a manager and he's still overwhelmed.
DH means he doesn't really have the double switch at his disposal.
Starters are now getting more at bats and have a chance to grow into their roles. He was turning the Reds into a team of utility players. After two plate appearances, just about every player not named Votto or Suarez was praying to not make the last out of an inning because chances are that they were staying in the dugout after that as their spot in the batting order was going to be going to the new pitcher.
Ghost runner in extra innings has shortened extra inning games.
The DH also helps him here, but the Reds were always the least prepared for extra innings of any team in baseball because his strategy seemed to be to use every player and most of his bullpen before the 9th inning. I was getting really tired of watching teams purposely walking the bases loaded with two outs in the 11th inning to face pinch hitter Wade Miley or Sal Romano because Bell had already blown through his bench.
Bell appears to plan for failure more than he plans for success
Taking away the shift has also helped save him from himself. I was fed up watching an on fire Luis Castillo facing a light hitting, backup catcher that hit a weak ground ball to third base, but still get a hit because Bell had the players shifted and the 3rd baseman was playing shortstop. Bell expects a weak backup to get a hold of a pitch more than he expects an All-Star like Castillo to force a weak hitter to hit ''his pitch''. This also goes with Lively . . . Bell did not plan for him to be so pitch efficient . . . so that's why he was the third pitcher and not the second or the starter. I can see the need of an opener with a pitcher coming back from injury, but two openers was pure David Bell overkill.
As I've stated before, I am also an Angels fan. I watched Mike Scioscia manage for 19 years and I MIGHT have disagreed with him or questioned his decisions three times in those 19 years. I'll disagree with Bell three times a game, several times in a week. I thought that Bryan Price was bad, and, while Bell is very different, he is not an improvement.
Only users lose drugs.
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