Blue Jays Discussion: It's here! it's here! it's here! it's here! Baseball season begins!(WARNING:post 728)

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zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
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I just dont understand it with us facing Smyly tomorrow who absolutely dominates left handed batters. Why would you play Colabello today vs a elite RH and play Smoak tomorrow against one of the stingiest against lefties? Unless they plan on playing Colabello the first 2 games which would be suprising. Add in the fact Smoak was arguably our best hitter in spring and has faired alright against Archer.

Like I said - I think he's leaning towards giving Cola the chance to be the starter, not just the guy against lefties.

and when you look at their splits platooning doesn't make a lot of sense for either of them, anyways - both were better vLHP last year.
 

weems

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Jul 3, 2008
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Like I said - I think he's leaning towards giving Cola the chance to be the starter, not just the guy against lefties.

and when you look at their splits platooning doesn't make a lot of sense for either of them, anyways - both were better vLHP last year.

I just think it made too much sense to just start Smoak today with his performance in spring, his performance against Archer and the pitcher the Jays are facing tomorrow. I could end up being wrong and Colabello has a huge day but I would have went with Smoak in this game.
 

zeke

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Mar 14, 2005
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The secret genius of the Rays' lineup, btw:

Last 2yrs vRHP:

LF Dickerson 149wrc+
DH Pearce 127
CF Kiermaier 121
SS Miller 113
1B Morrisonn 107
C Conger 100
3B Longoria 95
2B Forsythe 93
RF Jennings 90

vLHP

3B Longoria 144
2B Forsythe 137
RF Guyer 135
1B Pearce 133
LF Jennings 133
DH Souza 127
C Casali 113
SS Beckham 94
CF Kiermaier 61

they know what they're doing over there. don't be fooled by their home park surface stats.
 

BertCorbeau

F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Jan 6, 2012
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^ they'll play their typical get on base, small ball type of offense that's annoying .. And are hoping their pitching will be strong. They'll be in the mix and won't go away easily.
 

Apotheosis

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Mar 27, 2014
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Doing my own personal analysis of the team, as threatening as Jose makes the line up, the declining defence and possible big contract he would demand. I wouldn't even be entirely mad if we ended up trading him. Still have Donaldson, Edwin, Martin and Tulo as a ridiculously talented line up and trading Jose might actually aid our starting pitching too.
 

canucksfan

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Mar 16, 2002
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Doing my own personal analysis of the team, as threatening as Jose makes the line up, the declining defence and possible big contract he would demand. I wouldn't even be entirely mad if we ended up trading him. Still have Donaldson, Edwin, Martin and Tulo as a ridiculously talented line up and trading Jose might actually aid our starting pitching too.

Signing Jose for 5 year deal around 25+ would be dumb.
 

PuckMagi

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Apr 13, 2013
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Anyone else think that MLB managers tend to make decisions based on helping a player earn some sort of statistic rather than doing what's best for the team?

Just before the 9th inning, my wife asked me if I thought they should leave Stro in. I said that I think they should let someone else pitch the 9th. He did well, so let's leave on a high note. I said that if he got into trouble, his pitch count would be high and they'd have to pull him, and for the first game back, we're better off letting him just call it a game.

I understand if someone's throwing a no hitter that you've gotta leave them in the game... but in this case, I feel like Stroman pitched the 9th because the manager wanted him to get a complete game because it makes for a nice statistic.

I feel like managers also do stuff like this to try to get their closers a lot of saves. They don't bring closers in if it's not a "save situation"... but when it's a 3 run lead, they will use their closer because it gets him a save. I think that if it's a 3 run lead or a 4 run lead... the logic for using a certain pitcher would probably be pretty similar if your goal is to win games.
 

Starry Knight

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Jun 9, 2013
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Anyone else think that MLB managers tend to make decisions based on helping a player earn some sort of statistic rather than doing what's best for the team?

Just before the 9th inning, my wife asked me if I thought they should leave Stro in. I said that I think they should let someone else pitch the 9th. He did well, so let's leave on a high note. I said that if he got into trouble, his pitch count would be high and they'd have to pull him, and for the first game back, we're better off letting him just call it a game.

I understand if someone's throwing a no hitter that you've gotta leave them in the game... but in this case, I feel like Stroman pitched the 9th because the manager wanted him to get a complete game because it makes for a nice statistic.

I feel like managers also do stuff like this to try to get their closers a lot of saves. They don't bring closers in if it's not a "save situation"... but when it's a 3 run lead, they will use their closer because it gets him a save. I think that if it's a 3 run lead or a 4 run lead... the logic for using a certain pitcher would probably be pretty similar if your goal is to win games.

Stroman didn't have a very high pitch count so there isn't much of a cost to putting him out there for the 9th. Also, having Stroman pitching the 9th saves the pen arms from having to pitch.

Ideally, Osuna shouldn't have had to come in and close out the game.

And of course managers throw out their closer only in save situations. Why tire out you best pen arm on nights that you have the game in hand?
 

Discoverer

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Apr 11, 2012
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Stroman looked amazing. The Rays were just pounding everything into the dirt all game.

Archer was outstanding, but the Jays' patience really killed him. Even with the crazy K total, it seemed like he was going to a full count on every batter before finishing them off.
 

The Nemesis

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Apr 11, 2005
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Stroman didn't have a very high pitch count so there isn't much of a cost to putting him out there for the 9th. Also, having Stroman pitching the 9th saves the pen arms from having to pitch.

Ideally, Osuna shouldn't have had to come in and close out the game.

And of course managers throw out their closer only in save situations. Why tire out you best pen arm on nights that you have the game in hand?

If having the game in hand was a criterion for not touching your best pen arm, then said arm shouldn't be entering the game in most save situations anyway. In a perfect world they wouldn't have needed Osuna, but I don't fault them for going to him there if they were concerned about the Rays being able to climb back into the game.

What PuckMagi suggests is a frustrating problem. Obviously stats and figures should be useful as tools to analyze what is the best decision to make, but beyond simply "managing to a stat" the issue becomes that managers will manage to the wrong stats. The fact that they will want to push to allow pitchers to pickup the win or the save are a big factor in why these stats continue to get far more importance placed on them than they rightfully deserve in terms of being used as success measures. Ideally, stats should simply be a record of what happened, and not a driver to make things happen. But it is what it is and unfortunately it's not likely to change until the majority of thinking on the issue changes, if that will even happen at all.
 
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Clark4Ever

What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Oct 10, 2010
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Solid win to open the season against our nemesis. The errors and the Ks were the only blemishes today.

Stroman and Osuna didn't miss a beat from last season. Tulo was dominant in the infield and came through with the inevitable game winning home run. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.
 

Finlandia WOAT

No blocks, No slappers
May 23, 2010
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I hope Gibbons doesn't put Stroman in for the 9th if it's still 3-1.

Royals up 4-0 going into 8th..now 54-3. Hope they blow it, tired of everyone creaming their pants over their bullpen.
 
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