Eh, yeah, some people complain about everything. At the same time I thought one of the reasons Britton was brought in was that he had experience closing (and was really good at it) and could do that for the team if Chapman wasn't available. Last night just seems like exactly the situation he was brought in for.
OT: MLB Thread XXII: The Mets Are Actually Undefeated In Wins
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mrmovies779
The Greatest Teacher,Failure is.
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Because he throws a heavy sinker and doesn't give up homeruns.Factor in that Betances has never been comfortable closing out games,and it's an easy decision to go with Britton.That's what Boone has been doing with Chapman out-Betances the 8th and Britton the 9th.Why he decided to change it up last night is beyond me.
mrmovies779
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It was and Boones strange reasoning after the game for not using him to close was "because they want to build him up" Meanwhile he brings him in for the 8th inning for "building up" purposes...I'm still trying to wrap my head around that logic.
SA16
Sixstring
Betances has the 15th lowest HR rate allowed among relievers with at least 150 IP since 2016. Giving up HR is not a problem for him. He's one of the best at preventing them. Britton gives up less though doesn't mean he's a better pitcher.
Additionally since he became a Yankee Britton has allowed more HR than Betances did up until yesterday.
mrmovies779
The Greatest Teacher,Failure is.
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He's a better pitcher when it comes to closing out games though which is the most important stat.It's a role Betances has never faired well in.
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Britton is a closer. Betances is not.
End of story. Dont care about anything else. Experience is more important. It was an incompetent move by Boone. One of many this season. I am trying to remain hopeful these decisions wont happen in the postseason, but it is practically September and the mistakes have continued.
And you can say what you want about Boone not having a full roster with all the injuries, BUT that is when having a competent Manager with experience is most important because the decisions are crucial to winning those games without your main guys and there has to be logic and reasoning. He has nothing to draw on.
End of story. Dont care about anything else. Experience is more important. It was an incompetent move by Boone. One of many this season. I am trying to remain hopeful these decisions wont happen in the postseason, but it is practically September and the mistakes have continued.
And you can say what you want about Boone not having a full roster with all the injuries, BUT that is when having a competent Manager with experience is most important because the decisions are crucial to winning those games without your main guys and there has to be logic and reasoning. He has nothing to draw on.
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This thread basically.
No didi sanchez or judge. Arguing about Britton/Betances to close is a good problem to have with Chapman injured. 2nd best record in baseball yet some people can only complain.
Let's get everyone healthy and see how it goes down the stretch.
This is just naive and ignorant. As it has been said COUNTLESS times, there is a something to be said about a guy who has Closer experience vs a setup guy. Tons of examples.
mrmovies779
The Greatest Teacher,Failure is.
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So moving on...im excited to see Cutch tonight,we can certainly use another quality bat in the lineup.Good move by Cashman.I just hope Judge gets back at some point this year.
JimmyG89
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Just being clear, you'd rather have someone like Ken Giles pitch in the 9th than Betances? Giles, the owner of a 5+ plus ERA with 18 saves. If anyone is being naive or ignorant it's the person looking at empirical data to make their decision instead of determining who your best pitcher is and putting them out there.
Seriously using Ken Giles as the ground to stand on? L.O.L. Zach Britton is light years ahead of Ken Giles.
JimmyG89
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Your argument is that experience matters. I want my best pitcher on the mound. Anything less is bogus.
Ken Giles has your "experience" closing games. You could be honest and just say that you're using hindsight to make a decision that might have worked out.
Guess AJ Hinch should have taken out Lance McCullers in game 7 last year in the 9th and went to Giles who had "experience" closing games.
Betances had given up 3 runs in his last 27 outings. He gave up 3 that inning.
He didn't use AJ Cole to close the game. He put his best reliever on the mound with the game on the line. Hard to argue doing that, but you do you.
Do you lend any credence to the idea that some guys can close and some guys can't? Because I think that's the underlying point.
Being the best setup guy in the world doesn't necessarily mean you'll be the best closer in the world, AFAIC. And I think the opposite is true as well--I've seen a lot of closers over the years that just seem to have trouble pitching in tie games or other non-save situations.
Familia is an example. When he was on, he was the best reliever the Mets had. I'd still shudder when he'd come into a tie game. Something about the change in circumstance seemed to psych him out. Same for some guys that are good relievers in general but struggle to close--it's just different pressure and they can't cut it.
JimmyG89
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I give less credence to it than putting an inferior player who has done it in the past. If you put him in the situation more often, he'll convert more than he doesn't.
In regard to Familia, he was perfectly fine being the set up man to Mejia in 2014. He's also been perfectly fine pitching in set up for the Athletics.
I guess the As should only use him in the ALDS and ALCS (if they play in it) and avoid using him in the Wild Card game or World Series since he hasn't pitched well in the Wild Card game or the World Series in the past.
Play your best players. Betances has been the Yankees best reliever for 2 months. Britton has been average and that's being nice (over a 5 FIP and nearly a 1.3 WHIP). I'd accept having Robertson close out games because he's been just about as good as Betances, but even he was recently hurt and just coming back.
It's the same thing with coaches sticking out veterans in late game situations, even if they've sucked for a while, because they've "been there before" and the young player sits there because he "hasn't been there yet".
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
At least he's not the "Below" in "Wins Below Replacement" like certain first basemen.
Machinehead
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SA16
Sixstring
The Closer Mentality, Part 1: Closers in non-save situations
Closers pitch the same in save/non-save situations. You just remember it better when they pitch in a non save situation and have a bad performance.
However, I also in general we should expect closers to pitch worse in non-save situations because generally the time that happens is when they have had a lot of days off in a row and aren't sharp.
Additionally in save situations they face a random part of the lineup on average whereas when they aren't in save situations it's more likely they are brought in to face a tougher group of players.
Closers pitch the same in save/non-save situations. You just remember it better when they pitch in a non save situation and have a bad performance.
However, I also in general we should expect closers to pitch worse in non-save situations because generally the time that happens is when they have had a lot of days off in a row and aren't sharp.
Additionally in save situations they face a random part of the lineup on average whereas when they aren't in save situations it's more likely they are brought in to face a tougher group of players.
mrmovies779
The Greatest Teacher,Failure is.
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Irishguy42
Mr. Preachy
Machinehead
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Ha, not surprised to see this. Honestly as I was writing my earlier post, it occurred to me, "This is something that someone has probably been studied and disproven."
I still have a lot of old-school initial tendencies, but I've also been around the advanced stats, empirical studies, smart people, etc., long enough to start to get that feeling that "This is probably one of those things that isn't true." So, if the numbers say I'm wrong, I am wrong.However, I also still cling to the "exception to the rule" for a lot of guys, since that's undeniably a thing. And goddammit I will cling to it. LOL.
I Eat Crow
Fear The Mullet
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Why not? Much less of a defensive liability there than at 3rd. If he can't hack it at 1st defensively, I'd sell high on him and deal him.
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