In a move that I disagreed with, Mastermind Bruce Bochy used Tim Lincecum as the set-up man in the eighth inning of NLCS Game #6. I have a pet peeve with managers doing weird things in the post-season. These types of moves smack of desperation and knock players out of the routines that the sport demands. It makes great news and allows them to feel involved, but, the bottom line is they don't often work. In this case, Tim got the twenty second out of this huge game by striking out the amazing Jayson Werth on a change up way out of the zone. Unfortunately, Shane Victorino fought off not one, but two beautiful pitches, before singling. That seemed to deflate Tim as his last pitch was very fat and resulted in an Ibanez single. End of set-up man experiment. Results?
0.1 innings 2 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 strikeout HIS FIRST EVER HOLD!!!
Timmeh threw all sixteen pitches from the stretch; maybe it made him feel like a reliever. But he clearly isn't and he shouldn't have been used that way until absolutely needed (i.e. Game #7). His velocity was low and his command was not inspiring. We had a chance to re-establish Romo (or Castilla!) in a non-elimination situation and that is what I would have done. Maybe Wilson for both innings, but not Tim. Oh well, I guess it worked...kind of...Time for pre World Series analysis (what a beautiful phrase!). Let's get right to the question at the heart of this post.
So, what do we do next time?? Who is the setup man?
P.S. Remember Tim's only other relief appearance? If you don't, shame on you! Check it out.
7 comments:
Casi olvide a mencionar que, a partir de anoche, Ryan Howard empezo tragando chocolate para unos 6 meses.
What a glorious game! I gotta thank you guys on here again; so glad my curiosity led me here. Go Giants!
The post-season is weird--it is six months of baseball compressed into a week. You have to think past the normal routine some of the time. I think it was the right move, even though Tim only got one out (I expected two and was hoping for three). It looked like he wasn't properly ready, that his warmups were rushed. He should have gotten up sooner. But giving Tim the ball was great. I love that kind of move, it speaks, to me, not of desperation but of aggressiveness. Recognizing the need to go for the jugular in a crucial spot. I thought Bochy played it perfectly.
I also have to credit Boch and Rags and Gardy and Co. for being confident in Affeldt who's been in the doghouse, and MadBum who's 21 years old, to get the big outs. Wow--that was huge. I'm not worried about our RH relief, something will shake out. I'm really impressed by Bochy's handling of the roster and the game situations and the pitching moves, and etc. He and Righetti and Gardner will figure it out. I can't believe I'm saying these things, but results have a funny way of changing your opinion.
@Francisco: De nada
@Ron: my Spanish ain't that good, brutha
You know, where I come from "scrawny" is a fightin' word.
1987 did not repeat itself.
2002 will not repeat itself.
I don't know why the Rangers are perceived as favorites. They don't stand a chance. Our pitching staff is of historical greatness. I guess the geniuses out there haven't figured that out. We'll just have to go out and demonstrate it again.
"Scrawny" is what JC has called me for 30 years. I assume he's envious of my svelte figure.
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