Really? Your entire presence on this board is dedicated to nit-picking every decision that doesn't work out. You've said repeatedly about how bad Harris has been over the last 6 weeks... yet nary a single post the entire last home stretch, road trip, or wild card game, or Sunday's game where he comes in and doesn't allow a run. Of course, the first sign of failure, there you are again with "Hinch sucks!" in full bravado. I honestly don't make stuff up...despite your claims... again, another one-trick argument from you, or you'd actually have tangible examples of me "making things up". Its just sad that you can't see how revisionist/retrospective/hindsight is 20/20 you're being right now.
When do you take him out? After the first pitch single to Rios? or the seeing eye single to Escobar? Would't have a problem with that... but then again, with Zobrist/Cain coming up... Gregerson is the better matchup (as opposed to people making the argument that Sipp would have been "best" to start the 8th... no, he wouldn't have... even if it was a 1 run game). And around and around we go if a similar situation happens in the 9th with Gregerson being forced to pitch another multiple inning appearance... and he gives up multiple hits to start (as he did on Sunday).
part of sports...everyone has the right to praise and be critical. I scanned the Royals forum this past week same thing. You should give the Yankees/Phillies a scan sometime. Clutch fans complaints are MILD in comparison. Hinch managing has improved and now we got a game 5 and if the bullpen needs tweaking tweak it and if we don't tweak it win or loose there will be comments either way positive or negative. Part of the deal
Except just a half inning earlier, in a win-or-go-home-game, the opposing manager left Ryan Madson in for 4 consecutive hits (including 2 HRs)...
Sorry - hit send too early. The result was that Madson got the next 2 outs. Just because you give up a few hits doesn't mean you take a guy out - that's a sunk cost and changing pitchers at that point doesn't undo that. The question is who you think is the guy to get out of the mess. The fact that 2 of the first 3 hits were bloopers is a pretty decent reason to leave him in for the next batter.
That's fine and reasonable - who do you bring in to face Cain? It's 6-2; the bases are loaded with zero outs. And I disagree on hard:soft; the most realistically optimum situation, once he loaded the bases, was a double play ball to wipe out the potential 5th and 6th runs. If Harris was coaxing soft singles... I mean, isn't that exactly what you want in that situation?
Fair enough. You prepared to bring in Gregerson then? But then take him out against Morales for Sipp? Yeah... because it was the switch-hitting Morales who is much worse as a right-handed hitter.... to the point that Sipp vs. Morales is a better matchup than Gregerson/Harris vs. Morales.
You're comparing apples to oranges. Madson inherited a runner, they were already trailing by a run, K'd the first batter he faced, and the damage was done on the 1st hit he gave up when entering. Not saying that Yost shouldn't have ultimately taken him out anyway by the time the 4th hit was recorded, but the situations aren't comparable. I'll ask this question to you too: why even take Harris out after the 4th hit?
In before he replies... because Morales is their most dangerous hitter... but only when he's batting left-handed.
Even if Gregerson retires Cain without allowing a run (most likely via strikeout)... you're really going to allow their most dangerous hitter a chance to bat from his strongest side with the ability to tie the game with one swing? With Sipp just sitting in the bullpen? (and this is even without considering the eventual result that Sipp coaxed from him...)
I'm not arguing that Sipp wouldn't be the better option to face Morales, obviously, but here would be the possible scenarios: Gregerson pitching to Morales with 1 out, bases loaded, still up 4. Gregersron pitching to Morales with 1 out, up 3, and a base open. Gregerson pitching to Morales with 0 outs, somewhere between 1-4 runs in, and base(s) open. I "gamble" in scenarios 1 and 2. And there are possibilities within the 3rd where giving him nothing to hit/putting him on would be preferred, which is why I answered that I more than likely would not burn Gregerson to use Sipp.
Fair enough. (I also forgot about lefty Hosmer coming up after Cain) But I see the same revisionist/second-guessing-after-the-fact potential if Gregerson allows damage to lefty Hosmer, the supreme left-handed hitting Morales, or to the lefty batter that followed (Moustakis), all with Sipp being unused (at the time, our current possible best bullpen guy vs. their best lefties... not exactly great managing). To me, it boils down to whether or not you're willing to burn Gregerson for one hitter... which would have been Cain. At that point, Sipp has the better chance of getting you out of that inning (provided your all-world SS doesn't make the biggest of mistakes at the most in-oportune time), and we haven't even gotten to the 9th inning yet (I know you can't think too far ahead... but if you're confident the guys you're bringing in can hold the lead, you still gotta have somebody competent enough available to close... Fields is not that guy). Or, you do what happened yesterday... and pray Sipp's DP ball gets fielded and he proceeds to strike Moustakis out as he did... inning over and Gregerson available to close the 9th.
Just because fans often do it (making it "part of sports") doesn't mean it's the right thing for people to dissect things incorrectly.
Fiers will likely improve upon his TEX bullpen appearance. Why? Increased mental preparedness. The outing in Arlington was a complete surprise. Now he KNOWS the only way he pitches will be out of the bully.
Or if your starter implodes, gets injured, or gets tossed (as McCullers was one more additional HBP away from, after the Royals retaliated on Correa). As of just 2 games ago, people wanted Fiers warmed up ready to go in case Kazmir couldn't make it out of the first. He's not going to fix EVERYTHING that is wrong... but he does have the advantage of being the one pitcher who hasn't failed recently... much like backup QB's on football teams.
All those scenarios equal "Fiers out of the bullpen". Now he knows that's the only way he pitches... as compared to Arlington.
