Can anyone explain what happened to the concept of 'long reliever' with Astros? This is a straight out question where I am not looking for a Jimybash.
Long relievers are only used in games where you are losing bad. If we used one of our big 3 relievers for 3+ innings they wouldn't be available for the next game.
What would be so bad if one or more of the big three could get a night or two off? But others, like Saarloos or whomever -- eating some innings?
xiki-It's about the makeup of the bullpen. Wags, Dotel, and Lidge are short inning dominant type guys that would be made unavailable if they go over 1 inning, and further would make them even more likely to go through "dead arm". Guys like Miceli and Stone are also short relief types. If Villone was in the pen, we'd probably use him for long relief types. Something to watch for come playoff time. (Hopefully because we're blowing someone out 13-1)
Remeber when Dotel was a startting pitcher? His fastball was 92-93mph. When only pitching one inning he can throw as hard as he can w/o worrying about getting tired. The same goes for Wagner and Lidge. I'd like to see Billy try and hit 101mph in his 3rd or 4th consecutive inning. Plus it's good to mix things up on the opposing team. There more times a batter sees your stuff the better he adapts to it.
Here's the makeup of the bullpen, organized by their "specialties" The Long Relievers: 1. Jared Fernandez 2. Rick White 3. Dan Miceli. (also a lefty batter specialist) The 6th inning man / come in if the game is tied in extra innings: 1. Rickey Stone (comes in the 6th if the SP ONLY goes 5, and has a lead... usually is the man after Wagner in extra innings in games at home). The Lefty specialst: 1. Mike Gallo 2. Dan Micelli (not a lefty, but still gets them out) The 7th inning man: 1. Brad Lidge The 8th inning man: 1. Octavio Dotel The Closer: 1. Billy Wagner The MOP UP Guys: 1. Kirk Sarloos 2. Kirk Bullinger... The Kirks are only here becuase of September.
