I quite agree. As such, his strategy is going to backfire, at least occasionally. Just not today please.
Houston Astros: The power of Dusty Baker’s faith https://calltothepen.com/2020/10/17/houston-astros-power-dusty-bakers-faith/
This is weird considering for the most part this postseason he's managed more like the numbers than someone that puts faith in his players outside of leaving Greinke in and leaving James in. He's been all about putting his best pitchers at the moment in when needed. Granted, talking with players to know their status is part of the numbers.
So what's the final consensus on Dusty? Didn't watch much during the regular season, but thought he handled everything well during the playoffs. Felt like he's found a good balance between doing what he wants and listening to his players. I think the announcers today mentioned that he was willing to let Greinke convince him to stay in the game, while today with McCullers he had already made up his mind.
I though Dusty was neither good nor bad in the regular season. The team struggled so I can't exactly praise him, but a ton of s**t went wrong that was largely beyond his control. I give him a solid A for the postseason. The pitching staff was absurdly distressed, yet all in all he did a pretty damn good job managing them. Him and Click really seemed to be on the same page, and when Dusty had to make a choice I thought most of them were good, and the bad ones were defensible. My only true issue with him was excessive faith in Josh James, who he frequently trusted with higher leverage situations than he has earned. Hopefully he can have a Framber like offseason and be worthy of that faith next season.
I'm fine with Baker, but next year is not the time for feel good hugs. He has to right this ship and hold the bottom of the lineup accountable. The pity party is over.
how exactly do you do that? Reddick will certainly be gone an replaced everyday by Tucker. Yuli's history tells you he'll likely return to the Yuli of old more so than remain a <.200 hitter. Maldonado will always be Maldonado. I never wanted to fire AJ but Dusty took a team missing the defending Cy Young winner, the CYA runner up, the defending ROTY, one of the best closers, and some of his most experienced bullpen arms within two head-scratching Altuve errors away from the WS. That's insane. He's earned that extension.
I loath Baker but I don't know what the right move was last night except for having Pressly go two innings in the slim hope that you somehow score against Chapman. Losing the lead with the massive pen advantage NYY has was a dagger.
You forgot to bump when the Astros went 8-2. This was going to be one their toughest 2 city road trips of the year. If they win today, I'll take a 3-3 roadtrip.
From today's Chronicle I'm sure the anti-Dusty guys will love that! Does he shift because he's falling in-line with the analytics team or does he just not have any say and serves as a proverbial figurehead?
I've heard him say a few things that makes me think he has little to do with defensive positioning. I don't see him as a figurehead. If anything, his view on the shift may be detrimental as the biggest problem with shifting is when the pitcher walks guys not believing in the defense.