The Dodgers have as much incentive as any team to win this game and a Dodger may have just blown it. Then again, a Phillie blew it last year...
He was a Padre... pitching in his first ASG at any level of his career. And clearly, he has no incentive to win it.
Hence my point about the difference between a pitcher having a great season, and a truly great pitcher. I don't know if Heath Bell is a truly great pitcher. He's closing for a last place team, in his first year as a closer. His numbers and career asscent kinda remind me of Octavio Dotel, except that Dotel started out as a starter. I guess I want to see the true great ones more in this game... and not just the guys who are having a good season this year. And I wouldn't have penciled in a first time all-star to be my "8th inning guy" like Manuel did... no matter how good a season he was having.
His delivery seems kind of funky to me. Doesn't seem he would have much control...although his first pitch didn't help.
Eh. The truly great ones like Lincecum and Halladay gave up 5 of the 7 runs in this game. Nobodies like Edwin Jackson and Ryan Franklin did just fine. On offense, nobodies like Yadier Molina, Granderson, and Adam Jones made some of the biggest plays.
actually not. he gets more momentum from his body than from his arm...as compared to pitchers who do not use their bodies as much. he doesn't ice his arm after games for that very reason. "ice is for drinks." not a pitching instructor that i'm aware of who wouldn't put lincecum on the list of mechanics to follow when teaching young pitchers.
The nobodies are put in low pressure innings. The 8th of a tie game is for the best of the best. Notice, I'm only applying this to pitchers... as the managers don't have much control over the use of position players late in games (in fact, they're often stuck with the guys from last place teams playing the field, since they are resting the starters from elite teams). Bottom line... I don't feel Heath Bell is one of the "best of the best"... despite the season he is having. Would have been fine with him pitching in the 6th or even 7th inning (and yes... I know the NL has had guys like Hoffman and Wagner blow the lead the last few years... but I still wouldn't have argued against using them).
