It’s tempting to blame.
You can attach blame wherever you’d like, though only assigning blame does not do much. As my father has told me, some are in love with assigning blame and others prefer to fix problems.
So, here we go:
Some will blame AJ Burnett, some Joe Girardi, and some Phil Hughes.
I am no baseball manager and I’ve never played in an organized baseball game, but this is what I would have done:
In the seventh inning, I let Burnett come out to start the inning. He’s at 80 pitches and has more or less been doing all right since that let’s-not-talk-about-it first inning.
Once Mathis reaches, that’s when I replace Burnett, instead of giving him the chance to put the tying run on base.
The reliever I bring in is not Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain, but David Robertson. I know, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but both Hughes and Chamberlain have been hit this postseason and Robertson has more or less worked some miracles.
At this rate, Robertson right now is the most valuable reliever not named Mariano Rivera.
This isn’t to detract from what Hughes or Chamberlain have done this season–and without Hughes, especially, the Yankees aren’t even playing tonight–but both have had issues this postseason.
If I leave AJ in to face the first two batters and they both reach, I consider bringing in Mariano Rivera. It’s undoubtedly the highest leverage situation at that point, but my issue arises if the Yankees don’t add any more insurance runs and the game goes to the ninth still a two run game and your team on the road.
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Unlike most of you, I suspect, I’m not all that bothered by Girardi’s decision to pinch run for Alex Rodriguez in the ninth.
With two outs, and down by one, you do anything you can to tie the score, and while Rodriguez isn’t a Molina, Guzman is much more likely to score from first. Again, your team is down two outs, so you don’t have any more outs with which to work.
Nick Swisher, of course, killed us all with the 3-2 pop up. I don’t know if he was swinging at ball four or not, but the Yankees lost the game in the seventh, after coming so close to winning.
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So what about it? How would you have managed the situations as they presented themselves?
Remember, it’s easy to say that you would have taken AJ out after the fact–going into the inning he was only at 80 pitches, etc.
What would you have done? It’s not as easy a thing as you think.
Related posts:
I would have not brought AJ out for one reason: Mathis hit him pretty hard the previous two times at bad and frankly, AJ pulled a houndini to stay in as long as he did. Giradi had a man for the 7th and 8th. What happened to that plan? Robertson would have been a good choice but I want him starting the 7th, not coming in for damage control. I would have preferred Robertson, however, over Hughes at this point in the game just because of the situation, the way Hughes has pitched lately, and he was pitching in front of his family with the Rally Monkey craziness getting pretty frantic. Why would Giradi make all those changes in previous games then all of a sudden decide to leave in the AJ when he is frankly a coin flip at this time? He had gotten more than was expected after the first inning..no way he comes out for the seventh..just my opinon.
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I am Sorry but Joe Girardi is the main reason the team Blew it! Here’s my points.
- 7th inning, you don’t send AJ back to the mound after almost 30 minutes [without stretching - Did you see CC stretching a few times while waiting on Tuesday? - Well, AJ did nothing] while the offense batted around and getting his arm Stiff.
- Game on the line, 9 outs away from getting to the World Series. Please surprise and SHOCK the world bringing MO in the 7th. I can guarantee that would ended up killing their spirits of a come back! [Now, that is streategy] Let MO get the 7th & 8th and watch the pitch count if he’s around 20 bring him back to finish the game, if he’s @ 30 bring back to close the game Dave Robertson.
- Neither Phil Hughes or Joba are having a good Postseason, please Stop using them in key situations, they looked completely in PANIC!
- DO NOT PINCH RUN FOR A-ROD!!! What are you doing? besides that, Guzman did not even try to steal second, so what’s the logic to that substitution? that was an odd move especially with a lefty on the mound. Did Girardi really want Guzman just to steal on first move that is way too risky? In that situation A-Rod or Guzman were running on contact, If Matsui Scored from First on Cano’s triple, A-ROD easily would have done the same
- Last but not least, please, please, please PINCH HIT FOR SWISHER, Jerry Hairston Jr. was more suitable to hit a line drive 10 times before Swish gets a hit. I am Sorry, but with the game on the line and having already Swish failed in the 7th [twice], you just have to remove him.
Overall, very, very, very poor managing by Joe Girardi. He just don’t have a feeling for what the game calls for, and that is hurting the team so bad.
Also, where’s the bench coach??? Tony Peña is not even near Girardi when he has to take critical decisions, only Eiland is right next to him. Please Somebody tell Girardi he has a Bench Coach to rely on.
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Brian Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:14 am
Now, I don’t know about other Yankee fans, but I am actually a very big fan of Joe Girardi, and to be honest, I did not have a problem with any of his moves tonight. The only things I would’ve tweaked are pulling AJ after the first walk and leaving A-Rod in to run for himself.
I would’ve pulled AJ one batter sooner because he had the guy in an 0-2 count and then ended up walking him.
In the case of pinch running for A-Rod, I see what Girardi was doing, but still would’ve left A-Rod in. Freddie Guzman is faster and gives you a better chance to score that run, but A-Rod is far from slow, and if you only score one run in that inning, he’s still in the lineup.
And as I stated in a different post, I am sick of seeing Swisher retired constantly, especially with RISP. I probably like him least of all Yankee fans, but I agree with Girardi to leave him in there. He has been a starter all year, unlike anyone Joe could have taken off the bench. Also, eventually you have to think that he is “due” to get a hit.
I’m not blaming Swisher for this loss, but I just wish he hit a hard line drive or a long fly ball at someone, instead of hitting an embarrassing pop up.
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The other SteveS Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 am
It seems like every post season one guy becomes a weight around your neck. Looks like Swish is it this year. I have been very happy to see Robby Cano start to break out however.
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Series:
Yankees 3 – Joe Girardi 2.
but yanks will come on top saturday in front of the home fans.
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People are going to blame Girardi for everything, this one is all Phil Hughes, he shook Jorge of twice to get a pitch he wanted to throw and he put it right down the middle, nevermind the fact he made Vlad look foolish on the curveball the pitch before. Jorge needs to start slapping the youngsters up that constantly shake him off, if Vlad gets a hit on the curve, you tip your cap to him, you dont get beat throwing a meatball down the middle, and did Robertson run over Joe’s dog?, all season long that was his inning and now he sits in the bullpen, is he injured?
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The loss is a result of bad management and bad pitching. No one says only 1 person needs to take the blame. My friend said it to me last night; Hughes was throwing 95-96 all season, and now he’s maxing out at 92. I don’t know if he may be fatigued from all the work he has gotten, or if he just has been in a rut the last few weeks.
As for Girardi, I agree with the statements about pinch running. It’s not a great move, but I understand it, and I agree that you need to get the run across before you can think of next inning. However, Burnett should never have been able to put the second hitter on base, and a walk there is inexcusable. Girardi seems to not be following what he did in the regular season, and is micromanaging. I wanted Hughes to start the inning and go 1.1, then have Mo go 1.2. I understand Burnett starting it however.
As for Swisher? Disgusting. Nothing more.
Many mistakes by many people.
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I know many people will place the blame in differente players, which is ok to a point, but what bothers me is the lack of sensibility of the game by Joe Girardi, Yes, he has done a tremedous job over the curse of the season, but this is exactly the spot you want to shine in the postseason, and so far too many questionable moves from him right with games on the line. I really want to know what Joba Chamberlain has done to prove himself he is better right now over Dave Robertson, because so far he’s been the trust guy out of the Bullpen along with Mo.
On the offense side, he pinch run for A-ROD, but leaves Swisher hit with bases loaded in the 9th??? it does not make any sense at all, Hairston may not be better than Swish, but at least he proved in game 2 he’s ready to hit under preasure, and that my friend is what Girardi is not putting attention, those litt;le details are the ones takes you to the World Series o send you home empty handed!
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