re: Baseball: Game 1: Florida 5 @ LSU 4, Final

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3.) Bunting with your 400 hitter with a runner already in scoring position with no outs

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Less than 1% of all managers would try this.

If you want to move the runner over, have your right handed hitter try to hit to the right side of the field, but you never take the bat out of your best hitters hands, especially with a .264 hitter on deck.

I still don't understand why Ott even has a role on this team. He can't get good hitters out with his stuff, or lack thereof.

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i hate taking the bat out of your good hitters in a spot like that.

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You take the bat out of your best hitters hands and give it to one of your worst?
You can shove that small ball crap...that ain't playing the percentages!

And as for Ott... Last year and to this point this year, he has been very average and that isn't subjective. Eades had command of his pitches and is also a right hander. If he loses some control, you can still go to Ott. When he is hitting his spots, he is overpowering. Mainieri tried to out-think the room in this game and it cost him. Those points can't be argued.

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I still don't understand why Ott even has a role on this team. He can't get good hitters out with his stuff, or lack thereof.

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I disagree. He's a great reliever but the term closer needs to be retired with him. Spot relief would be best until he works his shite out.

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I still don't understand why Ott even has a role on th get good hitters out with his stuff, or lack thereof.

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frick you

That is all

The bunts are one thing, I'm indifferent and that can go either way.

But, to me the roll of the closer throughout all levels of baseball is way overplayed. This isn't a gut reaction, i've felt this way for years.

If you have a pitcher in there who is throwing well and primed to go another, why not save the "closer" til the other pitcher gets in trouble. Eades threw one solid inning and obviously could go more (being a starter). If we hadn't scored and the game had gone to extras, he would have been out there probably 5 or 6 innings. But since we took the lead coaches always feel obligated to put the game in the hands of the closer.

Great game though. Man, I can't wait to make it to the Box tomorrow night. I think we can take games 2 and 3.

Tough loss. Hopefully things will be learned about the team and these situations will not be repeated.

I understand your point but if he would have left eades in and he got rocked you would be saying the exact opposite.

So you're saying if JJ lays down that bunt and moves the runner he's gonna let Watkins swing? I doubt that, I'm betting if JJ laid it down then Watkins would have been put in a safety squeeze play

I understand. Cpm is only human, he played the odds with someone who is usually reliable and it didnt work out.

IMO you have to give the ball to an experienced player in that position. If eades would have blown that he might be screwed up for AWHILE, ott will shake it off.

And for the record... as an astros fan I started taking this position on closers when Lidge tried to blow the '05 postseason