re: Takeaways from the Shriner's Tourney

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if we could find a real closer, move Newman back to set up role

Newman is fine as closer, imo. He's just much better when he starts an inning.

Well, that doesn't help a whole hell of a lot when Paul normally waits to replace a pitcher when they are knee deep in shite

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Well, that doesn't help a whole hell of a lot when Paul normally waits to replace a pitcher when they are knee deep in shite

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That's why it's important to know which guys are better at stranding runners by the time we reach SEC play.

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Maybe he was wrong choice by PM.

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No one here can tell me that as PM was putting in Peterson in the 7th up 2 that it was the wrong choice. Who really thought this?

My point is that using hindsight here doesn't help your argument. You don't have one.

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Put a force at every base the runner at first means nothing. It really is the right baseball play. Newman is good against lefties and righties. Most importantly if he doesn't kick the ball Kramer prolly makes a play and the game goes to extra

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The move goes against the grain, and while it puts a force at any base it also forces a run home if you walk a batter or hit one.

And I'm not focusing on the outcome, I'm focusing on the initial decision which I thought was unorthodox when it was made.

I'm just kicking it around. No one knows what woulda happened if he pitched to the rightie.

I think with 1B open, PM was looking solely at which batter would be the easier out. I'm not sure he considered the possibility of a walk. I do agree that most coaches would have pitched to the RH. But wouldn't necessarily call one approach "wrong".

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I think with 1B open, PM was looking solely at which batter would be the easier out. I'm not sure he considered the possibility of a walk. I do agree that most coaches would have pitched to the RH. But wouldn't necessarily call one approach "wrong

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Exactly, and with a lot of these questions there is no right or wrong, but they are interesting "problems" to knock around.

For all we know in a bilateral world Newman pitches to the rightie and he knocks the ball up into the Crawford boxes.

But any good baseball fan loves to play manager. Pitching strategy, base running strategy, etc. is what make its fun to discuss.

And people need to realize there are no givens. Just because it happened this weekend this way doesn't mean it will always happen this way. Next time Peterson could come out in the same situation and set the batters down in order, or next time Newman is lights out once again.