Torre Throws Another One Away

Early in the season, I remarked that Joe Bumbles costs the Yankees at least 5 games a year as a field tactician. He may now be over his quota this year. Tonight, the Yanks come back to take a 5-4 lead and even though Scott Procter is, as I said a week ago, a 1 inning pitcher at this point, even though he rarely protects a single run lead in his second inning of work, slow Joe insists on sending him out there to give up the tying run, which he accordingly does. The witrh the game tied in the top of the ninth, Posada works a walk, and instead of letting Nick Grene pinch-hit fdor Craig Wilson nd lay down a bunt, he has grene pinch run. Of course Wilson doesn't get the bunt down (is this a surprise) on his first attempt and slow Joe sends not all that fast Grene on a steal, which fails and the Yankees are basically out of the inning. The once Anderson doubles off Meyers (he doesn't get anyone out but Ortiz), Torre brings in Dotel, against whom batters are currently hitting 417 (500 for lefties) which has to be the worst such stat in the majors. If you really can't afford to give up a hit, don't bring it Dotel. Well he immediately gives up a single, which moves the runner to third, and after inducing a pop-up, gives up the sacrifice fly that loses the game (Angels batters hitting .500 against Dotel). Mop didn't pitch the entire Mariners series. Why couldn't he have come in inthe 9th to face the middle of the Angels order? You can always bring in someone else next inning. Perhaps since the top of the order was coming up, they'd be protecting a lead against the bottom of the Angels' order. Mo can be the crucial piece in the late innings without necessarily being the one who saves the game. When failing to show imagination is tantamount to giving up (and that's what the Dotel move was), then it is your responsibility as a manager to do something unorthodox. Status Quo Joe's constitutional inability throw the book away when need be is just one reason he's the worst manager this side of Squidward Tenatacles..err Terry Francona.

Bu any day Curt (Porkpie)Schilling gets rocked by a bad team is a day worth living.