"HE COMPETES, HE'S NOT AFRAID OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN"
said slow Joe of the Yankees newest pitching hope, Tyler Clippard. but evidently Joe is afraid, very afraid. After the yankees jumped to a 5-1 lead in the top of the 6th, Joe inexplicably decided not to send Clippard back out to finish the quality start he was in line for. I say inexplicably for three reasons:
1. Clippard had only thrown 89 pitches. That's alot for five innings, but even at that rate, he would have finished the 6th with 107.
2. A crucial part of being an effective big league pticher is shutting the door on the opposition in the half inning after your team spots you a lead. It's somethng the Yankee pitcheers have been just dreadful at, particularly the dying Moose. This was a great opportunity to test and train that intestinal fortitude that torre brags on Clippard about, since the new lead was a comfortable 4 runs. Why waste the chance?
3. The bullpen is in shambles in case como-Joe hadn't noticed--partly cause they suck, but partly because he makes them suck every stinking night. If you're not going to rest your bullpen when your starter is faring well and you've got a big lead, then you have committed to exhausting them and losing games all August and September as a result. Torre would up using Procter for 2 innings lst night as well as a subpar Bruney (is he getting tired) and a typically ineffective big F.... before closing with Rivera.
Well, let's hope Wang gives us 8 tonight, cause you know Moose will be done in 5.
1. Clippard had only thrown 89 pitches. That's alot for five innings, but even at that rate, he would have finished the 6th with 107.
2. A crucial part of being an effective big league pticher is shutting the door on the opposition in the half inning after your team spots you a lead. It's somethng the Yankee pitcheers have been just dreadful at, particularly the dying Moose. This was a great opportunity to test and train that intestinal fortitude that torre brags on Clippard about, since the new lead was a comfortable 4 runs. Why waste the chance?
3. The bullpen is in shambles in case como-Joe hadn't noticed--partly cause they suck, but partly because he makes them suck every stinking night. If you're not going to rest your bullpen when your starter is faring well and you've got a big lead, then you have committed to exhausting them and losing games all August and September as a result. Torre would up using Procter for 2 innings lst night as well as a subpar Bruney (is he getting tired) and a typically ineffective big F.... before closing with Rivera.
Well, let's hope Wang gives us 8 tonight, cause you know Moose will be done in 5.
posted by joe valente | 5:57 PM
2 Comments:
I saw that same quotation from Torre, and what struck me was that he kept qualifying his praise for Clippard by interjecting "he's young" and "despite his youth" etc. As Joe V. pointed out Seuss style long ago, Torre really is the only manager in baseball who thinks youth is ipso facto a liability.
Last night, Cabrera showed again why he needs to be in the field every single game (despite being young; I know its annoying to see him hold up the game by throwing guys out, but, that's youth for you....)
there is a lot of good feeling around the Yankees right now, but if they can't close the deal against Contreras tonight, it will all be meaningless; to end up with a split against the White Sox would really show that this team is at best going to play .500 ball over the long haul this year. considering who the Yanks are sending out, odds are in chicago's favor unless the offense can put up 7-10 runs.
oh, I forgot to address the specific question of why Torre removed Clipper at 89 pitches; it was so Clippard could "feel good about himself."
I know the results, thanks to the big F, were bad, but I'm struck again by De Salvo's debut game against the Mariners way back; Torre was suspended, so Mattingly let DeSalvo go 7 (with a well under 100 pitch count).
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