The Alex Cora Managerial Decision Thread

[oldtimer]

See, that's the problem with you. I'm serious. You're always doing your homework.

Well, tonight he has left Betts out and since he has been well rested with 2 weeks off, it seems odd to me. Of course Betts may still be injured and that would be different.

[mvp 78]

Well, tonight he has left Betts out and since he has been well rested with 2 weeks off, it seems odd to me. Of course Betts may still be injured and that would be different.

I’m sure he was just napping for those two weeks!

[Kimmi]

This was brought up by a bunch of people on the game thread.

I don't have the answer for why Cora did this, but I am quite sure he had his reasons and it wasn't an oversight. I do wish the media would ask the manager this type of question though.

Of course Cora has reasons for playing Nunez over Holt. And they are valid reasons. We just don't know what they are.

[moonslav59]

See, that's the problem with you. I'm serious. You're always doing your homework.

I've been teaching ESL for 11 years, so I know all about homework and the effects of not doing it.

[Slasher9]

I'm not defending Cora's choice of Nunez over Holt, but here are a few reasons I can think of...

1) Holt's career splits are close to equal vs LHPs and RHPs, so choosing based on this might be misplaced. Holt has hit lefties better than righties over his career (.717 to .693). Nunez has hit RHPs better over his career .743 to ,688. That's a significant reverse split differential.
2) For the many that love to use the "what have you done for me lately" argument, Holt has actually hit lefties way better than righties, so far this season (1.084 v L/ .768 v R). Nunez has been way better vs RHPs this year (.710) than vs LHPs (.413).
3) Last 14 day OPS: Nunez .701 & Holt .603.
4) Neither are plus defenders.

Again, I'm not defending Cora, but I don't see this choice as being a no-brainer. Sometimes the lefty-righty split thing is not as clear as it looks. In this case, both players have career and seasonal reverse splits.

Again....75% of your points are about offense. I don’t care about the offense from either of these 2 choices. 1 of them is a negative 1 defender and the other is a zero defender. I could give a flip about the offense splits....I’m not putting a negative d player in the infield in a game my grounball knuckler is starting.....

[Slasher9]

June 12th
Bringing Kimbrel into the game with a 4 run lead the night after he threw 30+ pitches is borderline negligent by Rookie Manager Cora. with the 25+ bullets he used up in this non save situation we can now consider him a spectator for tonight's game when we very well could need him to protect a 1 run lead. I believe J Kelly was also used the past 2 nights so not sure who will close tonight? with a 4 run lead against the vaunted orioles lineup...terrible 9th inning decision making by our rookie manager.

[mvp 78]

Tough to manage the pen when ERod can’t go more than 5.

[Slasher9]

Tough to manage the pen when ERod can’t go more than 5.

meh. Erod went 5.2.
kelly got us thru 7.
Barnes pitched the 8th.
pretty sure we could have tried someone not named kimbrel for the 9th with a 4 run lead. i would understand it if he hadnt pitched in awhile and needed to get some work in. but he threw 30+ pitches the night before.
negligent managing.

[Station 13]

This is where fuckface Carson Smith is missed. Where is Thornburgh now?

[jacksonianmarch]

Thornburg has been walking a shit ton of players in the minors

[Bellhorn04]

June 12th
Bringing Kimbrel into the game with a 4 run lead the night after he threw 30+ pitches is borderline negligent by Rookie Manager Cora. with the 25+ bullets he used up in this non save situation we can now consider him a spectator for tonight's game when we very well could need him to protect a 1 run lead. I believe J Kelly was also used the past 2 nights so not sure who will close tonight? with a 4 run lead against the vaunted orioles lineup...terrible 9th inning decision making by our rookie manager.

Disagree 100%.

4 run leads can still go away. Closers are used frequently in 4 run lead situations.

You could have the first 2 guys get on in a heartbeat and then the tying run's on deck and you've got Kimbrel up in the pen rushing to get ready.

[moonslav59]

Again....75% of your points are about offense. I don’t care about the offense from either of these 2 choices. 1 of them is a negative 1 defender and the other is a zero defender. I could give a flip about the offense splits....I’m not putting a negative d player in the infield in a game my grounball knuckler is starting.....

Again, Holt is no wonder glove.

[Slasher9]

Disagree 100%.

4 run leads can still go away. Closers are used frequently in 4 run lead situations.

You could have the first 2 guys get on in a heartbeat and then the tying run's on deck and you've got Kimbrel up in the pen rushing to get ready.

i would like to see that stats of a manager using a closer the day after throwing 30+ pitches with a 4 run lead vs a lower tier offense in a mid june game.

[Slasher9]

Again, Holt is no wonder glove.

nope, you are correct. and that is the problem with our team right now. we have NO starting secondbaseman. and this is why i posted in another thread that DD needs to go out and get one.

[SoxHop]

i would like to see that stats of a manager using a closer the day after throwing 30+ pitches with a 4 run lead vs a lower tier offense in a mid june game.

I'm with you on this one. Sounds suspect. Who else was available though? Maybe Johnson who would have been fine for a 4 run lead.