A fair point, but, based on the responses so far, I'd have to say no one on talksox (so far) is arguing to go with the computer no matter what. And that's my quarrel. Computers are here to stay, but last night Kevin Cash reminded me of the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz: "I haven't got a brain."
Even worse, I'm betting the Rays President of Baseball Operations (or whatever they call him) is fine with a brainless manager as long as he does what the computer tells him to do. They Rays have their systems, and they sticks to 'em. I am of course exaggerating because I certainly don't think Kevin Cash is brainless. Nevertheless, I thought he at least implied last night that he would make the same decision again because computers know better.
We take you back now to Fenway Park 1948 , when Red Sox skipper, Joe McCarthy , elected to go with the rather mediocre journeyman , Denny Galehouse , rather than ace Mel Parnell in a one game playoff with the Cleveland Indians. The results were predictably disastrous. Analytics did not exist back then , but stupidity sure did.
Are you joking? Are you really saying that, short of giving up back to back dingers, Anderson was doing fine out there? He gave up a hard hit double to the same guy Snell had struck out twice in the game and then made a wild pitch. He himself said after the game he did not have good command or good stuff.
Yeah, that's why Mookie broke into a grin when he saw Cash pull Snell--and why his manager smiled back at him--because Anderson in that situation was going to be much tougher than Snell.
I have no doubt that the game plan was to pull Snell after he had pitched to the Dodgers lineup twice, but that's my point. Cash had zero situation awareness and did not care that: Snell was having a career night and had struck out the next three batters all six times he faced them; Anderson was tired; Anderson was not effective against the Dodgers in this World Series; Snell had only thrown 73 pitches.
And while we're on the topic of Kevin Cash's genius and superior situational awareness, please explain to me how in the previous game (when the Dodgers won 4-2 and went up 3 games to 2) Cash decided to leave Glasnow in for 5 innings, 103 pitches, and 4 cotton picking runs, including 2 dingers? And what happened to the "don't let him pitch to the Dodgers lineup a third time" rule? I ask because by my count Glasnow faced 24 Dodger batters (15 outs, 6 hits, and 3 walks). Snell, having a spectacular game, was jerked after facing 18 batters.
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
Well, like I said, the game plan was clearly to ride the bullpen. Since he was not able to get a good game out of Glasnow, it's possible he decided to change his strategy for game 6, when his back was up against the wall. What are you saying - that he has to use the same strategy every day?
And really, we don;t know how much of his "twice through the lineup" plan was based on conversations with Snell, or what he felt he could get out of his pen, or possibly even his desire to use Snell as an emergency reliever the next day.
The bottom line is, none of us really know everything behind why Snell was pulled.
And leave Snell in or pull him out, the Rays only scored one run and were shutout the final 8 innings. THAT was a much bigger factor in losing...
If Cash really said that, he is a raving idiot. As I just pointed out to Notin, how come Cash didn't follow that plan in the previous game when his starter Glasnow went five innings, gave up 4 runs, and faced--wait for it--24 batters.
Cash and the Rays had a great season, especially given their payroll. But that doesn't mean Cash never makes mistakes.