Baseball fans - What do you think?

[boomhauer]

Is the system for relief pitchers too coddling? During the Sox game Saturday night, anyone familiar with Gagne knew when he came in the game, it was over. Why couldn't Timlin pitch more than 1 inning? Why couldn't Okajima pitch more than 2 innings?

I've never quite understood this. I realize, you want to have these guys fresh to go for the next game, but should you keep them fresh instead of winning the game? Especially, when it's the Playoffs? When you have a guy as bad as Gagne's been, and you have a guy in the game who's pitching well, why not stick with him?

I'm just a fan, not a baseball guru by any means. I just don't get it.

 

[cccm]

Doesn't this have 2003 written all over it. Isn't that why the last coach is gone because he didn't make the decision to take Pedro out. He left him in and that was the end. When will they realize Gagne is useless to us.

Can we start with conspiracy theories now.......

Everyone I speak with says why didn't Timlin stay in. We would rather take our chances with him than to know the outcome of Gagne.

 

[BunsenH]

The only person in Boston who's happy that Gagne is still on the team is J. D. Drew. He's grateful that Gagne's taking the heat off of him.

 

[emmabelle]

Imagine being Gagne, knowing that everyone thinks you rot!

 

[DrCavin]

Lets hope we see alot more of Gagne

 

[Pea-n-Me]

anyone familiar with Gagne knew when he came in the game, it was over.

You are so right about that. When he came in, I woke up my DH to tell him the Sox were about to lose.

 

[diznygirl]

Well, it's not like the two guys they brought in after Gagne were any good either.....

Managers like to play the percentages too much - putting in a righty to face a lefty for example - instead of just letting a major league pitcher pitch. Who knows what might have happened if Gagne hadn't been yanked with two men on and one out. The next pitch could have been a double-play to end the inning. But they put in Lopez and two runs score......... and its all Gagne's fault. Or the manager's? Or maybe just a talented hitter.

It does look like Francona would rather switch pitchers than wait.

 

[PatsMom]

I went to bed when they put Gagne in. I figured it was all over. DD stayed up until the Sox were way down in the 11th. She finally gave up too. All we can hope is that Daisuke does a better job for us tonight than he's been doing. And that they don't have to go that deep into the bullpen again!

 

[Barbossa]

This is similar to what happened to the Padres. Thatcher was mowing the Rockies down, but we took him out in favor of Trevor Hoffman who promptly let 3 runs score to end the season. Trevor had a good season, and he's one of the great closers of all time, but he'd been shelled the last few games. From the radio talk shows it seems that teams go with the guys who got them there, whether or not they're currently struggling.