What say you about walking A-Rod?

[MSUCostanza]

I don't like it. Bush league. Make a 17ing pitch and get the guy out, he's not invincible.

Now, the tying run is in scoring position.

 

[RobbieRandolph]

I'm also a huge Scioscia fan. When it's that late in the ballgame, it's all about the matchup and Scioscia obviously didn't have faith in his closer versus ARod, and I can't say that I blame him.

Either way, I'm looking forward to game 6.

 

[MSUCostanza]

but I still think it was bush league. ***** move. Pitch to him. If he's been hitting you well, be careful, stay away from him and don't give him anything to hit, but don't just walk him. He's the damn tying run, and you just stuck him at first. That's high school ****. Can't exactly be a confidence-builder for the closer, either.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

To quote Herm Edwards....YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME.

Who is more likely to beat you? A Rod, or any one of the four guys who followed him in the lineup? It's was 100% the right move and one that every single manager from the majors down to low A would have made. No need to piss around with close pitches. Just put him on and deal with the others. It's not bush league or high school. It's common sense. To quote another famous coach....That's baseball.

I seriously can't believe you had a problem with that.

 

[lawdawg02]

Who is more likely to beat you?

in that situation, ARod alone could not beat you. the absolute best he could do is hit a home run to tie you. but, by putting him on, you give someone else the opportunity to beat you.

you cannot bring the go-ahead run to the plate without making the yankees earn it in that situation. it almost blew up in their face last night.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Ok, rephrase. Who is more likely to prevent you from winning when you need one out? A-Rod, or the four guys who followed him?

Answer: A-Rod.

 

[o_1984Dawg]

I'm not sure it was the right move, but I haven't kept up with MLB well enough this year to know how Matsui's been playing. I don't think it's an obvious decision either way.

 

[Todd4State]

they almost lost the game anyway.

I would pitch to him. Here's why- your closer is supposed to be your best relief pitcher. That's why you put him out there in that situation. That's why you're paying him millions- to shut the game down. Closers are also sort of like kickers in football- they can have fragile psyches. By making your closer walk A-Rod, you're essentially saying, "I don't have confidence in you to get this guy out, and do your job". I don't want to mess with my closers head if I don't have to.

A-Rod in that situation is probably going to take at least one strike, which is going to give the pitcher the advantage early in the count if the pitcher can throw a fast ball for a strike.

But by walking A-Rod, you not only put the tying run on base, you also bring the go ahead run to the plate. A-Rod might have been able to steal on Fuentes, get in scoring position, then Matsui (I think) gets a base hit, and it's tied up.

So, I say pitch to A-Rod- but make sure you pitch to him very carefully. I would have probably had my pitching coach go out to the mound to make sure that the pitcher and catcher know the scouting report, and to make sure that everyone on the team was on the same page as to how to attack A-Rod. Then it's a matter of execution.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

In July, yes, you pitch to A-Rod. In October, when A-Rod is on a tear and has already cost you a shot to win a game in almost the same situation with the same pitcher, you walk him. Period. Fuentes was probably 100% in agreement with the decision. He's not a fireballing type closer. He throws low 90s with different arm angles and has a good changeup. And A-Rod is 3-5 with two homers in his career vs Fuentes.

 

[lawdawg02]

but i wouldn't do it. by walking ARod, you open the door to many things that could happen. now your pitcher has to worry about holding the runner at first. so does your first baseman, leaving a big hole for the lefty now batting. you can't risk a pass ball. and any extra base hit now ties the game, with a homer, of course, beating you.

ARod can't beat you in that situation. isn't there a rule of baseball that you don't put the tying or go-ahead run on intentionally late in the game? maybe it's in the book. i pitch to ARod.

 

[Jackdragbean]

are correct in everything you said. Fact is that people don't like it because they enjoy the drama. A smart manager does that every time.

 

[MSUCostanza]

you have to groove him one for Christ's sake. Be careful, pitch around him and see if he'll chase one. Even easier because of the way Fuentes pitches. But to just flat out walk him is a ***** bush league move and reeks of something you'd do in high school when you have one guy on the other team that is a ML prospect and you walk him every time he comes up.

And I'm glad you talked with Fuentes and he told you he was 100% behind the decision. If he's a competitor, he was probably not entirely thrilled to be giving him an intentional walk with the bases empty and 2 out.

Would you still be in agreement if the Yankees had won?

 

[Bdog9090]

In July, yes, you pitch to A-Rod. In October, when A-Rod is on a tear and has already cost you a shot to win a game in almost the same situation with the same pitcher, you walk him.

A-rod is one of the most dangerous hitters in the league (minus what he's done in the playoffs of past because he's hitting very well this post-season). If the angels lose that game, that is it. Fuentes has not been very good against A-rod. So you walk him, and let your closer close the game out around A-Rod.
The thing is, it almost blew up in their faces, but it didn't. If I was Mike, I would have done the same thing.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

And that was the blatant stall tactic the Yankees used to get Rivera in the game. Jeter visits mound. Posada visits mound. Posada steps out in front of plate to "set the defense." Throw to first. Throw to first. OK, Mo is ready now, so go pull Joba.

Look, we're just going to have to disagree on this one. Players get intentionally walked in that situation all the time. Showalter once IBB'd Bonds with the bases loaded and won the game, which is, again, the point of playing, not having a "who's got the biggest pecker contest" with A-Rod. Of course there is risk in putting the tying run on base. But to see if he will chase when you know he most likely will not is basically the same thing as the IBB. And if he chases one and bloops it down the line and ends up on second, then you're in worse shape than you were with the double.Yes, you might also get a weak grounder to end it, but the most likely scenario is that A-Rod will look at ball one and ball two and then know he is being pitched around, and end up on first. So giving the IBB takes that small chance out of play that you give up an extra base hit. In that situation either you pitch to him or you don't. There's no need to mess around. So I say he made the right call. You manage to win the game, and you are much more likely to find an out from Matsui, Cano, or Swisher than A-Roid. As is turned out, it took it all the way to the limit, literally, with 3-2 on Swisher. And yes, I would have supported that decision even if the Yankees had won. You just can't let A-Rod tie the game right there. You just can't.

I couldn't get in touch with Fuentes last night. I guess he was on the phone with you telling you that he was a competitor and wanted to pitch to A-Rod.

That being said, I thought pulling Lackey was a bad call. He still had enough to face Teixiera, and he could have hardly done worse than Oliver. I also didn't understand why he didn't just leave Weaver out there for the 9th. He looked great in the 8th. I also would have tried to squeeze the run in in the 8th to give myself a two run lead. Especially with Rivera, you just aren't likely to get a hit from Figgins.