Tuesday, August 10, 2004

 

Insanity

Tonight Felipe Alou managed his team into a loss.

One of the classic definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting to get a different result each time. By that definition, Alou's handling of the bullpen is insane.

Let's go through the pitching changes tonight.

In the seventh inning, Alou brings in Jim Brower. Brower retires the Pirates in order, impressively. So far, so good.

In the eighth inning, Brower comes back out. He gets Jack Wilson to meekly pop up, thus retiring four batters in a row. Rob Mackowiak then singles rather softly to right field. Then Brower throws the double-play ball, only to have Cody Ransom whiff on it. Two on, one out. Then Brower comes back to strike out Jason Bay.

By all measures, Brower is pitching well.

With the left-handed Tike Redman coming up, though, Alou has to tinker. He knows that his bullpen has been awful. He knows that Brower has good stuff right now. He has no idea what kind of stuff Jason Christiansen might have. But he pulls Brower anyway, and puts in the left-hander, following the robot's book of managing.

Of course, Christiansen blows up. He has nothing. Double, single, three runs in, lead is gone. Christiansen records his one out after that.

Michael Tucker saves Felipe's and Cody's asses in the ninth with a huge two-out solo homer. Game tied!

Going to the bottom of the ninth, the slate is clean. If only the Giants can hold the Pirates scoreless...

So of course Alou brings in Matt Herges. The very guy who they fired from his ninth-inning assignment because he was simply incapable of pitching a scoreless inning. The guy who was replaced by Dustin Hermanson, who has looked quite sharp out of the bullpen. And who is nowhere to be seen in the most important inning of the entire game.

I don't have to tell you that the Pirates scored off Herges. It's a given. There's no other possible outcome when Herges takes the mound in a crucial situation. The man doesn't even deserve a roster spot, let alone a prime assignment like tonight's.

Felipe Alou knew that. And he ran the gas can out there anyway.

Insane.

Jefferson 7:09 PM

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