Eric Gagne's consecutive saves record would have been like 150 if the Dodgers had the balls to trot him out there when left handers were due up the next inning.

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You'd be silly to take that bet because it will happen at least once. I agree that you shouldn't arrange your bullpen for the whole year based on one matchup...though that is the primary reason the Sox signed Will Ohamn

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Gagne would come in to pitch the 9th with a lead. Why would it matter if lefties were due up in the next inning?

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If this thread has taught me anything, it has taught me that RH/LH matchups MATTER. Ask Egon Spengler, bringing in Sergio Santos in the 9th inning if there's 2 lefthanded hitters due up is the equivalent of crossing the streams. You don't do that..... unless you need to save the world, I guess.

edit: I think I fucked up the sarcasm there... I should have said something like, Eric Gagne's consecutive saves record would have been like 150 if the Dodgers DIDN'T have the balls to trot him out there when left handers were due up the next inning. doh!

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Yeah, managing baseball games based on situations and matchups....what a novel idea.

edit: novel isn't a strong enough word. What a stupid, crazy, out of the box idea! That's better.

I remember going to Yankees stadium back in 2008.... I saw David Price's MLB debut, it was a splendid game. Once the Rays got within ~3-4 runs with runners on in the 9th, the stadium started blaring Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and everyone got pumped up as Mariano Rivera trotted out there to rain hellfire upon the hapless Rays... but then they got a LH pinch hitter up and the record literally scratched as the needle was yanked from the groove... Joe Girardi frantically ran out to the mound and stopped Mariano in his tracks and said "DUDE! THEY'RE PUTTING A LEFT-HANDED HITTER UP THERE! THEY'RE GOING TO FUCK YOU UP, MARIANO!!!!

Looking with my binoculars, I could clearly see that Joe Girardi had indeed soiled himself, no doubt contemplating the prospects of having a RH closer face LH hitters.

The stadium reacted with fear and loathing, if not outright horror at this prospect of a RHP facing a LH batter... little kids started crying everywhere, storm clouds gathered over the stadium. God parted the clouds and said "JOE, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!?!" and then the tension built up so high you could cut it with a motivated spork. Then, as if something out of a hollywood movie, Damaso Marte rode in on a white horse and belted out "FEAR NOT, GENTLEMEN, I AM LEFT HANDED AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF BASEBALL ACUMEN HAS TAUGHT ME THAT I AM THE IDEAL MAN FOR THIS SITUATION!"

At that moment, at least 10,000 people in yankee stadium came in their pants... their fears were alleviated, for what kind of ruin could await Mariano Rivera if he were to face one or maybe even two left-handed batters?! Baseball as we know it would cease to exist... his career would be over, for all of his previous success was clearly the result of expert-managing that had him avoid left-handed hitters like the plague.... you know the battle-cry... REMEMBER MARK GRACE! REMEMBER MARK GRACE!

(for the record, yes, I was one of the ~10,000 people that came right on the spot. What can I say, it was the mystique and aura)

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I didn't read all that but I did notice the name Mariano Rivera. So in the last two posts you've compared Sergio Santos to Eric Gagne and Mariano Rivera?? Who's next? Goose Goosage? Rollie Fingers? Trevor Hoffman?

The Sox situation is different than other teams. They have a young right hander and a young left hander with electric stuff. There is no reason to call one 'the closer' over the other. Use them both when the situation calls for it. It's not rocket surgery.

How many times do you think it has actually happened? I think you're way overstating the likelihood that such a situation occurs this season.

Anyway, your closer has to be able to get guys out regardless of how they bat. I'm not saying Thornton can't do that. His numbers are similar vs. lefties and righties. But I think you're limiting yourself by putting one of your good lefties in the closer role since there is a far greater likelihood of getting Mauer and Morneau (or others like them) up in a crucial situation over the four inning span between the fifth and eighth than there is in a single inning (the ninth).

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Probably not much last year since the Twins beat up on the Sox quite a bit in 2010

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OK then, for something contemporary look at these 2011 Atlanta Braves. Why the hell is Fredi Gonzalez using RHP Craig Kimbrel as a full-time closer when Johnny Venters is also tearing shit up from the LHP side? In spring training he said that he was going to do a committee with them based on situations, and yet, Kimbrel came out of the gate and looked good and I believe after one save Fredi said that he's decided that the RH Kimbrel is his closer and the LH Venters is his setup man? What the fuck?!

By your logic, that makes no sense... they've got a young right hander and a young left hander with electric stuff. There is no reason to call one 'the closer' over the other. Use them both when the situation calls for it. It's not rocket surgery.

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gagne's was a bum who used hgh/roids to go from buster to star and back to buster

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This is my signature...

Venters has a save this year so it doesn't look like Fredi is afraid to use him in that role when the situation calls for it.

I'm more interested in corner outfield positions being easier to play than first. Maybe Konerko should go out to right and Lillibridge should play first for late inning defensive purposes next time.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

since panther called me a neutron i've gotta be a little bit more controversial...

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I guess we'll see how long Craig (1 blown save in 7 chances) can hold the 'closers' role for the great Fredi Gonzalez. Hopefully he has a longer run than Matt Thornton, Joe Nathan, Ryan Frankin, Drew Storen, Fernando Rodney and Jonathan Broxton (did I miss anyone??).

Craig Kimbrel showed up during the 2010 season...

Craig Kimbrel (2010): 21g 0gs 4w 0l 1sv 0bsv 2hld 0cg 0sho 20.2ip 9h 2r 1er 0hr 16bb 40k 0.44era 1.21whip .125baa
Craig Kimbrel (2011): 9g 0gs 0w 0l 6sv 1bsv 0hld 0cg 0sho 9.1ip 4h 2r 1er 0hr 2bb 14k 0.96era 0.64whip .133baa

I'll take my chances with that.... he's out-marmoling marmol thus far.

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