You can’t keep asking your closer to get 5-out saves. Unless Ziggy is pitching the 9th (which he isn’t), there’s no reason to go to your closer this early. Wuertz can’t face Dye, a righty? Come on.
as long as it’s the exception not the rule. I just see Geren be really reactive a lot, where the moment there’s trouble he’ll rush a couple relievers up as if “who could have foreseen someone might get on base???” He’s often had Bailey up playing catch in 4-5 run games, and it bugs me.
Case in point tonight: Wuertz vs. Dye – great matchup for Wuertz. Just seems like Geren rushes to get the same people in all the time, often before it’s warranted. More of a general peeve than a comment about tonight, where I think overall the game was well managed.
asking why Bailey wasn’t in last night — with a comfortable lead. Happily he was kept out last night so he could be available when he was more needed, like tonight.
no one would even notice if he was pitching 1.2 or 2 innings regularly. And no one would worry about him getting hurt. That’s what setup men do. But if he’s a closer, then folks worry about his arm.
Checking Bailey’s game logs, it looks like Bailey has thrown more than 1 inning in about 1/2 his appearances this season. I don’t think there’s any evidence that pitching that way hurts a reliever’s arm. And since the A’s are pretty bad, he’s not likely to be put into save situations in 3 or 4 straight games.
As for Geren’s reactiveness, I’m fine with what he did tonight. Wuertz isn’t Duke, after all. Although Dye is a good matchup for him, Dye is still a much better player than Wuertz. Facing the middle of their order with the tying run at the plate was the key part of the game, and I’m fine with Geren putting his best against theirs in that situation.
I really didn't mind Bailey getting the call tonight, per se
Just generally, I worry that guys who throw hard and put a lot of strain on their arm (hard cutter, big curve) shouldn’t throw multiple innings that often. But what the heck do I know about pitchers’ health? Not much. (Though probably a little more than the A’s training staff.)
that is the 25-man roster, until Holliday said, “(paraphrasing) I want to be on a winning club. It’s so much more fun!! Best fun in my baseball career.”
the players (Chavez and Zito) were saying, after missing the playoffs for two years, it feels extra sweet to be back again. But now the A’s have had 3 straight losing seasons and counting, the majority of the players on the roster have no idea what the postseason is like.
Hello?
thesteve9x - June 3, 2009
Hello, sir.
Rated-R Superstar - June 3, 2009
Is it me you're looking for?
alox - June 3, 2009
Whoa...where am I?
/blinks
Is this a new thread?
walkoff baltimore chop - June 3, 2009
DON'T BLINK!
ElQuesoCapitan - June 3, 2009
Some creepy statue won't appear, will it?
walkoff baltimore chop - June 3, 2009
No I don't know what you're tal-
ElQuesoCapitan - June 3, 2009
O NOES!
walkoff baltimore chop - June 3, 2009
it's the dawn of a bright new thread
Deborah51 - June 3, 2009
the rest of em are slow, i guess
Deborah51 - June 3, 2009
Let's do this.
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
Nick - June 3, 2009
Let's go bullpen [clap clap clapclapclap]
whiteshoes40 - June 3, 2009
F'n Leopold!
Roomy
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
Could have been a lot Wuertz
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Rated-R Superstar - June 3, 2009
Hey kid
Are you mocking me?
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
No, sir.
Rated-R Superstar - June 3, 2009
LOL
Have the Army recruiters stopped by your school yet?
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
I think I’ve seen them around.
Rated-R Superstar - June 3, 2009
Does a young man good
to get some senseless violence in his life.
alox - June 3, 2009
Now tell him to get the hell off your lawn.
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
You still awake?
alox - June 3, 2009
Ouchie Waa Waa
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
That was a nifty play, Wuertz.
Rated-R Superstar - June 3, 2009
Great paté, but I gotta motor or I'll be late for....
Drag Me to Hell (taking advantage of my wife’s book club to catch a flick she doesn’t want to see).
Route the A’s on to victory!
GreenNGoldSooner - June 3, 2009
Why do I smoke these things?
Nick - June 3, 2009
you two.
Leopold Bloom - June 4, 2009
I wanna see that one
Gonna see Land of the Lost on Friday, but want to find time for Drag Me to Hell as well.
worldblee - June 3, 2009
I love the Sleestacks
( see avatar- Fantasy Football logo since 2003 )
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
Uh oh, Dye is the tying run
worldblee - June 3, 2009
Bailey!
whiteshoes40 - June 3, 2009
SwisherThresher - June 3, 2009
Please explain how you couldn't save money
by just melting some ice cream and pouring some vodka in it.
Nick - June 3, 2009
you sir are a genius
A'sfaninNC - June 4, 2009
Everybody's favorite: the 5 out save.
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
( rolls eyes )
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
bailey rested and ready to go
greenbean - June 3, 2009
I hate this move.
You can’t keep asking your closer to get 5-out saves. Unless Ziggy is pitching the 9th (which he isn’t), there’s no reason to go to your closer this early. Wuertz can’t face Dye, a righty? Come on.
Nico - June 3, 2009
No excuses for Geren here
Must we keep trying to ruin the good guys…
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
Not trying at all. Geren does it effortlessly.
javaball - June 3, 2009
I think on this team, this year
it’s not like we have that many save opportunities. What are the chances we’ll have a lead to protect in the ninth tomorrow afternoon?
Nick - June 3, 2009
I hear ya but we can't ruin a guy because our bullpen stinks
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
Bailey's has pitched on back-to-back days once in the last 3 weeks,
and has pitched in a total of 12 games since the beginning of May.
Nick - June 3, 2009
I'm just not a fan of the 5-out save
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
But you prefer it to the 4-out blown save, I assume
Nick - June 3, 2009
How do you know that will happen?
I guess it’s smart not to have him available tomorrow if there is a close game.
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
My complaint is that I feel Geren panicks too often
“AAHH – get two people up in the pen and have them ready in 30 seconds!! GAAAH, a baserunner, get Bailey up!!!!”
Nico - June 3, 2009
I'm less of a fan
of “my closer always and only pitches in the 9th inning in save situations” than of putting a closer in in the 8th with the tying run at the plate.
Nick - June 3, 2009
I don't mind the 4 or 5 out save,
as long as it’s the exception not the rule. I just see Geren be really reactive a lot, where the moment there’s trouble he’ll rush a couple relievers up as if “who could have foreseen someone might get on base???” He’s often had Bailey up playing catch in 4-5 run games, and it bugs me.
Case in point tonight: Wuertz vs. Dye – great matchup for Wuertz. Just seems like Geren rushes to get the same people in all the time, often before it’s warranted. More of a general peeve than a comment about tonight, where I think overall the game was well managed.
Nico - June 3, 2009
I recall someone on the game thread last night
asking why Bailey wasn’t in last night — with a comfortable lead. Happily he was kept out last night so he could be available when he was more needed, like tonight.
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
If Bailey were a "setup guy" and not a closer
no one would even notice if he was pitching 1.2 or 2 innings regularly. And no one would worry about him getting hurt. That’s what setup men do. But if he’s a closer, then folks worry about his arm.
Checking Bailey’s game logs, it looks like Bailey has thrown more than 1 inning in about 1/2 his appearances this season. I don’t think there’s any evidence that pitching that way hurts a reliever’s arm. And since the A’s are pretty bad, he’s not likely to be put into save situations in 3 or 4 straight games.
As for Geren’s reactiveness, I’m fine with what he did tonight. Wuertz isn’t Duke, after all. Although Dye is a good matchup for him, Dye is still a much better player than Wuertz. Facing the middle of their order with the tying run at the plate was the key part of the game, and I’m fine with Geren putting his best against theirs in that situation.
Nick - June 3, 2009
I really didn't mind Bailey getting the call tonight, per se
Just generally, I worry that guys who throw hard and put a lot of strain on their arm (hard cutter, big curve) shouldn’t throw multiple innings that often. But what the heck do I know about pitchers’ health? Not much. (Though probably a little more than the A’s training staff.)
Nico - June 3, 2009
Besides, what’s the difference between a 70-win season and a 50-win season?
javaball - June 3, 2009
20 games?
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
and ruin a chance to get a good draft pick?
javaball - June 3, 2009
ISWYDT
iglew - June 3, 2009
I think the thought process is that the A's essentially feel
like they can easily use Ziggy in save opps. So it’s like they have two closers.
And Bailey, unlike Huston Street, seems to do fine going to sit down and coming back.
Tyler Bleszinski - June 3, 2009
didn't Ziggy pitch two innings last night?
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
Yeah
He could pitch yesterday and tomorrow.
Nick - June 3, 2009
Yeah and you give him the night off tonight
And come back with him tomorrow if necessary. It’s not ideal, but the A’s don’t exactly have a lot of bullets in the bullpen gun these days.
Tyler Bleszinski - June 3, 2009
could not disagree more
Dye and Thome were the key hitters remaining— so what if it was the 8th— use your best against their best.
Strong, strong move by Geren
jasonthea - June 3, 2009
Davis is having his best game of the year.
Rated-R Superstar - June 3, 2009
Da!
And I’m having my best day this year of speaking Russian.
Nick - June 3, 2009
And he's been picked off
That’s Rajai fur ya!
Nico - June 3, 2009
jinx
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
whoo hoo!!!
greenbean - June 3, 2009
Rajai...
ElQuesoCapitan - June 3, 2009
who's taken over rajai's body tonight?
Deborah51 - June 3, 2009
No takers.
Nico - June 3, 2009
whatever else happens
Kudos to Geren for getting his best reliever in the game in the most critical spot.
jasonthea - June 3, 2009
+1 Right after a walk
Porcupine - June 3, 2009
nice call ump...jerk
Deborah51 - June 3, 2009
Can we stay and watch Geren debate with an umpire?
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
There's a reason this ump is a minor league call up getting a temp spot while someone else is on vacation
Flashfire - June 3, 2009
Cabrera didn't argue - I think he was impressed by Alexi's play
SSs looking out for each other.
Nico - June 3, 2009
Crap, we're facing Buehrle tomorrow
Nick - June 3, 2009
Yeah, he’s 6-1 with a 2.71 ERA.
Rated-R Superstar - June 3, 2009
at least it will go quickly
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
but most certainly not painlessly
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
but they are facing ANDERSON
Future Ed - June 3, 2009
He's not that good against the A's over his career
Though this isn’t your typical A’s offense
Flashfire - June 3, 2009
weird things happen when he faces the A's
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
2 outs...!
whiteshoes40 - June 3, 2009
Dammmmmn.
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
4/5 done for Bailey
1 more to go.
worldblee - June 3, 2009
Done
worldblee - June 3, 2009
2 strikes ON YOUR FEET
GAME!
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
yah!!!1 another 2 game winning streak!!!
Deborah51 - June 3, 2009
Usually we have to be happy with a 1 game winning streak
worldblee - June 3, 2009
and we won't lose the series
worse we can do is a split
Deborah51 - June 3, 2009
Bailey!
worldblee - June 3, 2009
And it only took him 15 pitches for 5 outs
worldblee - June 3, 2009
GAME OVER
ElQuesoCapitan - June 3, 2009
Whoa Bailey! That was fast!
I like it.
whiteshoes40 - June 3, 2009
thank goodness
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
I love winning
We’re all gonna get laid!
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
VICTORY!
ElQuesoCapitan - June 3, 2009
OMG WINZ?!!!
DyeLongJustice - June 3, 2009
glad i was just in time to show up for the end of the game
DyeLongJustice - June 3, 2009
adieu, adieu, to you and you and you.
JJ Martin - June 3, 2009
looks like the A's found an opposing lefty starter that they liked
or at least the 5-9 hitters did
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
I just got home
Did I miss anything? ;)
gigglingone - June 3, 2009
You missed
A VICTORY
ElQuesoCapitan - June 3, 2009
nah, just a win
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
Yawn
Nick - June 3, 2009
so many of them
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
Well as wins go, it WAS pretty boring.
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
We won!
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
It would be fantastic if we could take 3 of 4
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
Buehrle
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
Manle
worldblee - June 3, 2009
which was part of the reason Geren used Bailey tonight in the 8th
This was the winnable situation— tomorrow probably won’t be
jasonthea - June 3, 2009
Good point
worldblee - June 3, 2009
I don't think he's ever really dominated the A's
but this is a different team and a new year. Of course Kenny Rogers never seemed to give us much of a chance.
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
one game at a time
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
Damn Yankees!
ohtobe21likehuston - June 3, 2009
Hell yeah
worldblee - June 3, 2009
Only *9* games under .500!
We are officially awesome.
whiteshoes40 - June 3, 2009
We are officially nearing mediocrity.
Woo!
pam5981 - June 3, 2009
approaching watchability
HRs will do that fer ya.
One won lost won - June 3, 2009
Winning games is kind of cool.
Maybe we should try doing it a few more times.
iglew - June 3, 2009
yah....
Wreckonized - June 3, 2009
you mean --gasp --
winning the game is the point?
OaklandSi - June 3, 2009
quick call Geren
we had it wrong this whole time…and we all thought he was stupid
robbo650 - June 3, 2009
I think closers do better
(and this is only my opinion), if they get into the game in the 8th for a batter or two.
One won lost won - June 3, 2009
Perhaps it did not dawn on the collective "we"
that is the 25-man roster, until Holliday said, “(paraphrasing) I want to be on a winning club. It’s so much more fun!! Best fun in my baseball career.”
One won lost won - June 3, 2009
Back in 2006,
the players (Chavez and Zito) were saying, after missing the playoffs for two years, it feels extra sweet to be back again. But now the A’s have had 3 straight losing seasons and counting, the majority of the players on the roster have no idea what the postseason is like.
javaball - June 3, 2009
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