Ugh.
This is a general rant about Ned Yost & the Brewers. I made it into a game format, though. haha.
Lets play the Ned Yost Managing Game! The names will be left out to protect the innocent.
Question 1: Your team is at home and leading 7-5 in the 8th inning. Your 8th inning reliever was ineffective and loaded the bases with one out. Your LOOGY came on and got the second out of the inning with a sac fly to make the score 7-5. Runners are on first and second with the opposing team's right handed hotshot rookie coming up. The next lefty batter is 6 batters away. Do you:
A) Leave in your LOOGY as he has been your most dependable reliever since the ASB (1.61 ERA in 22 innings), even though the rookie does hit 70 points better against lefties.
B) Use your right handed closer, as he is tied for second in the league in saves and has a 3.02 ERA.
C) Use your right handed changeup specialist, figuring rookies don't like changeups even though he has posted a 6.39 ERA since the All-Star Break
D) Use a hard throwing right hander you recalled from AAA, who did pitch well in AAA but was booed off the mound in his last home appearance before being sent down in April.
Question 2: Your team is on the road and is trailing 5-4 in the 9th inning. You have loaded the bases with two outs against the opposing teams right handed closer who just walked in a run. The opposing teams bullpen is quiet, so it is their closer's game to lose. The right hander in your lefty/righty platoon is coming up to face him. Do you:
A) Leave your right handed platooner in, despite the fact he hits .211 against right handed pitching, has 12 walks all year, and the closer has a .178 BAA for righties.
B) Pinch hit with the left handed platooner, knowing he is only 4-17 against the closer even though he has a .800+ OPS against him. The platooner had also been in a mild slump.
C) Pinch hit with your light hitting utility infielder, who for his career hits .413 with the bases loaded and has a 1.015 OPS.
D) Pinch hit with your starting catcher, who has had mild success (.400+ avg) against the closer.
In case you were keeping score, Ned Yost chose D and A, respectively, and both times it blew up in his (and our) face. These two examples from the past week are not a small sample, and are a large part of the reason why if we don't make the playoffs (and possibly even if we somehow manage to) Ned Yost should be fired. For a guy who claims to play the percentages as much as he claims to, some of the stuff he does is mindbogglingly stupid.
All I ask is for Ned to put the guy on the field who gives us the best chance to win, and time after time this year and in the past he has failed to do that.
Lets play the Ned Yost Managing Game! The names will be left out to protect the innocent.
Question 1: Your team is at home and leading 7-5 in the 8th inning. Your 8th inning reliever was ineffective and loaded the bases with one out. Your LOOGY came on and got the second out of the inning with a sac fly to make the score 7-5. Runners are on first and second with the opposing team's right handed hotshot rookie coming up. The next lefty batter is 6 batters away. Do you:
A) Leave in your LOOGY as he has been your most dependable reliever since the ASB (1.61 ERA in 22 innings), even though the rookie does hit 70 points better against lefties.
B) Use your right handed closer, as he is tied for second in the league in saves and has a 3.02 ERA.
C) Use your right handed changeup specialist, figuring rookies don't like changeups even though he has posted a 6.39 ERA since the All-Star Break
D) Use a hard throwing right hander you recalled from AAA, who did pitch well in AAA but was booed off the mound in his last home appearance before being sent down in April.
Question 2: Your team is on the road and is trailing 5-4 in the 9th inning. You have loaded the bases with two outs against the opposing teams right handed closer who just walked in a run. The opposing teams bullpen is quiet, so it is their closer's game to lose. The right hander in your lefty/righty platoon is coming up to face him. Do you:
A) Leave your right handed platooner in, despite the fact he hits .211 against right handed pitching, has 12 walks all year, and the closer has a .178 BAA for righties.
B) Pinch hit with the left handed platooner, knowing he is only 4-17 against the closer even though he has a .800+ OPS against him. The platooner had also been in a mild slump.
C) Pinch hit with your light hitting utility infielder, who for his career hits .413 with the bases loaded and has a 1.015 OPS.
D) Pinch hit with your starting catcher, who has had mild success (.400+ avg) against the closer.
In case you were keeping score, Ned Yost chose D and A, respectively, and both times it blew up in his (and our) face. These two examples from the past week are not a small sample, and are a large part of the reason why if we don't make the playoffs (and possibly even if we somehow manage to) Ned Yost should be fired. For a guy who claims to play the percentages as much as he claims to, some of the stuff he does is mindbogglingly stupid.
All I ask is for Ned to put the guy on the field who gives us the best chance to win, and time after time this year and in the past he has failed to do that.