Is there no one in professional baseball who can see that the way bullpens are used today is totally ridiculous? Every team now has a left-handed specialist, a right-handed specialist, a 7th inning guy, an 8th inning guy, and a closer. These roles start in the lowest minors and continue right through the big leagues until a pitcher is brainwashed into thinking that indeed, he is an 8th inning pitcher. Bring this brainwashed hurler into the 9th inning with the game on the line and you just about have to show him in which direction home plate lies. An out is an out, boys!
Modern scoring helps promote this silliness given how the "save" is defined. If a pitcher begins the 9th with a 3 run lead, he can give up two (giving him an ERA of 18.00) and still record a save. Naturally, if one pitcher is designated as the 9th inning guy, this creates a domino effect of "roles." How about this for a role: A relief pitcher's role is to keep getting outs until the game is over, the same role as the starting pitcher!
Nothing illustrates the idiocy of modern bullpen management like a couple of examples that occurred in two different ballgames yesterday.
In the Oriole/Red Sox game, Boston hurler Daniel Bard struck out the side in the top of the 9th. For this sterling performance, he was removed in favor of Scott Atchison who began the 10th. Atchison promptly gave up 3 runs and the Red Sox lost the game. The guy strikes out the side and Terry Francona removes him???
In the Frederick Keys game, Keys reliever Brandon Cooney came on in the top of the 8th to record the final out of the inning and preserve a 7-4 Frederick lead. The Keys then go on to score 8 runs in the bottom of the 8th to go ahead 15-4. Conney pitches the 9th and gets credit for a save! This is because Cooney entered the game with the tying run in the on-deck circle and then finished the game. The tying run wasn't even at the plate! He could have given up 10 runs in the 9th and still been credited with a save.
Give us relief from the modern bullpens.
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