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Opening Day Starters

Edgy DC Oct 07 2005 03:40 PM

Something that's bothered me in recent years. Rather stupid, in fact. Throwing the opening day start to the new guy, even if he's your top starter, seems wrong. It should instead, I think, go to the dean of your rotation. Hampton in 2000. Glavine in 2003. Martinez in 2005. We lost all those games also --- giving up one, four, and three first-inning runs, respectively. Each occasion starting the season with the instant queasy feeling that we'd made a multi-year mistake. Yeah, in actuality it can be argued that none of those moves were a mistake. Yeah, such an honor could prove costly if, by the end of the season you've thrown one more start to Bobby Jones than Mike Hampton (a 20% ppoossibility), but opening the season with a tip of the hat to continuity has to be worth something.

Spacemans Bong Oct 07 2005 04:02 PM

You can make a pretty good argument the new guy started because he was the best starter on the team. I'd be shocked if Pedro didn't start opening day in '06.

Edgy DC Oct 07 2005 04:05 PM

Pretty good argument? It's absolutely clear that's why such players got their assignments. They were assumed to be the team's best starters.

Zvon Oct 07 2005 09:57 PM Re: Opening Day Starters

Edgy DC wrote: Something that's bothered me in recent years. Rather stupid, in fact. Throwing the opening day start to the new guy, even if he's your top starter, seems wrong. It should instead, I think, go to the dean of your rotation. Hampton in 2000. Glavine in 2003. Martinez in 2005. We lost all those games also --- giving up one, four, and three first-inning runs, respectively. Each occasion starting the season with the instant queasy feeling that we'd made a multi-year mistake. Yeah, in actuality it can be argued that none of those moves were a mistake. Yeah, such an honor could prove costly if, by the end of the season you've thrown one more start to Bobby Jones than Mike Hampton (a 20% ppoossibility), but opening the season with a tip of the hat to continuity has to be worth something. What are you trying to say? That throwing the opening day start to a newly aquired ace is wrong? In any case, Id only be concerned with the home opener.

Edgy DC Oct 07 2005 10:05 PM

Wrong? Absolutely not. Not quite appealing to my taste, rather. Opening day is, in addition to being a game, a relaunching of a tradition, and it's nice when it's initiated by a guy who has been a part of that tradition. But, yeah, the home opener --- for teams that open on the road --- can also serve that purpose.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 07 2005 10:10 PM

I have to disagree with your premise. A manager's job is to try to win as many games as he can. Winning has to supercede sentiment. If it's a close call, give the start to the veteran presence, by all means. But if the young whippersnapper is truly an ace, let the fans see the star of the future in action on opening day.

Edgy DC Oct 07 2005 10:46 PM

Well, I'm talking about what's nice. I understand it's not always necessarily as competive a move as there can be. On the other hand, "Tom Glavine, Future Ace" hasn't been said much in Met annals.