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Spin off from Maine May Close

holychicken Aug 12 2008 01:54 PM

AFAIK, starting pitchers do some kind of work in between starts. Why not on those days instead of having them work, have them pitch in relief? Or at least be ready to and if they are not needed they can get the work in afterward? I can't see how this would lead to too many innings pitched as they are already slated to be throwing that day. Or is it that when they throw between starts they never really throw as they were actually pitching? Do they just do a long toss?

AG/DC Aug 12 2008 01:58 PM

They do actual throwing, along the lines of warmup pitches. But the high-stress airing it out that pitchers do in a save situation is a different story. They also have only modest control over how many of those high stress pitches they can throw. It's workable, but desperate.

holychicken Aug 12 2008 02:07 PM

AG/DC wrote: It's workable, but desperate. Yeah, well, desperate times call for desperate measures. I am not saying they have to close, but even just an average of a batter a game leads to 54 less innings that the relievers have to throw per year. Could this not make the BP stronger both by giving them more rest AND having, generally, your better pitchers throw more innings? I am calling Manuel right now. What's his number?

metirish Aug 12 2008 02:09 PM

My question would be why has this not been tried before , what manager or GM wants to risk a starter throwing in game pressure situations when it's his day to throw on the side or whatever. I can imagine the outrage when a starter gets hurt.

AG/DC Aug 12 2008 02:17 PM

It has kind of been done before. Occassionally, a team with a starter glut goes to a six-man rotation for a few cycles, with starters available to work out of the bullpen on the third day after their starts --- abailable to work, mind you, but not positioned as the closer. In such cases, an injury or a crapout generally trims the rotation back down to five after a few cycles.

Mendoza Line Aug 12 2008 02:30 PM

When a starter is getting work in on the side, he'd probably be working on the pitches where he's crapped out in recent game situations...if Joe Blow hasn't been getting his curve over for strikes, you'd figure he's throwing his curve on the side during his off days. You wouldn't want him working on his curve in a game situation. If the solution is to get more out of the starting rotation, why not go back to the old-fashioned way - start expecting your starters to go eight or even nine innings instead of six or seven? It's unworkable for Pedro, but may be doable for the others. Especially Santana, who isn't an automatic out at the plate and doesn't necessarily need to be removed for a PH late in the game.

metirish Aug 12 2008 02:38 PM

The Mets are two games out of first , playing rubbish and all but things are not that desperate.

holychicken Aug 12 2008 03:50 PM

metirish wrote: The Mets are two games out of first , playing rubbish and all but things are not that desperate. The BP situation is most definitely desperate. If we wait until we are so far behind in the standings that the position of the team becomes desperate, it will probably be too late. Not saying my idea isn't insane . . . I am just saying, ya know, stuff.

metirish Aug 12 2008 04:38 PM

Hope Bernazard can make a few moves.