"Why can't my best pitcher throw his best pitch?" Topic

Phillies closer won't throw his slider--best pitch he has--becuase the winning run's on third. Explain that one too me please. Doesn't that battery earn millions of dollars to do just that? Throw and catch sliders, getting guys out, and winning close games? You're going to defang your closer in the World Series because you're afraid of a passed ball?

I'd rather loose by letting my best guys do what they're best at and damned the consequences than get all overly defensive and letting them loose by forcing them to what they aren't.

Sort of like the prevent defense--prevent you from winning.

Yep. Well said

"Well said"

Except for the fact I wrote 'too' for 'to'. Lord help me, did I do that?

I saw the Yankees blow a WS doing the exact opposite (ie doing what we agree should have been done ) against Arizona, however.

Probably because Lidge thought he was going to throw it in the dirt, as in no control over the pitch. After that it's hard to make him throw it with any confidence, if at all. So the real question is, why bring him in? Unless of course 'ol Charlie didn't know of the issue until after the fact.

Reminds me a bit of when Robb Nen continued to pitch in the series against the Angels in 2002, despite a blown elbow. He insisted on pitching with that blown elbow and his stuff was substandard. He got his knocked off in game 6 because of it too.

Rob

Managers and pitching coaches are too nice to their 'closers.' Me, if he doesn't throw the slider with confidence, I simply walk out to the mound with a fungo bat and induce an pitching change due to injury.

Amen. If you gonna play in the bigs, you play to win, not simply not to lose.

Looks like there are a few jet planes flying over peoples heads here…easy to talk tough after the game.

All I can say is that these guys want to win more than you want them to win. Nobody goes to bat wanting to strike out or pitches trying to give up hits and homeruns. Nobody does that. It is just part of the game. Some days you do great , some days poorly and other days just mediocre. If you are a star, you get more good days than the average guys. Just a few words of wisdom.