Originally filed under the "All" subdomain. Sorry. - Jeff
.
WOLF PACK PITCHING
This M's-site article rat cheer has several interesting takeaways for the discerning SSI Denizen. First of all, by "Wolf Pack" the GM is referring to a larger group of SP's -- maybe 7-8 primary SP's -- who go 5+ innings. He's talking about this as a default paradigm. CONTRAST his attitude BEFORE this season, in which he and Servais underlined -- time and time again -- the need for 6.1 innings because the bullpen's job was then consistently do-able.
Here also is Shannon Drayer, not typically the first person to acknowledge such a thing shall we say, underlining it. Shannon has many interesting quotes to follow on, though.
The M's-site article uses the word "evolve" and as you know, the Mainframe has always insisted that --- > the shorter the SP's outing, the better. That "horse" mentality used to manifest itself in 150-180 pitches by the starter. Then that "horse" mentality evolved to 9 innings and Jack Morris' one 10 IP outing in the World Series was remarkable. Then the "horse" mentality was "hand the ball to the closer." Then Craig Wright proved positively that batter #28 is ALWAYS the bane of the starting pitcher.
As Lloyd would say, none of it was ever anything except horse manure. It's a bygone "macho" way of thinking, one that thinks with your stones rather than with your head. ... I guess they saw some things, in this last month of 4-IP starts by scrubs, that opened their eyes. They had a shipload of cruddy pitchers and yet they battled very well. Imagine doing things the smart way, except doing it with good pitchers.
Bottom line for you as an M's fan: if the M's are ready to accept 5th- and 6th-inning RP transitions then that is a huge strategic advantage for them over the other 29 clubs. End of story.
....
Ideal: Ohtani, Paxton, Darvish/Leake, Felix, then maybe Erasmo-Miranda-Moore-MarcO:
THEN we'd be talking about a Dr. D Strat-O-Matic sweet spot on the curve. ... a reliever comes in and gets hit? ... um, so that couldn'ta happened to Miranda? Of course when you do this you want 3 long men in the 'pen: the above plus Andrew Albers and whoever.
Two different things:
(1) Getting your SP KO'ed, and then scrambling batter-to-batter for six innings.
(2) Pulling your SP after 4.0, and then putting in an Andrew Albers or Erasmo Ramirez for a good three IP until the setup guy and closer.
...
"Wolf Pack" is superb Persuasion, as Dilbert would say. Tremendous visual, catches the spirit of the idea accurately, can be re-used indefinitely, like "Little Marco." Wolf Pack is a verbal killshot used against oldtimers who never want anything changed. Dipoto should permanently impress the term onto the coin.
...
Dipoto nobly resists the idea that Felix and Paxton would have logged more innings in another org:
"It's not the fault of a trainer. It's not the fault of a doctor. It's the fault of fate," Dipoto said. "Fate didn't shine kindly on us in the training room this year, but there were also issues that we could have been out in front of both as a medical and training staff, as a coaching staff or as a front office planning staff, and put in the place the ability to absorb some of the innings that we lost."
Enjoy,
Dr D
LAST NIGHT
The starting pitchers and the Twins #2 all blew up early last night and it became a real Wolf Pack game on both sides. Makes one wonder about the "get into the one game playoff and hand the ball to Paxton" scenario. I mean, Paxton is as good as you'll get this side of Sale-Kluber. But...wow. Did not see that coming. - Rick
...you need a KILLER bullpen back end.
We don't have that.
So...this is not a cohesive plan unless he goes out and lands us a real set-up man or closer. TM
But otherwise, I'll cosign that strategy with GUSTO...particularly since our starting rotation is full of creeky, injury-prone guys.
Take note...the Twins' wolfpack game was BAD because their bullpen stunk. The Yankees have the best bullpen in MLB history...and no I'm not kidding or exaggerating. It works for them.
And also you would ideally want more versatile players to go with having no everyday DH. You will need that extra place in the bullpen. Ohtani fits that idea so well. Count him as the extra pitching spot.
If as an organization mandate our farm was/is cultivating 4 and 5 inning SPs, fine. What occurred this year was not due to any long-term planning or organizational philosophy. In fact, it was used out of necessity and some desperation. Given the moderate, at best, success of the wolfpack method, it seems a bit presumptuous to expect it to succeed indefinitely. Adopting this philosophy following the most-used rotation season in organization history and without any system-wide philosophy for its implementation seems classic Ms-style overreaction. Of course I could be wrong, as I frequently am regarding this organization.
One game playoff for all the marbles, sure, throw everyone in sight into the massacre. For sustained, seasonal success, I'll take my chances with a legit, MLB-TM #1-4 stud pitching. We just need to find it. Admittedly easier said than done.