NFT: Why not Betances last night

the Joey Binders comments.

but Clippard has been very good. Always easy to second guess the morning after, but Girardis been right a lot more than wrong with managing the pen this season

do it, especially in a tie game. It's a philosophical difference that you have with them. Imo no one's wrong in that debate.

Plus, there is a reason closers seem to have worse numbers in non-save situations. When players have roles they get mentally prepared for those roles. When they are put in different situations you don't always get the same results. So, while it makes sense what you are saying it doesn't mean it would have resulted in a positive outcome.

for Betances later in a game, so saving him has strategic value.

But you're setting up to use your closer an inning plus in a tie game on May26th. It's a marathon not a sprint.

It's a fundamental difference in how the closer began and how it evolved. While he went off the deep end in his comments, that is what Gossage was trying to say. The had the Fireman award because that's what closers used to do...put out fires. They came in at any situation in the last 1/3 (sometimes 1/2) of the game that the manager thought was crucial. They more often than not came in with inherited runners. And, they often pitched multiple innings.

Today, partly because of agents and FA and partly because of a changing philosophy, closers are almost always relegated to start an inning clean, it is almost always the 9th, and almost always a save situation. The save stat became all too important in determining $$. It also just gets spit back at us that closers today only thrive in those situations.

With a pen like the Yankees, though, it is hard to second guess because they have strong players throughout who have been getting the job done. They will fail sometimes. That is baseball.

But, in general, with most bullpens, I would rather see a closer come in in the 7th or 8th to preserve a lead than in the 9th with a 3 run lead. All the time? No. But, when you feel the game slipping away, yes. In the playoffs? Yes. We got spoiled, though, watching Rivera's saves of more than 3 outs in the post season. That just isn't most closers today.

In comment 13483846 robbieballs2003 said:

Quote:

Plus, there is a reason closers seem to have worse numbers in non-save situations. When players have roles they get mentally prepared for those roles. When they are put in different situations you don't always get the same results. So, while it makes sense what you are saying it doesn't mean it would have resulted in a positive outcome.

Except that 1) Betances isn't really the closer- he's just filling in until Chapman returns and 2) Betances actually struggles more as a closer than he does as a set-up man.

The poster was right, Girardi tried to get too smart by half, and was "following the book" that says you save your closer for when you have a lead instead of recognizing that the situation called for your best pitcher.

I also think that this is a symptom of Girardi's biggest weakness- he absolute mistrust of young relievers. He knows that if he brings in Betances to get the tough out, and the game goes extras, he can use the young guys then. However, Girardi refuses to trust his younger relievers. In addition, even if the game goes 18 innings, the Yanks would be able to farm out guys and get some fresh arms- but since the underlying issue is that Girardi doesn't trust the young guys anyway, he is going to stick to the vets he knows.

This week has shown us what happens when Girardi puts on is veteran reliever blinders and refuses to turn to fresh arms (young pitchers)- look at Warren's struggles over the past week. Clippard has now had several rough outings this week- yet time and time again, he turns to them first.

The Yanks may be running strong now, but if Girardi burns out his bullpen because he doesn't trust the young guys, the bullpen won't be a strength by August.