Sunday, June 28, 2009

First guessing

Joe Girardi just brought Mariano Rivera in in the eighth with two on and two out in a one run game. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I support this move 1000%. I just want to be up front about these things. I'm not always second guessing.

**EDIT** Mo got the strikeout. It looked like strike three was a ball inside according to MLB.com's Gameday. Now we'll see how the ninth goes.

**EDIT #2** Mariano just picked up his first big league walk, time on base, and RBI! It's 4-2 Yanks after Mo walks with the bases loaded against K-Rod in the top of the ninth. Here's hoping Tex can ice this one.

**EDIT #3** Mo gave up a dinky two out hit in the ninth before locking it down. Again, at no point was the game more on the line in the ninth than it was in the eighth. That's why you have to be flexible enough to use your best pitcher when it really matters. Tonight, Girardi was, and he was rewarded for it.

**EDIT #4** Just watched the video of Mo's RBI. He took a nice hack at a 2-2 pitch. He certainly doesn't let himself get cheated. Awesome.

**EDIT #5** Mariano Rivera is one of the few athletes to whom I can remain attached on a personal level without the jaded cynicism that seems to permeate my relationships with other athletes. Go watch his ESPN interview. Mo has an almost childlike demeanor throughout. He isn't out there trying to get a message out or trying to deflect criticism (as if there were any). For the best player ever in his role, he practically radiates humility. Indeed, he almost seems embarrased to be interviewed. Yet, he loves talking about the sport he loves playing. I will probably cry when Mo retires.

2 comments:

Lisa said...

I'm with you 1000% on this one, too. Each inning is a fresh start, and you never know what will happen. Of course, you think about how tired the pitcher is getting, and where you are in the batting order--but if something critical is happening you deal with it when it happens, regardless of which inning it is...

Robert Lynch said...

Mariano Rivers FTW. Seriously though, I love it when he gets those four-out saves. Because he can. Because Frankie Rodriguez didn't do it all last year--the year he set the single-season saves record. The difference between K-Rod and Rivera? Rivera is actually good.

Seriously, I was just gonna snipe at the guy, but it really is stupid getting excited about him. Last year Page 2 wrote a great article talking about how the dude had never come in mid-inning, never come in before the ninth, and how he still only saved 92% of his opportunities compared to the 90% that was league average for closers.