The September Giants of Tedium

[DOUGHBOYS]

September used to be my favorite month for sports. Baseball races coming down to the wire. College and professional football starting their seasons. Summer winding down, making the house more inhabitable. A great time.
A few things have happened to make that less so over the years.

September baseball.
With Managers specializing EVERYTHING in baseball, added players and these Managers, have conspired to emphasize the 'drag' instead of the 'race'.
The poorer teams look like spring training teams.
Lineups consisting of 'whose that?' 30 players being used a game. A different pitcher every inning. Not for competitive reasons, but because they can.
Teams vying for playoffs, even worse. They try to keep their lineups intact, but now the lefty-righty matchups after the sixth inning become insane. For every lefty picher, a righty batter. And vice versa.

Let's take a look at a chief offender of September baseball.
Bruce Bochy.
Bochy has gotten props for three World Series Championships. He is a good Manager. No doubt.
Still, Giants fans are treated to boredom with a dessert of tedium after the sixth inning of games.
A constant flow of pitchers from the bullpen to the mound. Makes it great for bathroom time if not wanting to miss a pitch.
Heck, even bladder prone folks won't miss a pitch.

Johnny Cueto threw a complete game for San Francisco in September.
Gold.
Besides that complete game, the Giants have had 17 games in September.
During those 17 games, they have used 102 pitchers! Six per game!
Worse, of those 102 pitchers, 52 threw less than one inning.

From a fan participation angle, how is the Giants fan still in this game?
They are sitting on their hands.
Taking potty breaks.
Concession stands.
Or worse, leaving for fear they won't get enough sleep before going to work the next day.
The Giants have had four games in September under 2 hours and 50 minutes.
2 Hours and 50 minutes, a goal of MLB for game times this year.
Eight of the Giants games have run over three hours.
September Giants games averaging three hours, 17 minutes.

From a strategic point of view, the Giants bullpen is a question mark.
Most know they will only be in for a batter or two.
They have no Closer now.
They don't even have a Closer by Committee.
What they have is what Bochy sees from his point of view.
Arms.
Lefty arms and righty arms.
Ugh.

Bochy has confused September. It is supposed to be a pennant race, not an arms race.
Not surprisingly, the Giants are 7-11 in September.
Last night, a mad, mad Mad Bum was pulled in favor of a mad, madcap bullpen after just 97 pitches.
And predictably, the Giants lost the game.
I think most of us would rather have a mad Bum over the madcap bullpen.
Not Bochy. Not in September. All those options!
All those incredibly bad options.

It's a problem for baseball.
They are such a stickler for that 25 man roster from April to August.
Seems like pulling teeth in getting them to add one extra player for doubleheaders.
Unrelenting.

But September?
Party time!
40 players!
The more the merrier!
C'mon down!

What?
It's a different game. Like said, more like spring training.
It's a game that call-ups and overthinking Managers enjoy.
The rest of us, merely endure.