Outside The Box

[DOUGHBOYS]

I understand roles in baseball. I don't agree with them, but I understand them.
The two best out making pitchers in baseball are Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel. These two have roles at the back of the game.
Unfortunately, they don't help their teams in their roles as much as they could with a more free thinking Manager.
Craig Kimbrel has one save this month. It's not his fault. He's been lights out this month as he has all year. But only one save opportunity has presented itself this month.

The word 'Save' is silly, really. When Kimbrel comes into a 4-1 game in the ninth inning, a 'save' is child's play. It's not a save as much as it is giving him a stat for the sake of giving him a stat. It's not just Kimbrel, it's all closers.
The Braves started a huge series with the Nationals this week. The first game went extra innings and was won by the Nats. Before tallying the winning run, the Nats had runners on first and third and only one out. I felt THIS was the time where the Braves needed a save. Not in a statistical sense, but in a team sense.
When having weapons like Chapman or Kimbrel, a Manager should be more free thinking in how to use this artillery at the right time. Especially at this time of year. The Braves lost an extra inning game without using their best weapon to prevent the loss.
It's a shame.

The Nationals have done a lot of things right this year.
Pitching Steven Strasburg in five and six inning bursts has been economical enough to have Strasburg pitch well into September.
They gave Henry Rodriguez and Brad Lidge enough rope to hang themselves before settling on Tyler Clippard as their closer while Drew Storen was shelved.
They called up Bryce Harper to give the team a shot in the arm.

One thing they are not doing right, is keeping Harper in the lineup.
Harper is not really helping the Nats now. Especially hitting in the second spot. At this point, he is at best, a platoonable outfielder.
He hit .222 in July. He's worse in August.
For the season, he is hitting just .218 vs. lefties with only four homers in 147 at bats.
The trick will be to lower him in the batting order or start platooning him with little fanfare.
A tough thing to do with all the attention that Harper receives.
With the large lead the Nats have, they have time to make the adjustment before the playoffs begin.
Harper should be a seventh hitter vs. righties and benched vs. lefties.

The playoffs are do or die. It is at this time that we see things we wouldn't normally see during the regular season.
The Yankees have lived or died by the home run this year and look like they'll make the playoffs.
It may seem strange, but maybe they should think about platooning ARod with Eric Chavez when ARod is healthy.
Money aside, Chavez is just the better hitter vs. right handers. Especially in the power department that the Yankees rely so heavily on.
ARod has one homer every 30 at bats vs. righties this year.
Chavez has a homer every 14 at bats vs. righties.
You might think that ARod or Chavez can be dh'ed, but Raul Ibanez also has better stats than ARod vs. righties.
ARod has the clout of his reputation and dollars earned on his side, but if the Yankees want to have a better chance at winning when he comes back, he should be benched vs. most right handers.

Joe Maddon does the best job of all Managers in giving his players the best chance to succeed. He's not afraid of going outside the box and leading off John Jaso or bat Jeff Keppinger in the cleanup spot.
But Maddon has a problem that cannot be fixed by batting orders.
The Rays are a disinterested team at home.
How can you blame them?
They are the best team in baseball that home fans don't come to see and the Rays play up to the level of fans in the seats.
They have more homers on the road and hit a whopping 23 points higher on the road.
It is not surprising that they have a better record on the road than at home.
The Rays leading average among healthy, everyday players is Ben Zobrist's .260 average.
Not good.
One anomaly, if a Rays hitter is slumping, Maddon should hit him in the seventh spot.
In batting spots one-six and eight-nine, the Rays do not have a spot hitting over .240.
But, the seventh spot in the order is hitting .299


If I'm a Manager and have Adam Dunn on my team, I'd most likely lead him off.
Dunn is not a big rbi guy. Sure, he gets them because he hits home runs, but let's face it, when he comes up with runners on, those runners have a very good chance at being at the same base when it is Konerko's turn to hit.
By leading him off, we are utilizing his ability to take a walk more proficiently.
His strike outs would be less of a jolt with the bases empty than with the bases occupied.
Dunn would get better pitches. Pitchers do not like beginning games with walks.
It also would get Dunn up more times during games. Dunn is the White Sox best chance for an instant run.
He should be looked at as a possible instant run which he is.
Not an rbi guy, he just isn't.