Bullpen usage

When Bobby first returned to Atlanta from Toronto, he occasionally made situational pitching changes. But Bobby hasn’t seemed to like tactical pitching changes much in recent years. As the OP said, Bobby likes to slot his releivers. He has a closer, a set-up guy or two, a seventh inning guy, and a couple of long relievers. He doesn’t make tactical lefty-righty changes as much as most other managers. When Bobby puts a relief pitcher out there, he almost always intends for the guy to pitch a full inning. It has always seemed to me that the Braves drop some games unnecessarikly because of this, and I have never liked Bobby’s tactical use of his bullpen in more general terms either. But Bobby will soon be a Hall of Fame manager. So I just sit there in front of the TV and wonder about things like this.

I completely agree with the theory, but I don’t necessarily agree with the application. Cox ran four guys out of the pen, not one of them threw strikes. IMO, that’s not a miscalculation. You don’t burn Gonzo in that situation. It’s still the seventh, you’ve already used your other available lefty, and will undoubtedly have to face Howard, Utley, Ibanez again.

I questioned the use of the bullpen a lot last season. I’ll give the argument for Soriano, but I don’t think that was a situation for Gonzo. Second guess Bobby all you want, but the fact is, three professional relief pitchers went out there and not one threw strikes. That’s not Cox’s fault.

I said why not bring in Soriano with the Bases Loaded and 1 out to face Utley and Howard. You needed a strikeout in that situation and Soriano is our best K reliever in the pen. He could have gotten the last two outs in the 7th and let him get 1 or 2 outs in the 8th then bring in Gonzo and let him get a 4 out save. This isnt brain surgery here. I have said for 10 years that Bobby Cox is the worst SITUATIONAL MANAGER In all of baseball. Here is why how many times can we bunt a guy over to 2nd or 3rd or hit the ball to the right side to move the guy over. One of the 1st things u learn as a kid is to bunt it aint hard. Cox’s mis-use of the bullpen cost the braves at least 1 WS title in the 90’s and probably 2.

Well, all tactical discussions of bullpen management nothwithstanding, the elephant in the living room is whether the Braves’ 2009 bullpen is the kind of pen that one sees on a contending team. I hope it is. Obviously, it’s too early to know the answer, though.

Although this was not the issue last night in Philadelphia, I think it ultimately boils down to whether Mike Gonzalez is an elite closer. If he is, the rest of the pen will probably fall into place once Bobby sees what everyone can do. But If he isn’t, the pen will struggle all year. Gonzalez looked like an elite closer in Pittsburgh in 2006 before having to undergo surgery in 2007. Everyone says Gonzalez’s velocity is back now, but it’s pretty obvious to me that he is struggling with his command. Maybe this is just early season jitters.

If Gonzalez can close effectively, then someone from among Soriano, Moylan, or Boyer will soon fall into place as the Braves’ set-up man. Buddy Carlyle is obviously going to be the long man. I don’t think Eric O’Flaherty will last long as the second bullpen lefty, but that role will be filled eventually by Boone Logan or an acquisition..

Even so, I think this pen will have to undergo some adjustments and evolution, possibly painful at times (like last night). I just don’t think Bobby is close to having all the right guys in all the right roles yet.

Anyone else miss Kevin Gryboski and that dirty sinkerball in that 7th inning? Coulda used one of those.

Heck, I would have been all for Lowe coming in just to get us a bloody ground ball.