Wow. What a trainwreck.
Why did Gabe Kapler take Aaron Nola out of the game on Opening Day? He had only thrown 68 pitches. I didn’t watch the game. Just the highlights on MLB Network. Looking at the box score, though, it looks like he was pitching pretty well.
Was Gabe Kapler just trying to impress Brian Kenny?
“Bullpenning” is Bull-something else. Ya know what I mean?
The game of baseball has been played a certain way for, oh, let’s see, over 100 years. Then along comes Brian Kenny and the intelligentsia to tell us “You’re doing it wrong. We, with no expertise whatsoever in the game of baseball know what’s best.” Do they?
They don’t. Exhibit A – this weekend in Atlanta.
Kapler used the closer – do the Intelligentsia Fail Phillies even have a declared closer? If not, then no one should be surprised by the disaster that unfolded this past weekend – Hector Neris in a non-save situation on Thursday. As Legit Dude Greg Amsinger has said on MLB Tonight, closers in non-save situations is bad news.
What happened? Neris gave up a walk off home run to Nick Markakis! Go figure.
Situation matters.
The Phillies should have won that game easy. Nola should have gone all 9. Dude was on cruise control. Until Arrieta gets there, he’s the Ace. Save the relievers for when the other starters are pitching.
The Phils managed, somehow, to win a game on Friday night. Kapler had to use the entire pitching staff from AAA to get it done, apparently, but they did get a little win there.
The point of baseball though, is not just to win one game. No no no. It’s to win SERIES. Ideally, the WORLD SERIES. That isn’t going to happen in Philadelphia as long as Matt Klentak and Gabe Kapler are running the show. Could Nick Foles maybe run the team? Forget about Carson Wentz. He looks like Prince Harry. Jared Goff looks like Prince William. Or Ryan Gosling. Enough said. Good luck to the Eagles this season when he returns. Everyone will pick them to win the NFC East. Except for me. I’ll be right, again.
Speaking of the World Series, WTF happened last year? The intelligentsia is so proud of the Super Team. Then again, they used to say postseason results are irrelevant. What gives?
Did the Astros win the World Series last year because of Jeff Luhnow’s Super Awesome Plan? Or did they win the World Series because they deviated from that plan?
Who drafted Dallas Keuchel? Not Jeff Luhnow. No no no.
Did the Astros win the World Series last year because Jeff Luhnow and the intelligentsia are Super Awesome? Or did they win the World Series because Dallas Keuchel grabbed Jeff Luhnow by his collar, push him up against the wall and said “I don’t care about your goddamn plan. I’ve got two more years here and I want to win a World Series. Legit. I’m a Legit Dude. Stop hoarding prospects. Go get Justin Verlander. Now.”
Of course Luhnow abided.
Did the Astros win the World Series last year because Brad Peacock was pitching out of the bullpen? Or did they win the World Series last year because Seriously Legit Dude Justin Verlander was pitching like he’s the goddamn King of America?
You tell me.
Justin Verlander wouldn’t have been there if Dallas Keuchel hadn’t called out Jeff Luhnow after he did nothing at the trade deadline like a coward. And the Astros wouldn’t have won the World Series without him. No one’s going to dispute that.
The 2017 Astros were a Legendary team. That’s because of two Ace starting pitchers. Not because of a bunch of intellectuals who are desperate to feel important.
Goodnight intelligentsia.
Why did the Cubs win the World Series in 2016? Is it because the intelligentsia gave Jayson Heyward a $200 million deal because of defense and baserunning? Or is it because Anthony Rizzo has balls, Jon Lester is a Legit Dude, Aroldis Chapman throws the ball 105 miles per hour and Joe Maddon is a goddamn wizard who conjured up a mighty storm just when the Cubs needed a minute to chill out and regroup in Game 7?
You tell me.
Eddie Vedder chillin in the front row in Cleveland helped too. Were Bauer and Tomlin starstruck?
Hall of Fame. Legit Dude.
Bryan Sabean and Dayton Moore built great teams. They deserve a lot of credit for that.
The point of sports is to win championships. The point of sports is not to make people like Brian Kenny and Matt Klentak rich.
Make no mistake about it, Matt Klentak is rich.
He made a terrible mistake hiring Gabe Kapler to manage the Phillies. They should of stuck with Pete. They could’ve hired Legit Dude Dusty Baker to manage the team after Mike Rizzo lost his mind. Instead they hired Kapler because he read “Ahead of the Curve” (sure you are, Brian) and because “Moneyball” got nominated for an Academy Award.
What a joke.
Kapler used so many pitchers in Games 1 and 2. Why did he do that?
Nola could have pitched all 9 in Game 1. Legit. He could have. His arm may have fallen off. I doubt that though.
In case you haven’t noticed, Tanaka’s arm hasn’t fallen off yet. Dude was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the second half last year and he was Big Time in the Postseason in October and Mad Dog Russo will tell you, in case you didn’t know, that BIG GAME MATTERS.
So Game 2 comes around. The bullpen is already stressed. That puts extra pressure on Pivetta. Go figure, 4 innings, 3 earned runs.
The Phillies managed to win that one, but they had to use all their pitchers again.
Now there’s even more pressure on Velazquez in Game 3 to go deep. Go figure, he couldn’t even go 3 and he gave up 7 runs.
A blunder like taking Nola out that early in Game 1 has ripple effects. That’s why the Phillies lost by 13 runs yesterday.
How’s their run differential look, geniuses?
They had a day off today to regroup, but, good luck to them in New York against the Mets. They’re legit.
The point of “Bullpenning” isn’t for baseball teams to win games. No. Just look at the trainwreck in Atlanta this past weekend. The point of “Bullpenning” and ideas like it, is, quite simply, to make Brian Kenny money.
When the Phillies land in New York, ownership should be there waiting for them. They should fire Klentak and Kapler on the spot, and rehire Amaro Jr.
The intelligentsia will giggle. The Phillies will be good though. Like they were before. Like they aren’t now.
SABR Skeptic 