The Intelligentsia has a lot of ideas these days about relief pitching and the usage of pitchers in general. What is the point of these ideas? To help baseball teams win games? Or to help intellectuals like Brian Kenny accrue wealth, power and prestige?
What is the fourth principle of SABR Skepticism? Hierarchy, Order and Structure Matters.
Starting pitchers are above relief pitchers in The Hierarchy. Just like jocks are above intellectuals in The Hierarchy. That’s High School 101.
SABRmetrics is, in essence, an attempt by intellectuals to usurp the jocks. It’s time for them to get put back in their place.
An idea that is in vogue these days is that baseball teams should stop designating pitchers into roles – “starter”, “closer,” etc. But the idea of abolishing roles for pitchers fails to take into account that Hierarchy, Order and Structure Matters.
Baseball teams are constructed in the way that they are because of natural hierarchies. The pitchers who are starting pitchers on a given team are better than the pitchers who are in the bullpen. Thus, they pitch more innings. The idea that teams should take their starting pitchers, give them less innings and give the relievers more innings is a highly flawed idea.
Would the relief pitchers who are given more innings necessarily pitch as well if given more innings? Would the starting pitchers who are given less innings necessarily pitch as well if given less innings? Are their statistics a product of the fact that they are pitching in a certain role for a certain amount of outs?
A baseball team’s pitching staff isn’t just a collection of numbers on an Excel spreadsheet. It is an intricate group dynamic made up of various human beings with various personality types and various psychologies. Take that dynamic, apply Brian Kenny’s brilliant ideas to it, and the whole thing could lead to utter chaos.
Here’s the thing. Whatever happens when Brian Kenny’s ideas get put into practice, he sold a ton of books promoting them. They could be – they WILL – be disastrous when put into practice. It won’t matter to him. He’ll still be rich. That’s the point of Brian Kenny’s ideas. They aren’t about helping baseball teams win games. They are about helping Brian Kenny’s bank statement.
Brian Kenny is an intellectual. Baseball players make a lot of money, a lot more money than an intellectual like Brian Kenny ever will. Is he jealous?
Isn’t it funny that Brian Kenny’s main idea, “bullpenning”, is rooted in the idea that a beta male group – relief pitchers – should usurp or at least be made equal to an alpha male group – starting pitchers?
No matter how hard intellectuals try, they will never usurp the jocks. They will never be equal to the jocks. They will always be beneath the jocks. They should just accept it. Bitterness is WEAK!
By the way, Eric Hosmer got PAID, despite the best efforts of the wretched, miserable, pathetic beta males in the SABRMetrics community. Handsomely. Fitting.
Brian Kenny is beside himself with joy this week that a rebuilding team with no chance to win implemented one of his dumb ideas for a couple of games.
“The Opener” is a dumb idea. Make no mistake about it.
What a vote of confidence for the starting pitcher! “You aren’t good enough to get out the hitters at the top of the lineup. You just sit back in the dugout, relax, maybe have some hot tea, let the Super Reliever take care of the tough guys, then you come in and take care of the weaklings at the bottom of the lineup … sound good?”
It’s only a matter of time until “The Opener” blows up. Big time. The Intelligentsia is thrilled this week at the “success” of the Rays’ Sergio Romo strategy from this past weekend. They should chill out. It was two games. And the Rays LOST on Sunday. WEAK! Like analytics.
Lost in the hysteria over Romo this past weekend was this:
Brian Kenny has promoted the idea of using the best relief pitcher you have – referred to by normal people as the “closer” – in “high leverage” spots, instead of saving them for the 9th inning.
“Why not do this?” the SABRmetrics people ask.
Easy.
Hierarchy, Order and Structure Matters.
The closer’s role isn’t just to get his outs in the 9th inning. The closer also protects the other relief pitchers in the bullpen. The closer is the Alpha Male of the bullpen. An Alpha Male protects Beta Males. That’s part of what a leader does. That’s how human civilization works.
Seung-Hwan Oh is The Most Legit Dude in the Blue Jays bullpen. He should be the closer. Instead, on Saturday, he was used in middle relief.
I was a Philosophy Major. Thought Experiment Time!
Let’s say that a team has a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning. The opposing team’s best hitters are coming up. The manager brings in the team’s closer/their best relief pitcher. He retires the side. So, it worked! NOT NECESSARILY.
In the 9th, it’s a 4-2 game. The closer has already been used. The setup man comes in to finish the game. Typically, the setup man pitches knowing that if he stumbles, the closer can come in and clean up his mess. That’s protection.
The setup man walks the first two batters. He’s exposed. He’s not as good as the closer and he knows it. The opposing fans are chanting his name. He hangs a curveball. Three run walk off home run. Game over.
On Saturday afternoon, Seung-Hwan Oh was used in the sixth inning when the Blue Jays had a 4-0 lead over the Athletics. In the 8th inning, Jonathan Axford and Tyler Clippard combined to give up five runs. The Athletics went on to win the game 5-4.
Hierarchy, Order and Structure Matters.
The game of baseball is far more complex than SABRmetricians like Brian Kenny would have you believe.
Psychology Matters.
The game of baseball has been played a certain way for over 100 years. Baseball guys know what their doing. They don’t need your help, Brian. Thanks anyway.
SABR Skeptic 
