Every time Holmes blows a save I think to myself “could this FINALLY be the one that causes Boone-o-matic to realize that his closer is not a closer?” Take away half his MLB-leading blown saves and the Yanks have a healthy lead in the East. Then I say to myself “look how long it took for him to realize that Chapman was a joke”. I can see it now… in an elimination game Cole goes 7 strong innings, Weaver pitches a scoreless 8, the Yanks head to the 9th with a one run lead. In comes Holmes. Out go the Yankees.
Boone is a barely a manager, he follows the script. I would love a real manager, but this is really guided from above. Cashman’s strategy group tells Boone what to do and Cashman is the one that stuck with Holmes.
Upgrading Closer should be the #2 priority this off-season after trying to resign Soto.
True enough. Most MLB teams have the analytics guys run the show.
I think people get fooled by the fact we still call them “managers” but they aren’t doing the same job managers used to do. In he 80s when I started watching baseball, managers were somewhere between 85 and 100 percent in control of all decisions regarding deployment of players in-season and had a huge amount of decision making in terms of the coaching staff. It was still the case that some also had GM roles or a great deal of influence there.
Today managers are largely personnel managers and make no decisions at all strategically speaking. I don’t think John Schneider has any say at all in how the Blue Jays use players and make in-game decisions.
The role of “manager” has changed over the years and has ALWAYS been decreasing in importance. In the early days of baseball managers ran the team entirely. That’s why we call them “managers,” not coaches. John McGraw was manager, GM, hitting coach and fielding coach for the Giants. He had one assistant coach. Today managers are in some cases, like Schneider, just figureheads and button pushers, and the coaching staffs are as big as a dozen men in some cases plus the analytics department.
To some extent this is a money thing. Teams have wayyyyy more money, and there’s more at stake. When John McGraw managed the Giants to one pennant after another, they were averaging maybe 9000 fans a game and had to carefully manage their travel budget so they wouldn’t go bankrupt; baseball was wildly popular and yet incredible unprofitable. It would have been impossible to afford a ten man coaching staff and there’s no way that invesment could have paid off. Today teams are rolling in money and the difference between a playoff appearance or not is measured in millions of dollars, so you can afford a “strength coach,”
This is interesting, and new information. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, for the reasons you elaborate. Are you saying they don’t even make the pitching change decisions? Bunt and steal calls? Bringing in in field in with a man on third and one out in the fourth inning?
if hes smart he ditches anaheim as soon as possible I know a nice team down the freeway …
Not really, no. Pitching decisions might be Schneider’s to make in terms of precisely when to make them, like this batter or the next, but for the most part he’s following a script and told who is available on a given night and who is not, and reliever role is not his call at all.
Things like pulling the infield in are usually pretty cut and dry, and defensive positioning is always something you’ve planned ahead of time. You’ll often see outfielders pull cards from their back pocket that tell them where to play given opposition batters.
You’re welcome for today’s shutout.
I love the fact it was Gil’s first start back.
Also in the old old days, managers made the travel and hotel arrangements. And Connie Mack even owned the A’s. And never wore a uniform, for which he was banned from the playing field. But he did win three pennants in a row. Twice.
Good for Weaver getting his first save in his first attempt. Hope this is the first of many, but there are other guys who should be getting some opportunities as well. I just wish that modern managers would knock off with the “my closer will close all close games until he starts stinking up the joint” routine
You’re double welcome for two straight shutouts.
Pretty cool company for Texas Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford.
He became only the second player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam, an inside-the-park homer and hit for the cycle in the same season.
The other?
Jackie Robinson.
That’s quite a feat for the young man.
Thanks for sharing that tidbit!
Three weeks to go in the regular season. Teams have either 18, 19, or 20 games to play.
Yankees and Orioles have been flip-flopping between first place in the AL East and the first AL wild-card spot. Both appear to be locks to make the playoffs. Red Sox and Rays each will have to make a major move to be a wild-card team.
Guardians held off a charge by the Royals in the AL Central, but have slipped a bit while KC swept the Twins. Royals are 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland and 2 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota for the second WC spot. Twins lead both Detroit and Seattle by 3/12 games for the final WC position.
Houston is 4 1/2 games ahead of Seattle in the AL West and looks to be the favorite to win that division.
Phillies, Brewers, and Dodgers all have comfortable leads and should win their respective NL divisions.
Padres lead the Diamondbacks by 1/2 game for the top NL WC slot, with the Mets and Braves both 1 1/2 games behind Arizona. Mets had a 9-game winning streak snapped yesterday that vaulted them into playoff contention. Cubs are the next closest team in the WC race, but they are 5 games behind the Braves and Mets.
Lots of meaningful games left, obviously. Yanks and O’s have a 3-game series during the last week of the season, while the Padres close the season with 3 games in Arizona.
sounds like the AL is having a time picking who’s going to lose to the Dodgers this year 
Right now the Dodgers and Phillies are tied for the best record in baseball.
Phillies have won 5 of 6 over the Dodgers this season.
The Cubs are doing everything in their power to keep Ohtani from setting the 50/50 mark on their watch. Kept him hitless last night in their 6-3 comeback win, and only allowed a stolen base the night before.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a trio of highlight reel catches in the game.
And the Dodgers committed three errors in the 8th inning which helped the Cubs score five runs to fuel their 6-3 win.
And the Mets end a string of games in which they displayed major offensive ineptitude, in dramatic fashion. After allowing the Blue Jays Bowden Francis to carry a no-hitter into the 9th inning today, they scored 6 in the top of the ninth, aided by home runs by Lindor and Alvarez to win 6-2. Lindor’s leadoff home run on an 0-2 count marked the second time in 4 starts that Francis lost a no-hitter on a leadoff homer in the 9th. He’s the first pitcher to lose 2 no-hitters in the 9th in a single season since Nolan Ryan in 1989.
For a lineup that at times lives up to its offensive capabilities on paper, the Mets’ bats have a habit of going quiet at odd moments. Not a good sign if and when they face really good pitching in the postseason.