OFFICIAL TLR HEAD SCRATCHER THREAD

[dmarx114]

No lefty to Hermida?

[st.lewis11]

I'm still flabbergasted over the Sunday game at San Francisco last week. He pinch hit Duncan for Barden with the pitcher on deck with the bases loaded, 3 to 1 lead in the 5th inning....after Duncan struck out, Rasmus then subbed for Duncan in the field.....that left our bench with only Larue for the remainder of the game.(along with Ankiel, who wasn't really available yet to play off injury)

[M1IRONMIKE]

No Rasmus in the lineup? WTF If his heel is bothering him put him at DH

[M1IRONMIKE]

Why not leave friggin motte in the game? Reyes comes in to face a righthander because of great history against him? I don't buy into it. How in the [expletive] do we know what history Motte has against him if we don't let him pitch to him

[EastonBlues22]

Why not leave friggin motte in the game? Reyes comes in to face a righthander because of great history against him? I don't buy into it. How in the [expletive] do we know what history Motte has against him if we don't let him pitch to him

I don't think this one is much of a head scratcher. TLR is the matchup king...you just know that going into every series he already has "the most favorable matchups at his disposal" (as well as the "least favorable ones") all mapped out and ready to be put into play whenever the proper opportunity emerges. I put in those quotation marks for the benefit of those of us who buy into the notion of small sample sizes...somehow, I don't think TLR falls under that umbrella.

Obviously, many of us disagree with this particular practice but the TLR's reasoning appears to be fairly obvious.

Alternatively, I may be misinterpreting this thread as a thread intended for truly puzzling situations when it is in fact a thread intended more for venting...in which case I would be unnecessarily raining on your parade. Potential apologies in advance, where applicable.

[fanforever]

Tony brings the kid in to pitch the to victor martinez with the bases loaded...[expletive] you Tony

[InvincibleCakeEater]

Stavinoha hitting with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd with Rasmus on the bench.

[jim]

Stavinoha hitting with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd with Rasmus on the bench.

Perez was in the pen. He figured Stav vs. Smith was better than Rasmus vs Perez. I want Rasmus in there as much as anyone but I'm not bothered by that non-move .. in fact it probably was the right move.

[EastonBlues22]

Tony brings the kid in to pitch the to victor martinez with the bases loaded...[expletive] you Tony

At the time Hawksworth entered the game, our loss expectancy was already 96.2% The bases were loaded, but the situational leverage was about as low as it gets. It's hard to think of a better situation in which "test" your worst reliever while saving (what's left) of your best ones for a game that's realistically winnable.

[jim]

I'll put a caveat on this one .... I take it back if there were physical reasons why Rasmus couldn't finish the game today. If someone knows that this is the case please let me know.

Rasmus sits against lefties pretty frequently, and we hear that Tony is protecting him. Ok, I understand that. Don't agree, but understand. Today, Rasmus is left in the game to face Perez - a pretty tough lefty. Ok, I think I understand that. You are up 2, he's your best defensive player on the team possibly, certainly your best outfield. In that case, you would take a guaranteed out to leave the guy in the game.

But he doesn't. He gets pulled for a right handed hitting player, Greene. How many things don't I understand about that?

1. Why leave a lefty in to face a lefty if you are pulling him for defensive purposes?
2. Why would you think to pull Rasmus for defensive purposes?
3. If you left him in to face the lefty for some kismic reason, why can't he start against lefties?

...

Please tell me Rasmus was just too dinged up to finish the game. My head is going to explode if that is not the case. I just can not imagine what the reason would be if it's not an injury. It simply is so incosistent with so many other baffling moves that I have seen this year.

The thing about the decisions, especially this year, is they have no consistent logic to them at all. It just seems to be one contradiction after another. Bat a pitcher 8th ... I don't care. I actually like it. But 8th one day and 9th the next and 8th for the next 3 etc...? It doesn't matter but it's just pathological. It makes no sense.

Are we winning because of these moves, or in spite of them? I honestly don't know the answer to that question.