Bernman wrote:Kerb Hohl wrote:This is my favorite thing about baseball. Counsell has managed this game as well as he can given splits/percentages and he’s lost every bet.
Therefore, he’s an idiot.
The only thing you can debate is moving Knebel out of the closers role moved the bullpen up and therefore we won’t even use Jeffress. But that’s what the armchair fans wanted.
Edit: the other debate is pinch-hitting Chacin in the 5th. I get that because you are assuming a long game and that you will use Thames and Shaw later in more important situations.
You're contradicting your supposed philosophy. When it comes to relievers you argue it's antiquated thinking to believe that the later innings mean that much more. Now in regards to pinch hit options you're arguing they do. Try to have a philosophy and stick with it.
He didn't even end up using Thames or Arcia in the game. Instead he uses one of his better hitting pitchers at the beginning of an inning ahead of his leadoff men. You're defending the indefensible. Maybe you could argue it if there were 2 out and nobody on. But there was nobody out. There's an emphasis on clearing your pitcher so he's not up the next inning to largely sabotage an inning. Here Counsell made a choice for it to be partially sabotaged. That first out largely killed a big inning there. Because if the first guy gets on, Cain isn't compelled to run to make things happen, Yelich walks, so you'd have the basis loaded and no out. Then Aguilar doubled which would have cleared the basis and probably led to a 4th runner scoring eventually. That's a swing point in the game. Now the Braves feel fortunate to still be in the game. They're playing with house money.
Maybe the other critiques are unfair, but he at least erred in that way, which is quite significant. Let coaches take their flack for it. They're big boys and getting compensated well. Should be able to handle it. Don't need you to defend them even when they clearly don't deserve it.
Ok, honest question for the people mad that he pinch hit Chacin.
Do you really think he turned to the bench and said “well, I’m really drunk right now, let’s pick out of a random guy on the bench to pinch hit!”
Here was the logic: it’s the 5th inning and Chacin was leading off an inning in front of the top of the order. He’s barely a worse hitter than Arcia and Arcia might be needed as a defensive sub later.
His gamble was Thames/Shaw may be needed with men on base later since they planned to make 3-5 more pitching changes. It failed. But it’s defensible.
I honestly don’t prefer to defend basically everything the Brewers do, but baseball is annoying as hell because if there is ever a negative result, the manager sucks and nobody can see what the attempted decision was.
I do think this was the most questionable decision of the day because it was a very calculated risk. It is just the non-stop disdain at every move which (not this one, but most of) are the best percentage move you can make just because it failed.
