Jim Leyland Managing Scared or Smart?

by Adam J. Morris on Oct 3, 2009 6:56 PM CDT Comment 16 comments

Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland peers from the dugout before their baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009, in Detroit. Leyland says people who care about the steroids issue probably don't like baseball. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

6 months ago: Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland peers from the dugout before their baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009, in Detroit. Leyland says people who care about the steroids issue probably don't like baseball. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Flipped over to MLB Network just now. The Twins have won, and so the Tigers have to win to avoid dropping into a tie for first place with Minnesota.

The ChiSox have a 1-0 lead in the 2nd, and Leyland pulls his starter, bringing in lefty specialist Fu-Te Ni to face Scott Podsednik with the bases loaded and one out.

Podsednik hits into a fielder's choice, with a run scoring.

Leyland then goes out to the pen to get Armando Galarraga.

Think about that for a second...Leyland went and got a lefty specialist, to face one batter, Podsednik, in the second inning.

Is that understanding how critical the situation was, and using a high-leverage reliever smartly, if unconventionally? Or is that managing scared, burning your lefty specialist to face a guy who doesn't hit lefties or righties well way too early in the game?

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I don't know if it's managing scared...

…but how about these Tiger announcers? Not only are they talking strictly baseball (I haven’t heard a single pop culture reference yet) but at no point so far have they felt the need to “sell” this Tigers team. I can’t think of a single instance thus far that they’ve justified a mistake or poor performance by a Detroit player or told us what a “great guy” or “real hustler” or “team leader” a Tiger is. Also zero references to anything that happened or was said on a team flight. Just baseball. Just describing the events on the field as they take place. Refreshing.

I have no objection to man walking on the moon.

by Chad Crudup on Oct 3, 2009 7:05 PM CDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

That would get very boring over 162 games.

The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...

by Kinslerhomer on Oct 3, 2009 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not to me...

To me the game’s the thing. Everything else is just window dressing. I’d rather just hear about what’s going on with the game without having to endure Josh Lewin’s verbal diarrhea and the endless promotion of all things Rangers.

I have no objection to man walking on the moon.

by Chad Crudup on Oct 3, 2009 7:59 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

he's only doing his job

and if you’ve listened to many other team’s broadcasts i think you’d realize how lucky we are to have him. besides josh’s stuff doesn’t bother me nearly as much as emily jones pimping out their twitter feed every 6th inning.

by j d on Oct 3, 2009 9:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well Emily is only doing her job too

But that doesn’t matter either. Just because Josh is doing what his superiors want him to do doesn’t mean it’s not annoying.

I have no objection to man walking on the moon.

by Chad Crudup on Oct 3, 2009 9:15 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Josh is broadcasting how he broadcasts

Emily Jones pimping a twitter account isn’t necessary. Commercials can do that

by UNTJosh on Oct 4, 2009 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That really doesn't make much sense, though.

If you just want nothing but the game, why have sound at all? You listen to get a little something extra. I think Lewin is the best in the business, but if you don’t prefer him, that’s fine—it just seems odd to want only strict play by play.

That sounds like horribly boring stuff.

by brettgardner on Oct 3, 2009 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

My main two points were these...

1. They didn’t go out of their way to pump up the Tigers either individually or as a team. When Polanco turned what should have been an inning-ending DP into a run-scoring FC there wasn’t the 90 seconds of rationalization of the miscue that we’ve come to expect from TAG and Lewin.

2. They didn’t spend time between pitches cracking jokes or trying to cram in reasons why we should love the Tigers. The Rangers broadcast often turns into a infomercial for how warm and toasty we should feel about our sparest players.

I have no objection to man walking on the moon.

by Chad Crudup on Oct 3, 2009 11:06 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

i like the way.....

….that the Tigers’ broadcasters admitted that the Detroit team was struggling at the plate.

They didn’t try to blow smoke up my ass by telling me some spare pitcher had pitched a great game or that their guys had hit in to a lot of tough luck outs.

by Hard8 on Oct 4, 2009 2:38 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think he is managing scared

Figaro is getting the spot start. I think both Ni and him are Sept callups. He just didn’t want the game to get out of hand in the second inning.

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year

by RangerMad on Oct 3, 2009 7:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs