What is Ron Washington thinking?

by Adam J. Morris on Jun 2, 2007 12:25 AM CDT in News

I don't understand Ron Washington's thinking tonight.

After 5 innings, the game is tied at 7. Three of the next four Mariners hitters are lefties.

Ron Washington brings in Wes Littleton, who is much more effective against righties than lefties (733 career OPS against vs. 444 career OPS against).

Littleton retires the first two lefties, and then Mike Hargrove sends Ben Broussard, another lefty, up to pinch hit for Jose Guillen. Littleton gets him out, too.

The Rangers then rally in the top of the 7th to take a one run lead.

To start the bottom of the 7th, Washington pulls Littleton for C.J. Wilson. Wilson faces one batter, the lefty-hitting Raul Ibanez, and then yanks Wilson for Joaquin Benoit. Benoit allows a homer to Sexson, a hard hit single, and then what should have been a homer to Adrian Beltre.

Here's what I don't get...Wilson is your only lefty in the pen. The M's have a bunch of lefties at the top of their lineup. Why burn your only lefty to use against just one batter?

And if you want to use Wilson in that situation, why put Littleton in the game in the 6th at all? With a tie score in the 6th, and lefties coming up, why not put in Wilson then, and let him go against the 1-2-3-4 hitters, three of them lefties? Why only put him in with the lead, and then for just one batter?

This was simply overmanaging. Either you leave Littleton out there for the 6th and 7th, or else you bring in Wilson for the 6th, and then go get Benoit or Littleton after Ibanez. If you aren't going to bring Wilson in to face multiple lefties in the 6th with a tie score, it is asinine to bring him in to face just one lefty in the 7th with a one run lead.

It is as if Washington wasn't going to commit to using his "good" relievers without a lead...if it is a tie game, he's going to run Littleton and Frankie Francisco and Willie Eyre out there. But as soon as the Rangers take the lead, he has to go with the pitchers in their assigned "roles", with Wilson facing the lefty, Benoit handling the 7th, Otsuka the 8th, and Gagne the 9th.

The constant switching back and forth not only wears out the pen faster, and leaves you short-handed if you end up going into extra innings, but it also increases the risk of getting stuck with a guy out there (like Benoit today) who didn't have his good stuff.

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I'm not kidding.....

I'm really starting to think he might be an idiot.

I don't usually get into bitching about the manager. Players win games, but when a guy like me starts to scratch his head 3-4 times a game I really start to worry.

Hopefully it's all part of learning in a wasted season.

by bdavison94 on Jun 2, 2007 12:26 AM CDT 0 recs

So what are you saying?

Besides the obvious "that was a dumb move, Wash", are you starting to question whether he's the right person to manage this team?

"Fire Jon Daniels!" Someone has to start it.

by chief on Jun 2, 2007 12:27 AM CDT 0 recs

just curious...

care to post how would you rank the current bullpen?

just wondering where you would put benoit/frankie/littleton and everyone relative to eachother as far as who you trust.

good analysis, definitely agree. im beginning to wonder why wash brought howe along with him if it wasnt to help him adjust to managing these types of things, because he hasnt been very good at it. although maybe howe just isnt much better.

by DSheppard on Jun 2, 2007 12:30 AM CDT 0 recs

Preach on Brother

While this scenario is perplexing, it bugs me to no end to have managers changing pitchers every other batter. I think LaRussa and Duncan are the worst at this. The more pitchers brought into a game, the higher the probability that one of them will not be on...as you mentioned.

Proud Supporter of the Texas Rangers since 1973

by T Coleman on Jun 2, 2007 12:41 AM CDT 0 recs

Yea, TLR and Dunc suck!

5 playoff appearances in the last 6 years. They obviously do not know what they are doing.....

To Adam's point, he's right. TLR and Dunc would never have made the same decisions.

I wonder if Wash does not have the benefit of our watching this team for a while. IE: no confidence in Littleton, Frankie and too much confidence in Jack Benoit?

by stltxfan on Jun 2, 2007 2:13 AM CDT up 0 recs

This is Wash's M.O.

Remember the game in Houston, the one we lost, when it was tied 1-1 in the 6th and Houston loaded the bases after taking a 2-1 lead? In that situation, in a tight game in a season that was slipping away, Wash went to Feldman even though the really needed a strikeout. It should have been FF or Aki or one of our better relievers, but he went with our worst, they scored 4 more runs, and we lost. He is not a good game manager and I don't think there is much disputing that at this point.

Fire Michael Young and Ron Washington and Vicente Padilla

by pblack on Jun 2, 2007 7:19 AM CDT 0 recs

bullpen

wash's use of the pen reminds me more and more of buck each game... overthinking and trying to get cute with matchups.
For some reason it seems managers dont actually look at numbers to see who is actually better vs lefties and righties they just go with who looks good, or who their gut says to go with.

This is one reason i like bostons manager francona, he has 0 problem bringing in his best reliever (papelbon) in a tight game when he needs a shutdown... he doesn't care if its the 8th or the 9th or even a save situation

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on Jun 2, 2007 8:45 AM CDT 0 recs

Wash seems confused

Didn't Washington say at the beginning of the season, he believed in going with the pitcher that gave them the best chance to get out of the inning? He did neccessarily believe in the Right vs Right matchups etc.... Maybe I am wrong. Can anyone help me with that?

"This is a simple game, you hit the ball, you catch the ball, and you throw the ball."

by lwjr on Jun 2, 2007 9:51 AM CDT 0 recs

New York

Anybody remember the NY series, when he used Mahay for three innings in the first game and CJ for three innings in the second game against a left-handed dominated line up. Luckily they blew out the Yankees in the third game, because if it was close, they didn't have a left-handed reliever to match up with those guys.

Just doesn't make sense

Chris Young/Adrian Gonzalez for Aki Otsuka, the new Sammy Sosa/Wilson Alvarez for Harold Baines

by badradiorules on Jun 2, 2007 12:02 PM CDT 0 recs