Joe Maddon Is Crazy, And We Love It (Tentatively)
Joe Maddon July 30th. 2010, 8:30am
Last night, Joe Maddon was faced with a very specific situation for the third time in the Tigers series: Runners on first and second, 2 outs in the 7th inning and Miguel Cabrera due up. And for the 3rd straight game, JoeMa intentionally walked Cabrera. And for the 3rd straight game the Rays got Brennan Boesch to end the threat.
But what if the bases had been loaded in the one-run game? Certainly, JoeMa wouldn’t have walked Cabrera then, right? RIGHT!?!…
“Fortunately, there was one base open,” Maddon said. “If there’s none, then you’d have to go after him. And I was even thinking about it, even if it is 3-2, just walk him and let the score get tied and move on from there.”
Unbelievable. Joe Maddon, manager of the 2010 Tampa Bay Rays, would have considered walking Cabrera with the bases loaded in a one-run game.
We can’t even wrap our minds around that thought. And yet, we absolutely believe him. There is gutsy. And there is bat-sh*t crazy. Sometimes we think JoeMa is both.
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Remember when Maddon intentionally walked Josh Hamilton with bases loaded in Texas 2 years ago? Granted, that wasn’t a one run game so it wasn’t quite as batty, but even with a several run lead, how many managers will do that?
Maybe part of the strategy is that you leave the other team so stunned that they can’t take advantage of the situation.
And let’s give props to Brennan Boesch. All he needs to do is get a single or draw a walk one on ONE of these occasions and we’d all be writing about how Maddon is an idiot.
Ha! Which is exactly why we put “tentatively” in the title.
Maybe they should let Boesch bat in front of Cabrera? It would do wonders for my fantasy team (that has Boesch in it….no worries – I was rooting for the Rays to get Boesch out!
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I don’t think you can walk a guy with bases loaded and a one run lead. At some point, you have to have faith in your pitcher that they can get this guy out. Cabrera can mash but at some point you sack up and go after him. Are you telling me Cabrera is better than any pitcher we got? He’s human and while he’s hitting .350 that still means he fails 65% of the time. Go after him!
So, Bonefish Grill Coupons, your telling me that in a on run game with guys on 2nd and 3rd and 2outs, you would rather pitch to the guy with .365 AVG instead of walking him to face the guy who has an .210 AVG? I don’t think sacking up, as you so boldly state, in a situaion like that would be the brightest of ideas.
Ultimately, wouldn’t it depend on a variety of factors? E.g. the batter’s lefty-righty splits (so maybe you greatly improve the odds of getting him out by switching pitchers); whether your current pitcher or someone you can readily bring in has had great success against him.
he said bases loaded.