You are the manager...
 

Reds-020 001 0
Cubs-101 001

Freel,cf
Hatteberg,1b
Griffey,rf
Encarnacion,3b
Dunn,lf
Ross,c
Phillips,2b
Gonzalez,ss
Harang,p


Soriano,cf
Izturis,ss
Lee,1b
Ramirez,3b
Jones,rf
Barrett,c
Floyd,lf
DeRosa,2b
Zambrano,p

It is the bottom of the seventh. Harang has struggled a bit and has thrown 110 pitches and has just walked both Soriano and Izturis to start the inning. Harang is scheduled to bat third in the Reds' half of the eighth. What would you do? Reliever? Double switch? Stay with Harang?

Re: You are the manager...
 

If you ever walk Izturis you should be taken out immediatley. Meanwhile, if Sweet Lou bats Izturis 2nd he should be fired immediatley. Murton is going to start OD over Floyd, and bat 2nd.

Re: You are the manager...
 

I bring in Weathers to face Lee. In 16 career AB's Lee has 1 hit against Stormy. I am hopng that his luck continues.

Re: You are the manager...
 

I bring in Todd Coffey. In a very small sample size, Ramirez is only 1-for-9 against Coffey, however, Lee is 3-for-7 with all three hits being singles. Jones has never faced Coffey. Bringing Coffey in in that situation makes the most sense to me - he's a fresh arm with the ability to get the big strikeout needed in that atbat.

Re: You are the manager...
 

Coffey's my guy too. It would'nt matter when the pitcher's slot would come up because you'd probably be burning a PH anyway.

Coffey's your best arm and that situation would probably decide the game. Use him now, and take your chances in the eighth and ninth.

Re: You are the manager...
 

No... actually I am the walrus.

Re: You are the manager...
 

I would pull Harang and bring in Darth Dibble, and pinch hit for him in the next inning.

A double switch is only appropriate when the reliever will pitch more than one inning.

Re: You are the manager...
 

Goo goo g' joob

To answer the question though... wouldn't it would be nice to know who the Reds have in the pen and on the bench? Which pitcher has already pitched on back to back days? Whose pitching for the Cubs in the top half of the 8th and which pitchers do they have available? Who do the Cubs have on their bench who might pinch hit?

Oh well, back to the Magical Mystery Tour...

Re: You are the manager...
 

I'd bring in a reliever. Who? I don't know.

Re: You are the manager...
 

I'd bring in Coffey too. There's no need for the double switch with lots of guys available. Two best hitters due up and both are right handed. Coffey is the most sensible choice. Coffey can pitch the entire inning and then use a PH when it's his turn to bat.

Re: You are the manager...
 

Bring in Coffey and PH for him in the bottom of the inning. He's the best bet against 2 right handers with power given his decent K rate and strong ground ball tendencies. A double play ball is ideal here and Stormy is just a touch homer prone. Saarloos is option #2 if Coffey is unavailable.

Re: You are the manager...
 

The way Aaron's going, he'll be lucky to still be in there after the 3rd inning. The Cubs have demolished the Reds' pitching since the start of the new millennium. My guess is that Saarloos will be seeing a few innings.

Re: You are the manager...
 

santos is the answer

Re: You are the manager...
 

Freel would have never started in CF if I'm the manager, and there's a damn good chance Josh Hamilton would have started in RF instead of Griffey.

Phillips would have batted ahead of Ross, and before Gonzalez.

I think those 3 moves right there would have hopefully gotten us a lead instead of the 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 7th.

But, if I still find myself 3-3, I go to the mound and ask Harang if he can get Lee out, while I get Todd Coffey ready to go in the pen.

Based on Harang's confidence, he either pitches to Lee, or we do some cat and mouse pick off attempts to get Coffey ready.

Re: You are the manager...
 

It's ST..arent the pitchers "working" on things?
That's what people say in regards to young guys(JH) having exceptional ST.