Narron blaming fans and media for switching Coffey to closer?

[CincyReds2003]

http://rotoworld.com/content/story.a...&storyid=22388

After bringing in Esteban Yan in the seventh inning to give up a tiebreaking grand slam in Saturday’s loss to the Cubs, Reds manager Jerry Narron decided hold the media or the fans at fault. It’s hard to tell which.

''Few guys will have the success Todd Coffey had in that role, that seventh- [and] eighth-inning role with guys on base. Or even the sixth inning,'' Narron told MLB.com. ''Todd Coffey did a great job for us. I don't think people appreciated what he was doing. Everyone said, 'Just put him in the closer's role.' This shows you how huge those outs are in those middle-to-late innings.''

Then why’d you make the switch, Jerry? David Weathers had a 3.24 ERA when he was pulled from the closer’s role. He had blown four saves, but the Reds won two of those games. More importantly, Coffey was doing an absolutely brilliant job of bailing starters and relievers alike out of jams. He was the Reds’ lone reliever that Narron should have wanted entering games with men on base. Now he’s being utilized in a role in which he’ll come in with the bases empty the vast majority of the time. The whole bullpen sets up worse, and the Reds are a weaker club as a result. Nicely done.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

http://rotoworld.com/content/story.a...&storyid=22388

After bringing in Esteban Yan in the seventh inning to give up a tiebreaking grand slam in Saturday’s loss to the Cubs, Reds manager Jerry Narron decided hold the media or the fans at fault. It’s hard to tell which.

''Few guys will have the success Todd Coffey had in that role, that seventh- [and] eighth-inning role with guys on base. Or even the sixth inning,'' Narron told MLB.com. ''Todd Coffey did a great job for us. I don't think people appreciated what he was doing. Everyone said, 'Just put him in the closer's role.' This shows you how huge those outs are in those middle-to-late innings.''

Then why’d you make the switch, Jerry? David Weathers had a 3.24 ERA when he was pulled from the closer’s role. He had blown four saves, but the Reds won two of those games. More importantly, Coffey was doing an absolutely brilliant job of bailing starters and relievers alike out of jams. He was the Reds’ lone reliever that Narron should have wanted entering games with men on base. Now he’s being utilized in a role in which he’ll come in with the bases empty the vast majority of the time. The whole bullpen sets up worse, and the Reds are a weaker club as a result. Nicely done.

So insert Coffey into that role for that specific situation, Jerry.

There was no game to for Coffey close by bringing in Yan anyway.

[zombie-a-go-go]

So insert Coffey into that role for that specific situation, Jerry.

There was no game to for Coffey close by bringing in Yan anyway.

Someday this will be common (baseball) sense. Use your best reliever in your tightest situation, no matter what "title" he's been given.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Someday this will be common (baseball) sense. Use your best reliever in your tightest situation, no matter what "title" he's been given.

But that would mean manager's would have to use their own common sense and not the "safe" list of baseball's unwritten rules.

[westofyou]

Someday this will be common (baseball) sense. Use your best reliever in your tightest situation, no matter what "title" he's been given.

You mean one day again... I'll argue that back in the day guys like Jim Bronson and Clay Carroll came in in that exact situation.

I blame the save stat and the Rolainds Fireman award.

[dabvu2498]

I blame the save stat and the Rolainds Fireman award.

Blame big salaries too.

[traderumor]

You mean one day again... I'll argue that back in the day guys like Jim Bronson and Clay Carroll came in in that exact situation.

I blame the save stat and the Rolainds Fireman award.

Wayne Granger, Phil Regan, Cecil Upshaw, Sparky Lyle, early Rich Gossage, Ted Abernathy, Ron Perranoski, Eddie Watt, Wilbur Wood, Jim Brewer, Jim Hughes, Dick Radatz, etc.

Our interim pitching coach was even one of those guys who came in early in close games and pitched 2-3 innings if needed.

With relievers' contracts getting larger even in the setup role, such as Bob Howry who just blew threw town, a team who turns a Todd Coffey into a 60s-70s type reliever cannot be far away. But it takes some guts since the minute you go against the grain (Red Sox closer by committee was constantly getting "I told you so-ed" in the media) the scrutiny begins at the first failure.

BTW, with respect to the title of this thread, I think Narron was simply pointing out that he is really thinking that the "closer" idea may not be the best game plan for a bullpen as thin as his.

[puca]

You mean one day again... I'll argue that back in the day guys like Jim Bronson and Clay Carroll came in in that exact situation.

I blame the save stat and the Rolainds Fireman award.

The save stat and arbitration...a deadly mix.

[RedsBaron]

Someday this will be common (baseball) sense. Use your best reliever in your tightest situation, no matter what "title" he's been given.

That is how ace relievers were used until the last couple of decades. In the 1970s guys such as Goose Gossage and Rollie Fingers were not always "saved" for the ninth inning; they were used at the critical part of the game, and if the critical part was the seventh inning, in they came.

[Roy Tucker]

Someday this will be common (baseball) sense. Use your best reliever in your tightest situation, no matter what "title" he's been given.

You'll see good managers do this in the playoffs. They realize when the turning point of the game occurs you need to bring your biggest gun to bear, be it the 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th.

But like others have said, they can't bring Coffey and Weathers into every tight situation. I think this was Yan's test to see how he'd do. He flunked test #1 spectacularly. It will be interesting to see if he gets more chances.

[flyer85]

I think this was Yan's test to see how he'd do. He flunked test #1 spectacularly. It will be interesting to see if he gets more chances.

His track record as a marginal 11th/12th pitcher is well established. He should be kept as far away from high leverage innings as possible. Bringing him in to pitch in those situations is simply playing with matches.

[Chip R]

His track record as a marginal 11th/12th pitcher is well established. He should be kept as far away from high leverage innings as possible. Bringing him in to pitch in those situations is simply playing with matches.

So you pick your poison. Yan or White or Weathers. If Narron would have brought White in and he gave up a hit, people would have been crying for Yan who pitched well in every appearance before that one. He could have gone with Weathers but he's been pretty unreliable as of late and has been fighting a case of tendinitis. I'm not saying Yan is the second coming of Rob Dibble but there weren't/aren't a lot of options in that pen.

[dabvu2498]

His track record as a marginal 11th/12th pitcher is well established. He should be kept as far away from high leverage innings as possible. Bringing him in to pitch in those situations is simply playing with matches.

So is bringing in ________, ________, and/or _________. (Insert Reds bullpen member here.)

[smith288]

His track record as a marginal 11th/12th pitcher is well established. He should be kept as far away from high leverage innings as possible. Bringing him in to pitch in those situations is simply playing with matches.

actually...I can easily control a match that has been lit a-flame. I think putting Yan in is akin to an afternoon stroll in Sadr City, Iraq with a "God Bless America" shirt... But that's just me.

[Chip R]

Someday this will be common (baseball) sense. Use your best reliever in your tightest situation, no matter what "title" he's been given.

So what happens when you have more than one tight situation? Put your best reliever in RF until he's needed again?