REDREAD (07-26-2020)
the fact that david bell is the reds' manager just because his dad and grandfather were good at baseball is really something.
Well, as I understand it, pitch counts are kept down because if a player hasn't been stretched out enough, they could injure themselves. They have to methodically be conditioned to throw more pitches. So not only pitches for a season are a determining factor but conditioning is also.
Bell used his four best returning relievers. Three of them gave up homers. Hard to blame him for that. Also hard to fume about pulling his starter after six in the guy's first outing of the season. If the bullpen guys don't hang a bunch of curves, everybody goes to bed happy tonight.
I wish he hadn't gone to Iglesias in that situation, but I get why he did. Since it turned out to be another back-breaking HR, I'm hoping he's moved to lower stakes situations.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
Deja vu is getting old, isn't it?
Falls City Beer (07-26-2020)
And to a genuinely bad team, that's the part I really can't get past. Last year they hit 149 HRs in 161 games, truly punchless.
The real 'villain' here, like last year, is Iglesias, who seems to be going full Danny Graves on us now. Though I am upset at whatever the hell pitch that was Lorenzen threw to Cabrera that just sat there up in the zone screaming "hammer me". I don't totally disagree with some of FCB's points (I think there IS something to the psychological profile idea beyond just strikeouts) but Lorenzen, for instance, has an HR/9 under 1.0 as a reliever for the Reds so I don't see how you can just say it's a bunch of guys who give up too many homers and that's that on that.
Maybe Bell is just too nice or something. Start threatening to cough on guys if they give up these dongers or something, put the fear of god into them.
“I don’t care,” Votto said of passing his friend and former teammate. “He’s in the past. Bye-bye, Jay.”
M2 (07-26-2020)
Last year there were 158 qualified relievers in baseball. In terms of GB/FB ratio, Iglesias and Stephenson were #s 146 and 144 respectively. When they allow batted balls, the result is a fly ball or liner about 70% of the time.
Fair to call them extreme fly ball pitchers. And they pitch often at home GABP, sometimes at other parks susceptible to homers. Put them into a key spot, and there’s a meaningful risk of a long ball.
Both high strikeout pitchers. But not at the incredible rate of a Hader or Chapman. The result for the two Reds - a fair number of balls in play; about 70% in the air; and often at a homer susceptible stadium.
With Iggy, add that he pitches so often with the game on the line; the problem is obvious. Numbers will vary each year, and there are other variables to consider - but the issue is clear.
Last edited by Kc61; 07-26-2020 at 01:28 AM.
Falls City Beer (07-26-2020),REDREAD (07-26-2020)
I don't put much blame on Bell for that I do put blame on him for pulling Castillo when he could have gone another inning. I blame management for not completely overhauling the bullpen in the offseason as well. You are only as good as your weakest link and as a team the Reds are not looking too good right now
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