RIP former Reds manager John McNamara

[RedsBaron]

McNamara had no business using Schiraldi for 2+ innings.

It was a different era, so some relievers did go longer than they do today. I don't know if Schiraldi had gone that long before in 1986. A quick look at Red Sox stats in 1986 shows that Boston's three best relief pitchers were Schiraldi, Stanley and Joe Sambito. Sambito was not effective in the World Series. Schiraldi did get the first two outs in the 10th, which somewhat supports McNamara's decision to send out for a third inning of work, but after he gave up a hit to Carter, he probably should have been pulled for Stanley, and I would definitely pulled him after he also gave up a hit to Mitchell. Of course, when Stanley came in, he wasn't effective either. Maybe it was the Curse of the Bambino.

[Kingspoint]

It was a different era, so some relievers did go longer than they do today. I don't know if Schiraldi had gone that long before in 1986. A quick look at Red Sox stats in 1986 shows that Boston's three best relief pitchers were Schiraldi, Stanley and Joe Sambito. Sambito was not effective in the World Series. Schiraldi did get the first two outs in the 10th, which somewhat supports McNamara's decision to send out for a third inning of work, but after he gave up a hit to Carter, he probably should have been pulled for Stanley, and I would definitely pulled him after he also gave up a hit to Mitchell. Of course, when Stanley came in, he wasn't effective either. Maybe it was the Curse of the Bambino.

Schiraldi was Boston's version of Iglesias as far as melting down was concerned. He certainly had the ability to go longer having been a Starter earlier in his career. But, at the time, and that's what we are talking about here, he was highly eratic and known to implode the longer you put him in.