Frieri is finished as closer!

[Angel_Fan_4_Life]

Funny how Frieri had an interview earlier this season where he bragged that he worked on and would be incorporating a change-up this year.....um, really????? 

 

Don't know who I'm more pissed off at--Frieri for throwing nothing but heat, or Conger for calling for the fast ball. 

[nando714]

or Conger for calling for the fast ball.

Doesn't Sosh call pitches?

[Jim]

What good is a new pitch if he doesn't use it. BTW, who called for that pitch?

 

Frieri is trash, has been for awhile now. 

[Michael Pellicciotti]

I will give JD the benefit of the doubt concerning the bullpen, even tho I dont think I should have to. Im sure he was counting on DDLR, Burnett and Salas to go along with Smith and Freiri to make up an effective bullpen.

Considering three of those names ar'nt reliable options at this point JD needs to act NOW via trade.

I just dont think Freiri is a championship caliber closer...Freiri in the 7th, Smith in the 8th, new closer.

[Adam]

To be fair, Jaso has 73 career hits - 72 of which are homeruns against the Angels

[mtangelsfan]

I will give JD the benefit of the doubt concerning the bullpen, even tho I dont think I should have to. Im sure he was counting on DDLR, Burnett and Salas to go along with Smith and Freiri to make up an effective bullpen.

Considering three of those names ar'nt reliable options at this point JD needs to act NOW via trade.

I just dont think Freiri is a championship caliber closer...Freiri in the 7th, Smith in the 8th, new closer.

 

If he was then the only one of those I give him a pass on is DDLR.  Why would he count on a guy who didn't throw a pitch last year and a guy who was awful last year?  That makes no sense at all.

[KingJustinian]

Doesn't Sosh call pitches?

That's what it looks like to me. I keep seeing people complain about Iannetta or Conger's pitch selection so maybe I'm wrong.

[eligrba]

this is a ridiculous statement. 

 

Keep watching....I can get even more ridiculous.  I accept your challenge.

[IowaAngels27]

I think we can all agree that Joe Smith is our best reliever. The easy fix here is allow Smith to face the opposition's best hitters.  For example, last night Smith faced 9-1-2 in their lineup.  This caused Frieri to face 3-4-5.  So basically we are having a lesser pitcher face better hitters.  This makes no sense to me.  On this team there should be no "closer."  Smith just needs to be the guy who faces a team's best hitters, whether that be in the 7th, 8th or 9th innings.  This seems to be what the A's do and obviously it has worked so far with Johnson, Doolittle and Gregerson.

[HaloMagic]

What the A's do is have an entire bullpen that is as good as our only good reliever. They don't match up their best pitcher to the other teams best hitters. They throw a dart at a list and send the guy out. And that guy usually mows them down 1-2-3.

[19HALO71]

I just don't understand how he has not developed a change up to go with his nasty fast ball.

[Adam]

I think we can all agree that Joe Smith is our best reliever. The easy fix here is allow Smith to face the opposition's best hitters.  For example, last night Smith faced 9-1-2 in their lineup.  This caused Frieri to face 3-4-5.  So basically we are having a lesser pitcher face better hitters.  This makes no sense to me.  On this team there should be no "closer."  Smith just needs to be the guy who faces a team's best hitters, whether that be in the 7th, 8th or 9th innings.  This seems to be what the A's do and obviously it has worked so far with Johnson, Doolittle and Gregerson.

 

Good post. I think when you have a crap bullpen you gotta go this route. 

[Homebrewer]

Melvin knows how to use the players he has in the best ways to win ballgames.

Scioscia has memorized an inning by inning set formula that he is unable to deviate from.

The results of the two approaches have been pretty obvious for a few seasons now, this is neither new nor startling.

Melvin owns Scioscia, both in close ballgames and in the season standings.

Watch them both manage for a while, and the differences in their approach to the game become more and more obvious.

[Sherlock31]

What happened to that nasty slider we all saw the other night? why kept threw fast ball after fast ball..........

Edited April 15, 2014 by Sherlock31

[WallyWorld]

Melvin knows how to use the players he has in the best ways to win ballgames.

Scioscia has memorized an inning by inning set formula that he is unable to deviate from.

The results of the two approaches have been pretty obvious for a few seasons now, this is neither new nor startling.

Melvin owns Scioscia, both in close ballgames and in the season standings.

Watch them both manage for a while, and the differences in their approach to the game become more and more obvious.

 

people are going to write this off as an anti-Scioscia rant, but it's actually painfully true.

[Homebrewer]

people are going to write this off as an anti-Scioscia rant, but it's actually painfully true.

Most people watch the Angels exclusively. It's hard to compare styles when you only see one.

[bloodbrother]

It is true. Again in the 7th with 1st and 3rd, 2 outs and Santiago on the ropes, Sosh had Kohn and Alvarez warming...not Joe Smith. If Santiago had walked Reddick, we would have seen Alvarez likely come in during that situation(lefty was due up) rather than the teams best reliever in what would have been the biggest spot of the game(bases loaded, trying to protect a 1 run lead). With Smith a lock for the 8th inning anyway with a 3 run lead or less, don't get why he can't be brought in with 2 outs in the 7th in crucial moments. He can't get 4 outs? He can't pitch anywhere but the 8th inning or later, apparently

[KingJustinian]

people are going to write this off as an anti-Scioscia rant, but it's actually painfully true.

It's one of the few criticisms I've seen that is legitimate and has enough visibility for a person not inside the organization to actually judge. It's easy to group it together with the 500 other criticisms that aren't warranted.

[Homebrewer]

A combination of being in the Bay Area TV market (even though I'm 4 hours away from it), and the Angels being out of it early the past few seasons...I have watched a lot of A's baseball. Melvin is amazing in how often he seems to push all the right buttons at the right times in close ballgames. Look at his roster and there is no obvious reason there, to explain why the A's lead the universe in walk off, and come from behind wins.

Melvin is willing to change things up and do what it takes to put the right players in the right spots. After watching Scioscia it looks "unconventional" to some...but the results can't be ignored

[rageous]

You know Frieri is always due for one of his blowup outings 5 or 6 times a year.

It always happens and its inevitable.

It just sucks when he is afraid to throw anything other than his fastball.

You can see Jaso just unload on all of his fastballs even when he fouled them off.

A smart player would have noticed that and used his other pitches.

[Tank]

i just want to add a big giant "ditto" to everything that's been said in this thread.

 

do the right thing, sosh, and stop throwing this guy out there just because.

[Marsaka]

Melvin knows how to use the players he has in the best ways to win ballgames.

Scioscia has memorized an inning by inning set formula that he is unable to deviate from.

The results of the two approaches have been pretty obvious for a few seasons now, this is neither new nor startling.

Melvin owns Scioscia, both in close ballgames and in the season standings.

Watch them both manage for a while, and the differences in their approach to the game become more and more obvious.

 

this is so dead on.  melvin knows exactly who scioscia is warming up, he knows who hes gonna bring in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings, who he is gonna pinch hit for, and he can plan his game according to what scioscia has done the last several years.

 

opposing managers pretty much know what scioscia is gonna do next, he never deviates from his set formula and it gives opposing managers a huge advantage in late game strategy.

[Homebrewer]

To be completely fair to MS, Melvin does this to many managers, not just Scioscia.

[Marsaka]

To be completely fair to MS, Melvin does this to many managers, not just Scioscia.

 

the point was - scioscia pretty much telegraphs all his movies to the opposing teams.  he's so set in his ways, its easy for other managers to strategize around it to their advantage.

[ettin]

yes, Frieri failed tonight, but he's a decent closer. Not a good one because of his propensity for doing what he did tonight more than most closers on teams with playoff aspirations, but probably average or so.

to put this collection of near replacement level players out on the field with this type of team is a massive failure by the front office. Locking down other teams when you take a lead to the ninth or keeping your team close when you are down a run or two is paramount for a team with a good offense and mediocre starting pitching.

I am as much of a saber nerd as anyone and I get that it's not considered a good idea to spend money on a pen, but you just can't allow this to happen for a fourth year in a row.

Doc, what is a good closer from year to year? Approximately 30% of the starting closers for the new season are now out of their jobs? There are others that are not performing well?

Kimbrel, Uehara and Papelbon are all in the dumps at the moment. Young Nate Jones who has a nice young arm is nicely sitting on the sidelines because he choked.

Bullpen arms are incredibly unpredictable. Jim Johnson of the Athletics has choked it big time this season.

If we had acquired any of those arms during the off season the fans would have been happy (except Papelbon). Then two weeks in they would have been upset.

My point is that you can spend money (see Papelbon, Phillies) on a "brand name" closer or you can even call up a hot, fireballing prospect (see Nate Jones, Rondon) and they can all easily fall flat on their face from one year to the next.

That is why Dipoto doesn't spend a lot of money on closers/relievers. It is a financial gamble (see Burnett, Madson). The bulk of a team's payroll should be dedicated towards position players in my opinion, maybe a couple of starters and maybe one or two relievers at most. The rest should be homegrown, cost-controlled talent.