Has Scioscia lost his mind

[Hubs]

Fletcher is right. Getting hitters out is the most important thing for pitchers to do. I'd also say WHIP is more important for relievers than ERA, because it measures how successful you are at doing just that. Getting guys out. Even if you have a relatively low ERA as a reliever, if you've faced 31 batters and allowed 15 of them to reach base…. you're not doing your job. Most pen's will stabilize and allow a certain percent of inherited runners to score, usually around 1/3. 

 

I don't like it when they bring in a reliever in the middle of the inning to watch him allow inherited runners to score. Yet, when a guy with a relatively low WHIP does it frequently as compared to others, it's more likely a fluke.

 

Jose Alvarez, Frieri, Maronde, Herrera, DDLR and Wall all have really high WHIP's this year. 

 

Alvarez allowed a 1.5 WHIP, but only pitched to 3 batters in 2 games. He allowed 1 hit. 5 inherited runners, 2 scored. 

 

Frieri has a 1.594 WHIP. Has faced 49 batters and recorded 32 outs. 14 hits and 3 walks in 10.2 innings pitched. 0 IR / O IS. Because Frieri has been the closer, he's typically not coming into games with runners on base.

 

Maronde has a 1.8 WHIP. Pitched to 24 batters and recorded 15 outs. 6 hits and 3 walks in 5 IP. 8 IR / 5 IS…Not good Nick. But with the high WHIP means a higher probability these guys would score.

 

Herrera's WHIP is an astounding 2.3333. He's faced 31 batters and recorded 18 outs. Has 7 walks and 7 hits. (1 DP). 0 IR/ 0 IS. He's just not entered games with runners on base. If he had, he'd likely have had a lot of runners score because of the WHIP.

 

Not to be outdone, DDLR has only one appearance, but managed an 6 WHIP. He faced three batters, 1 walk 1 hit, 1 out. Both runners scored. No Inherited Runners.

 

Finally, the highest WHIP on the team goes to Josh Wall. Wall managed to face 11 batters in his two games, recording 3 outs, allowing 3 walks and 5 hits for the other 8. And allowed 6 runs. He has a WHIP of 8. That means on the average, he'd allow 8 runners to reach base in each inning. No Inherited Runners, but he'd certainly have let them score if any existed. Because he has a ridiculous WHIP and that means he didn't do well at getting guys out.

 

The other guys have been good.

 

Kohn has a low WHIP, but he also walks a lot of guys. Faced 58 batters and recorded 42 outs. Walked 10 and allowed 6 hits. 1.143 WHIP. 6 IR / 0 IS. Despite the walks, he hasn't let that many people on base. And because he's getting a lot of outs, he also stranded all of the inherited runners. Including two at 3rd base.

 

Jepsen's is ok at 1.318. Faced 39 batters and recorded 28 outs. 4 walks and 7 hits. Jepsen has had 12 IR and 5 IS. While that's not good, it's not horrible either. In his last three appearances with runners on base, there have been 2 in each. None have scored. 

 

Salas has a good WHIP in the last two weeks, overall it's at 1.285. Faced 49 batters and recorded 35 outs. 7 walks and 8 hits. (1 DP). 6 IR / 6 IS. I know this is what everyone sees, but in the last two weeks, only faced 1 IR and yes he scored. With a relatively high WHIP in the first four series (1.7646) that makes sense. Since then, his WHIP has been 0.83333.

 

Smith has a great WHIP. Faced 50 batters and recorded 36 outs. 3 walks and 9 hits in 12 iP. That's a 1.000 WHIP. Has not has any inherited runners on base.

 

Shoemaker managed a 1.2 WHIP while he was here. Faced 28 batters and recorded 20 outs. 3 walks and 6 hits in 6.2 IP. Had 2 IR and 0 IS.

 

A good WHIP will lead to lower Inherited Runners Scoring. Right now if I am Scioscia though and have to pull someone in the middle of an inning, I'm going to Jepsen or Kohn instead of Salas, but Salas would be the guy if it's a lefty at bat. There are so many stats, and so many different ways to use them.

[Jay]

I DON'T CARE IF WE WON, SCIOSCIA SUCKS

[Blarg]

I love Jeff Fletcher.

Ok, not in that way, I mean his observations and writing. What do you guys think I am, an A's fan?

[Blarg]

Hubs, quit wasting blog articles in threads.

[seenoevil]

God I love winning! Light it up baby ! yeaaaaahh!

[YouthofToday]

Preventing inherited runners from scoring is NOT a skill.

Striking players out and preventing a ball from entering the field of play is. Not walking dudes is a skill. Getting a high % if ground balls can be a skill.

This isn't JV high school baseball where a pitcher can't pitch out of the stretch...

Edited May 1, 2014 by YouthofToday

[Homebrewer]

Preventing inherited runners from scoring is NOT a skill.

Striking players out and preventing a ball from entering the field of play is. Not walking dudes is a skill. Getting a high % if ground balls can be a skill.

This isn't JV high school baseball where a pitcher can't pitch out of the stretch...

Not walking dudes is a skill

 

The walks are killers. These guys come in terrified of balls put in play, and I don't get that at all, especially from relief pitchers. These guys give up one hit and implode...mostly because they have walked one or two batters before they give up the hit. They get behind in the count, and then try to get cute.

Morin tonight gave up a single because he was throwing strikes, and that runner got doubled up and then a long fly ball followed....and that was 3 outs. I rag on Butchy a lot, and it is mostly because of what I see from his relief pitchers. They seem to pitch scared so often....there is something wrong when so many pitchers show so little belief in themselves.

[Rochambeau]

Morin threw strikes all right and they were hit firmly. His breaking ball was not functioning at all, which would likely be attributed to the fact that he was nervous as hell being his ML debut and all. That's human. And that's what Scioscia has to manage, humans. And he does so based on a career of handling pitchers, from behind the plate now from the dugout. He has to lean on that experience to try to assess how he feels a pitcher will perform on a given night and throughout a long season.

And he was right. Morin in a high leverage situation with the lack of stuff he had last night could have cost us a game. As it is, he picked the perfect time to pitch the kid.

We like to give nicknames around here. So I may start calling him 2XMOY. And I would propose that 2XMOY is more adept at handling pitchers than anyone in our little peanut gallery here.

[mtangelsfan]

It is funny to me how we get so defensive of our own positions, myself included.  "I'm pissed right now and nobody better tell my I shouldn't be!!!"  or "I'm just happy we won and nobody better complain because you will dampen my parade of cheer".

 

In a way, it is what makes AW a really fun place to post, because win or lose, there is still going to be some heated discussion.

[fatkook]

Why does everyone hate Shuck? I think he is great.

[Blarg]

I don't know what you are talking about. We all love guys with a .156 batting average that can bareley get the ball out of the infield.

Why does everyone hate Shuck? I think he is great.

[EDinTUSTIN]

Why does everyone hate Shuck? I think he is great.

I like the kid, he helped out and filled in admirably last season and had a couple of big hits this year. However, long term he just isn't a bona fide major leaguer. No shame in that at all, it is just the case.

[Jay]

Why does everyone hate Shuck? I think he is great.

 

Conservation of hate.  There is a constant amount of hate that is variably distributed.  Recently a good portion of it has been moving back and forth between Freese and Shuck.

[19HALO71]

Even with his horrible lineup and inability to manage his bullpen, Sosh won again. First sweep of the season!!! And Shuck got the Rawlings defensive player of the year and made an amazing catch late in the game.

[yvangelfan]

Why bring up Morin but not use him in ANY of the 3 games so far?

Here is what I have realized.

Scioscia will immediately use a recycled MLB reliever the first game after being called up, but he takes his own sweet time using a rookie. Name even ONE good reason behind that?

 

 

I think Mike "the life coach" waited until yesterday to bring in Morin to alleviate his  nervousness.

 

It was a day game, a bunch of little leaguers were there and we were ahead by 6 runs.

 

Morin still looked super nervous, anyway.

[ABC]

Conservation of hate.  There is a constant amount of hate that is variably distributed.  Recently a good portion of it has been moving back and forth between Freese and Shuck.

 

Why would anyone not like either of those two playing for a team that they route for? I cannot imagine why.

[NrM]

I think this is a contending team, but I will never like Scioscia. 

[Stradling]

Well poozy, that just means your opinions of him will always be taken with a grain of salt. So forgive us in the future if we think you are being to critical of his moves or non moves. I want him replaced after this season as well but I can tell when he makes good decisions, bad decisions or the lesser of two evil decisions.

[NrM]

Well poozy, that just means your opinions of him will always be taken with a grain of salt. So forgive us in the future if we think you are being to critical of his moves or non moves. I want him replaced after this season as well but I can tell when he makes good decisions, bad decisions or the lesser of two evil decisions.

 

He's been frustrating me for far too long for me to change my opinion of him.

[Stradling]

He's been frustrating me for far too long for me to change my opinion of him.

I totally get it. I just think that if you watched any manager over an extended period of time you could feel the exact same way. It also could simply be that you prefer one approach and he isn't that type of manager. You see it as wrong when it is just a difference of styles.

[Troll Daddy]

Poozy has exactly zero managerial experience and wouldn't know a good manager if he was standing right in front of him. I do respect his opinion ... we are all entitled to that.. My guess is that you'll see Mike S. here until his contract expires.

[NrM]

I totally get it. I just think that if you watched any manager over an extended period of time you could feel the exact same way. It also could simply be that you prefer one approach and he isn't that type of manager. You see it as wrong when it is just a difference of styles.

 

Yep.

[NrM]

Poozy has exactly zero managerial experience and wouldn't know a good manager if he was standing right in front of him. I do respect his opinion ... we are all entitled to that.. My guess is that you'll see Mike S. here until his contract expires.

 

How does having managerial experience have anything to do with thinking a manager of a baseball team sucks?

Also how would you know if I have zero managerial experience.

[Troll Daddy]

How does having managerial experience have anything to do with thinking a manager of a baseball team sucks?

Also how would you know if I have zero managerial experience.

 

Ok I'll bite ... tell us all about your managerial experience?

[SoCALkid]

I keep seeing people say "we won" and then basically thinking that ends the argument. I mean, I understand the sentiment. Winning is the only thing that matters. The hows and the whys are irrelevant in the overall scheme of things. Hell, I even sympathize with this line of thinking; If the Angels win, I really don't give a shit how it happened, I'll go to bed happy.

 

That said, it doesn't mean there aren't negative things to discuss, nor does it mean those things shouldn't be discussed. Like, there's a legitimate concern about Weaver not being able to go deep into games. Sure the team won and Weaver got the W which in the end is all that matters, but when looking ahead, his performance thus far has been a concern. That's the biggest issue right there. People are happy the team won this game but are concerned for the future games ahead.

 

Just like this thread. The OP is concerned with Mike's decisions costing the team wins in the future. I don't agree with his post but I'm not going to just say "we won stop complaining!". If we only discussed the positives during wins then this board would get pretty dull and slow down. I mean how much more can you say?

 

"Great win!" "Yay we won!" "LTBU!" "Good job Aybar!". It's all saying the same damn thing and doesn't add any discussion to the forum.

 

LTBU!!! Stop crying