The Alex Cora Managerial Decision Thread

[Station 13]

If you need to bring in Kimbrel to face the 9th place hitter, it does speak volumes about Barnes...

 

All Barnes need to do was get an out, even if it meant the game tie up. He put the go ahead run on via base on balls, same s*** as Hembree did the other game. Pathetic all around.

[OH FOY]

That was a weird at bat for Torres, what was really confusing was Vasquez calling 4 Curverballs, out of 5 Pitches.

Almost like thinking 1st was open, so don't challenge a Rookie, face a Vet. in Gardner. Even if you intentionally, unintentionally walk him, and face Gardner, your going to have a hard time Doubling him up. Soon as Barnes fell behind, Vasquez should have challenged the Rookie, looking who's on Deck.

To me on Vasquez, and the Pitch calling. You wanted to put pressure on the Rookie, if you concede the Run, so be it.

Not good to put winning run on base.

Edited May 10, 2018 by OH FOY!

[notin]

All Barnes need to do was get an out, even if it meant the game tie up. He put the go ahead run on via base on balls, same s*** as Hembree did the other game. Pathetic all around.

 

Neither Barnes nor Hembree is much more than an average reliever.

 

If the Sox want to depend on their bullpen - a necessity in today's game - they need more reliable arms in there than just Kimbrel, Kelly and Smith...

[SaleplusKimbrel59]

All I keep thinking about this morning/noon is how Cora could have left in C.Smith, who was having a fine outing, instead of bringing in Barnes then needing to bring in Kimbrel too early, what a s*** show. Let's not get swept today.

[dgalehouse]

Bringing Kimbrel in with the tying run on third with one out in the eighth in early May smacks of desperation. Part of the learning experience for a rookie manager. If you don't trust Barnes , don't bring him in to pitch the eighth with a one run lead in Yankee Stadium. Live and learn. It's a long season.

[mvp 78]

Bringing Kimbrel in with the tying run on third with one out in the eighth in early May smacks of desperation. Part of the learning experience for a rookie manager. If you don't trust Barnes , don't bring him in to pitch the eighth with a one run lead in Yankee Stadium. Live and learn. It's a long season.

 

You can't please everybody I guess.

[jacksonianmarch]

There are plenty of new posters, which I enjoy. It just seems like the posters are here to gripe 95% of the time. Guys, I am a Yankee fan and this year is going to be epic. The sox are damn good. The Yanks are damn good. There's already bad blood spilling over and it's May 10th. Season series is 3-2 Yanks and the Yanks lead the division by 1 game. Each team has had ridiculous runs. Each team has had boneheaded moves and strange failures against poor competition. In the end, both teams have started out gangbusters. The sox are on a 112 win pace. The Yanks are on a 117 win pace. Time to ease off guys and enjoy the ride a bit.

[Bellhorn04]

There are plenty of new posters, which I enjoy. It just seems like the posters are here to gripe 95% of the time. Guys, I am a Yankee fan and this year is going to be epic. The sox are damn good. The Yanks are damn good. There's already bad blood spilling over and it's May 10th. Season series is 3-2 Yanks and the Yanks lead the division by 1 game. Each team has had ridiculous runs. Each team has had boneheaded moves and strange failures against poor competition. In the end, both teams have started out gangbusters. The sox are on a 112 win pace. The Yanks are on a 117 win pace. Time to ease off guys and enjoy the ride a bit.

 

LOL I read some of your posts about Boone in the early going.

[notin]

Bringing Kimbrel in with the tying run on third with one out in the eighth in early May smacks of desperation. Part of the learning experience for a rookie manager. If you don't trust Barnes , don't bring him in to pitch the eighth with a one run lead in Yankee Stadium. Live and learn. It's a long season.

 

Bringing in Kimbrel was the right move there. If you want to get out of that situation, you use the pitcher most likely to get the job done.

 

The only problem was that Kimbrel sucked.

 

I didn't even mind the use of Barnes to start the inning. He was facing the bottom of the order. If he can't be trusted to handle the opposition's weaker hitters, what is his role?

[jacksonianmarch]

LOL I read some of your posts about Boone in the early going.

 

We were under .500 at that point

[Spudboy]

there are a bunch or reasons that Cora was NOT "fine".

i will list a couple.

going to your closer in the 8th inning when he has never in his life gotten a 5 out save is amateurish at best and more likely incompetent. and it's a game in early May. no reason to act so desperate in May. Kimbrell is now wrecked for any 8th inning situations come playoff time.

going to Matt Barnes in a 1 run game vs Yankees (especially at yankee stadium) is a terrible, horrible move.

in case you care about stats: matt barnes vs NYY: 18ip / 18hits / 16 ER / 3hr / 10bb / 1.556 whip / 8.00 era. to use matt barnes in a high leverage situation at Yankee stadium is NEGLIGENT.

 

Why is this?

[Slasher9]

Why is this?

 

just my opinion. baseball is such a mental game. leprechaun now for sure has it in the back of his mind that coming into a dirty 8th inning is not for him. just human nature. not only did gardner stick it in his ass and break it off but a couple batters later judge raped his girlfriend right in front of his face. dude is wrecked for the 8th inning. just my opinion.

[Bellhorn04]

just my opinion. baseball is such a mental game. leprechaun now for sure has it in the back of his mind that coming into a dirty 8th inning is not for him. just human nature. not only did gardner stick it in his ass and break it off but a couple batters later judge raped his girlfriend right in front of his face. dude is wrecked for the 8th inning. just my opinion.

 

Maybe he already was wrecked. He came into a dirty 8th in Game 4 of the playoff series against Houston last year, with a similar lack of success.

[Spudboy]

just my opinion. baseball is such a mental game. leprechaun now for sure has it in the back of his mind that coming into a dirty 8th inning is not for him. just human nature. not only did gardner stick it in his ass and break it off but a couple batters later judge raped his girlfriend right in front of his face. dude is wrecked for the 8th inning. just my opinion.

 

I would prefer that Kimbrel start clean innings but last night he was needed in the 8th. He screwed the pooch. That happens with everyone including Mo against the Sox.

 

Maybe his failure last night will haunt him as you have suggested. He is human. But I have to think that part of what makes this guy great is his confidence and his determination. I don't know how he does what he does most of the time without those traits.

 

In any case, you could be correct. I just want to know why you said that.

[cp176]

I would prefer that Kimbrel start clean innings but last night he was needed in the 8th. He screwed the pooch. That happens with everyone including Mo against the Sox.

 

Maybe his failure last night will haunt him as you have suggested. He is human. But I have to think that part of what makes this guy great is his confidence and his determination. I don't know how he does what he does most of the time without those traits.

 

In any case, you could be correct. I just want to know why you said that.

 

Tough game tough night for a tough guy. I don't think that Kimbrel gets to the level he has gotten to by lacking confidence in anything that he does with a baseball in his hands. If for some reason management felt that the only time that he could be used was in a clean 9th inning, I would sure hope that they would not over pay for him going forward. I don't believe that that is the case though. I'm a big Kimbrel fan.

[Maxbialystock]

Tough game tough night for a tough guy. I don't think that Kimbrel gets to the level he has gotten to by lacking confidence in anything that he does with a baseball in his hands. If for some reason management felt that the only time that he could be used was in a clean 9th inning, I would sure hope that they would not over pay for him going forward. I don't believe that that is the case though. I'm a big Kimbrel fan.

 

The bench called all of his pitches, and they called 7 straight fast balls against Gardner, who inevitably hit the 7th to deep CF. Kimbrel must have his knuckle curve to be effective, so the fault was with whoever called for the fastballs. When he was finally allowed to throw knuckle curves against Gregorius and Stanton, he struck them out. He threw 1 knuckle curve against Judge, the rest were fastballs, including the one he blasted.

 

I thought bringing Kimbrel in was the right move. A big game, a tough situation with men on 1st and 3d and 1 out, a 1 run lead in the 8th. He is by far our best.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Maxbialystock

[jacksonianmarch]

Kimbrel was the right move. Sometimes your best get beat. It’s the way it goes. Mo wasn’t perfect either

[Station 13]

Kimbrel was the right move. Sometimes your best get beat. It’s the way it goes. Mo wasn’t perfect either

 

It was a batter late IMO. But I fumed over their ineptness at the top of the frame. Cora had already wasted a pinch hitter and a catcher for no reason.

[StephenCurry30]

if they were gonna use kimbrel for 6 outs, they might of well had him start the inning, rather than come in with guys already on after the s*** show of a mess mr barnes the bum created

[jacksonianmarch]

if they were gonna use kimbrel for 6 outs, they might of well had him start the inning, rather than come in with guys already on after the s*** show of a mess mr barnes the bum created

 

You don't tag your closer for 2 innings unless it is the playoffs. It wasn't gonna happen. Cora used Kimbrel as his fireman and closer last night.

[StephenCurry30]

You don't tag your closer for 2 innings unless it is the playoffs. It wasn't gonna happen. Cora used Kimbrel as his fireman and closer last night.

he was planning to use him for 5 outs anyway...

[jacksonianmarch]

He decided to use him for 5 outs when the lead was put in jeopardy

[StephenCurry30]

yeah, but he clearly thought about that being a possibility. would've been smarter just to let him start 8th if coming in for 5 outs with 2 on was an option

[Station 13]

He decided to use him for 5 outs when the lead was put in jeopardy

 

All his creation, by not having a pinch hitter for Vazquez. He wasted Holt and his catcher already.

[Bellhorn04]

All his creation, by not having a pinch hitter for Vazquez. He wasted Holt and his catcher already.

 

Pinch hitting with Holt was not a bad idea there at all. We were down by a run in the 7th and the top of the order up next. Porcello was out of the game so replacing Leon made sense. And we do have another backup catcher with Swihart. You're really kind of nitpicking on this one I think.

[dgalehouse]

I still say bringing in Kimbrel was a desperation move. With one out , the tying run could score from third any number of ways. If that happens , you have your closer pitching in the eighth inning , in a tie game on the road. Barnes and Smith already used , and wanting to stay away from Kelly. I think Cora was hoping for a strikeout there. If the game was considered so vital that you would use Kimbrel for five outs , why not just use him for six ?

[Bellhorn04]

I still say bringing in Kimbrel was a desperation move. With one out , the tying run could score from third any number of ways. If that happens , you have your closer pitching in the eighth inning , in a tie game on the road. Barnes and Smith already used , and wanting to stay away from Kelly. I think Cora was hoping for a strikeout there. If the game was considered so vital that you would use Kimbrel for five outs , why not just use him for six ?

 

Why not use him for seven then LOL. Every out matters for these guys, seriously. The number of pitches.

 

The thinking was all about the Yankees having the bottom of the order coming up for Barnes. He messed up.

 

Another thing is, you're hoping Kimbrel preserves the lead and then you score a couple more to take some pressure off him in the bottom of the 9th.

 

There are always a bunch of variables.

 

I agree that there is some desperation involved there, born out of really wanting the win and not having a lot of confidence in the bullpen in general.

[StephenCurry30]

its hard to even blame cora too much anymore when literally everyone in the pen just sucks

[Station 13]

Might be so. But Hembree belongs on a AAA team. Never want to see him again.

[Natick to NC]

Is it the pitchers ??? Is it the catchers with those pitchers ??? Who's not doing there homework on opposing hitters ??? I'm done with Hembree for sure but I'm also done with Vaz and Sandy ....Id give up a lot for JT Realmutto at this point .