Ned Yost Is Thinking Outside the Box

Now that the Brewers have added CC Sabathia to their starting rotation, they have a bit of an overflow in the starting rotation. When Jeff Suppan returns from the disabled list after the break, the Brewers will have six pitchers for five spots. Normally that would mean that either Dave Bush or Seth McLung would be the odd man out, and relegated to long relief out of the bullpen.

That is, if Ned Yost wasn't a visionary who plans on forever changing the game of baseball as we know it. Will the world be ready for it when Ned breaks out the platoon starting rotation after the break?

"I'm thinking seriously about matching up," Yost said. "You look at numbers and try to put each of them in a position that they can be successful. 'Bushie's' numbers are starkly different between home and road. McClung's better on the road: a (4.95) ERA at home compared to a (3.28) on the road."

In Yost's playing and coaching career, he has never come across anyone who has managed his rotation in such a manner.

"I think it makes sense," Yost said. "I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel. All I'm trying to do is give us the best chance to win every day. . . . I'm trying to do what's smart."

You know, during his time in Milwaukee, Yost has done quite a few things that have made me sit there and scratch my head (the latest incident would be sending Yovani Gallardo back out to the mound after a collision at first base). Still, the longer I sit and think about this platoon pitching situation, the more I like it.

If Yost goes through with this and it works out well for the Brewers, platooning your starters will be the new pitchers batting in the eighth spot in 2009.