Once his Yankee bullpens moved beyond the push-button nature of the late-90s, Joe Torre always struggled to find the right combination of pitchers to get his team through games. He'd burn out guys he liked while letting others die on the vine from disuse, causing his usual placidity to take on a deer in the headlights look. Last night's 7-5 loss to the Phillies offered evidence that the move to Los Angeles hasn't cleared him of this problem. I thought he pulled Derek Lowe too soon. 74 pitches, even on short rest, isn't a ton and it's not like the game was being played on June 27. He compounded that error by burning through three pitchers, two of them lefties, to get out of the sixth inning before finally handing the ball to Hong-Chih Kuo for a lights out seventh. Kuo stayed in to start the eighth, begging the question of why Torre didn't go to him in the sixth if he was willing to keep him in the game for more than three outs.
Asking your bullpen to come up with 12 outs is never going to be easy, but Torre didn't put his team in the best position to pull it off. All the mixing and matching left Torre without a lefty to counter the move to Matt Stairs in the eighth and, well, we know how that turned out.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-15-2008 @ 12:52PM
dino said...
I agree that the move to, and out, of Kuo was dubious, and you did not mention that if he was to pull him the next inning, why did he not pinch-hit for him during their rally? However, I do not think that any of this is indicative of any debilitating problem on Joe Torre's part. Hindsight is 100%, but we must remember that Torre (and Manny) is the reason why this mediocre squad has over-achieved this year!
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10-15-2008 @ 1:46PM
Javier said...
As a life long Dodger fan I must say that I am furious as to how Joe Torre has handeled the bullpen. I do not see why he pulled Kuo, And Lowe for that matter. As angry as I am, I must say it is not all his fault. Eithier,Martin,Kemp. They are not hitting the way they should. Kemp should sit on the bench even if they advance to the world series wich is very unlikely. He puts no heart in it. Does not husstle, is not hitting, and worse of all it seems to not bother him at all! I say trade him in the off season. Nomar and Kent swang like little leagers when asked to pinch hit. Horrible let down.
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10-15-2008 @ 2:39PM
Amma said...
Who would have ever thought that Manuel would out think and out play Torre!!!!!
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10-15-2008 @ 4:30PM
patti said...
Joe Torre had a difficult time managing the Yankees pitching where Mariano Rivera is a no brainer for the 9th. & he never had to make s decision rearding pitch hitting.Torre always looked asleep in the yankee dugout. Now managing in the NL he has more decisions to make...pitch hit which he blew & changing pitchers. You Dodger fans will soon learn, Joe Torre is on snooze control & will blow many games with his"skills".
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10-15-2008 @ 8:26PM
Yankeefan said...
Torre hasn't been right since he lost Popeye
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10-17-2008 @ 12:53PM
dodgerblue4ever said...
EVERYBODY HAS A SHADOW MAYBE JOE NEEDS HIS SHADOW WHATS WRONG WITH THAT,THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT,I FOR ONE HAD THE SAME THING ,I HAD A SHADOW AND WE WERE A TANDEM, SO IF THE DODGERS NEED A TANDUM THEN GO AND GET HIS SHADOW
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