Lack of Execution
You need to execute in the postseason.
After watching the Dodgers and Phillies battle it out in game 1, I couldn’t help but be extremely disappointed in how the Dodgers played situational baseball in the 7th inning.
I’m not sure who tuned into the late game, or even understood the MAJOR mistake the dodgers, specifically Manny Ramirez made in that very big 7th inning. Andre Either started the inning with a double off rookie left-hander Lenny Bastardo to put himself, the tying run, on second base. Up came the LAST person Charlie Manuel and the Phillies wanted to see: Manny Ramirez. Ramirez holds several postseason records and basically thrives with runners in scoring position come October, so I’m sure everyone watching thought- 2 run go ahead homer. Wrong. Charlie Manuel who managed a really strong game brought in Chan Ho Park to face Mannywood. Park must have been pumped up because he was reaching back and finding 96. Anyway, as a pitcher in that situation, you DO NOT want to give the hitter the opportunity to hit a ball to right side and move that runner to third with less than 2 outs so that means you should attack a right handed hitter on the inside portion and try to jam him, or end up pitching around him with a walk. Knowing the situation, the hitter HAS to realize that a pitcher isn’t going to give him something in zones 3 and 4 (middle away). So he either has to inside out a ball or not expand the inner portion of the plate and draw a walk- or even bunt the runner to third. Everyone on the planet knew Manny wouldn’t bunt, but isn’t that where Joe Torre comes into play?
Park threw 4 pitches on the inner half and jammed Manny who grounded out weakly to third which doesn’t move the runner and negates the double at the same time. 1 out runner at second takes a hit to score him- 1 out runner at third takes contact in most cases to score him so playing the odds in that situation would have been the correct situational play. Manny is one of the best RBI men in the HISTORY of baseball, but in baseball there are times where you have to give yourself up to try and win the baseball game- not being a team hitter cost the Dodgers in a big way. If they score there, the entire way Torre manages his pen is changed considerably. All the momentum swings to LA , so what should LA have done?
In my opinion, the obvious play right there is a bunt to the third base side of the diamond. Managers have to make difficult decisions every game, and it’s easy to second guess AFTER the fact, but I was saying that out-loud during the AB. If I were Joe Torre, I would have pinch hit for the best RBI man in the history of the postseason for my best bunter to put MY TEAM in the best position to tie the game. Every out is magnified in the postseason, but so is every run. Leaving Manny in the game literally sealed the game as it turned out for Philly unless Park made a mistake inner half, but Park has pitched extremely well this year, is a veteran and understands how to attack hitters based on situation. You might ask, how can you pinch hit for MANNY RAMIREZ? Wouldn’t he cry in the dugout, to the media after the game, and go into a prima donna state screw the team I quit I hope we lose state? Probably, but as a manager, my job is to win the game- not make my superstar happy all the time. When your making 25 million a year, part of that money has to represent playing team baseball, and when you fail to execute plays like that in the postseason- You deserve to lose.
Thanks for checking in- we’ll talk soon!
