Closer to the flame

[Guest AG/DC]

You're Jerry Manuel. Looking athead to the potential ninth, and Santana not looking like he'll have enough gas to go nine under any circumstances, who are you targeting as your last pitcher?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I voted Kunz but I hovered over Smith for a while.

[soupcan]

Kunz. Pods are close to a AAA team anyway.

[nymr83]

Kunz, why the heck not

[Guest holychicken]

Where is Wright? I heard he was potentially an all-star pitcher.

[Guest AG/DC]

Well, we may not have the opportunity to make a decision as a leading team, the way this is going.

[Guest holychicken]

I voted Smith. The disclaimer is that it is almost entirely emotional based on that DP he just got.

[Guest AG/DC]

Well, Sanchez is out of the running, as is Feliciano. Smith is eligible to carry on, but due up is switchie, lefty, rightie, switchie.

We may get a parade in the ninth.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Bazooka Joe, with Crazy Eddie as his backup.

[nymr83]

we could see Smith, Schoenweis, Kunz pitch to the first 3 batters in the 9th giving us 6 pitchers in 2 innings. pretty crazy

[Guest AG/DC]

Are you ready to bat Smitty with a runner on first and two out, should that come to pass?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think I would.

Or, if there's a righty pitcher, I might go to Delgado for the two-run bomb.

[Guest AG/DC]

Now y'er talkin'.

[Guest AG/DC]

Not an issue now.

Interesting to see if the Mets teast Todd Tichenor with a double switch of their own on their first pitching change.

[nymr83]

Schoenweis in...

[Benjamin Grimm]

I would've stuck with Smith.

[Gwreck]

I voted for Heilman. I still believe in him as a viable closer option.

[Guest PiazzaFan411]

I voted for Feliciano, if Jerry ever stops using him as a Lefty specialist. I was thinking about Kunz as well.

[nymr83]

a 5.60 ERA and a 1.50 whip doesn't say "viable closer option" to me. 9 homers in 60 innings doesn't look good either, especially for a guy who puts so many batters on base.

[Guest AG/DC]

I voted Smitty, but the track record is part of the equation also.

[Frayed Knot]

My answer was going to be mix and match.
That's Jerry's best option going forward at this point and, hell, with no one pitcher hanging his self-worth on a 'Save' stat there's no reason why he has to pre-choose one to the exclusion of others.

As far as today goes, I didn't lke how quickly he pulled Johan from the game but had no problem with how he handled things after that.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I agree with the mix-n-match approach.

Why does there have to be The One Guy?

If there are lefties due up, go with Orosco. If there are righties due up, go with McDowell.

McGraw/Frisella worked that way. And I think that would have been the way to handle Franco and Benitez too.

[Guest AG/DC]

I brought this up with two.five inniigs to go, wondering how he would be looking ahead. I voted Smith on the spot. But if he stuck with Smith in the ninth through switchies and lefties, he'd've been mad and I'd've said so.

[metirish]

Agree with the mix and match , didn't Manuel say that is what he would do?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think he did say that.

I hope it works so well that all 29 other managers adopt it, and it leads to the end of the 9th-inning specialist.

That's what I hope.

[metirish]

More likely Ben is that people will bring up how closer by committee failed in Boston a few years ago.

[Guest AG/DC]

"Closer by committee" is an oversiplification of the argument against current usage of bullpen aces. By controlling the language of the argument, the status quo proponents win every time.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Like "socialized medicine."

[Guest AG/DC]

Let's keep this narrow.

[Frayed Knot]

On that subject (closers, not medicine) this won't really be news to this crowd but ESPN's Jim Caple contructs a good argument anyway.