Quote:
Originally Posted by RchW
Not sure what you mean by this. None of the 30 teams allowed SP to go through the lineup a third time with any regularity!
There seems to be no correlation between SP usage and success in the regular season. By simple observation KC played better than anyone in the playoffs. Their bullpen was great but they played better in every area than any other team.
If you want the data I can post it. Don't want to go OT but do want to explode myths.  |
I never brought up the world series, because its results are totally irrelevant to the concept i was communicating. kc employs a different strategy in how and when they use their bullpen. by using that strategy, kc creates a competitive advantage over other teams, ceterus paribus.
when you look at info on SP as they go through an order multiple times, you see offesensive statistics skyrocket. so yes, most SP are chased during this time, and you can find plenty of data to support that claim. but, being so broad doesn't really prove anything relative to what i said.
the concept being explained is the difference between a more traditional bullpen management and a slightly different way of doing things... the means by which something occurs. how/when/why they are pulled is the key here. that would be the data you need to mine to prove one thing or another.
traditional thought does not actively avoid a pitcher going through a lineup a 3rd or even a 4th time. traditional usage attempts to get as many innings as possible out of the SP, regardless. the decisions to pull a starter are typically due to current performance and perceived fatigue. the last tidbit is the important part and what is different from KC's strategy.
KC made a concerted effort to avoid letting their starters see the opposing team's lineup the 3rd time, and in an active way, as opposed to a reactive way of traditional strategies. there were news items throughout the year that talked about their unusual strategy concerning the use of their pitchers. they were actively making use of what the data told them. i don't follow kc, and i don't speculate about a team i am not familiar with... the source of that info was the KCR, not in my head. i watch my hometown team, i don't bother with others'.
even though you can find examples of KC pitchers going longer, it is very likely at a lower rate than the league average. again this isn't an all-or-nothing, stubborn, dogmatic way of doing things. it's a bit more maleable than that.
e.g. if the pen is tired, you can't employ this strategy. if cueto is going for a no-no he's probably going out there until it blows up, regardless of inning and even to some extent pitch counts.
when possible and not detrimental to the near future of the team, they got their starters out of the game for different reasons than other teams. those different reasons created a competitive advantage via a better strategy for the pitching staff.
what's up with the bold? might as well capitalize it, too. funny stuff.
edit: thanks fuzzy... i looked at the link and i could have avoided all of this typing with one image... LoL yout can't argue it's bad SP getting chased early... becasue those are 2 good pitching staffs.