Fire Matt Williams! (2015) - Standard Decision.

[PC]

Lucas Duda answers manager's demand to produce or sit

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/107926/lucas-duda-answers-managers-demand-to-produce-or-sit

I wish we had a manager who could demand offense.

[PC]

...though I'd settle for a manager who actually manages and when a game is late and close, the manager REALLY needs to manage.  Knowing a pitcher's pitch count is not managing.

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I can't recall a time when Matt Williams has ever given a reason for leaving a pitcher in a game, other than pitch count.  I can just see the mental midgets in the Nationals dugout trying to figure out the pitch count in order to determine whether a pitcher is still effective because the actually game situation would only matter if you're paying attention to what's happening in the game.

[OldNatsFan]

I was agreeing with FP when he said he was shocked when Williams sent Ross out in the 7th to face Duda again. I thought the logical move would be to have Thornton face him and if successful bring in Drew for the 8th and Papelbon to close it out but no, Matt Williams had to go with Ross.

[PC]

Let’s consider something else about last night’s game.  Presumably, if the 7th inning had proceeded as Williams had planned, Ross would have pitched the inning without giving up any runs and then gone to the 8th, where Storen would have pitched and then Papelbon in the 9th.

What does this tell us?  It tells us that Matt was willing to give Thornton and Janssen ANOTHER DAY OFF!  Before last night, Thornton hadn’t pitched since the 26th.  Perhaps that’s the reason his performance was…less than crisp?  Relief pitchers need regular work and getting a week off isn’t considered regular work.

[Kevrock]

I was agreeing with FP when he said he was shocked when Williams sent Ross out in the 7th to face Duda again. I thought the logical move would be to have Thornton face him and if successful bring in Drew for the 8th and Papelbon to close it out but no, Matt Williams had to go with Ross.

I get the pitch count was low but Rizzo built a strength through trade and Matt hasn't adjusted his strategy to utilize that strength against our rival. Very disturbing.

[varoadking]

"Standard decision as far as I’m concerned."

This pretty much captures the essence of Matt Williams...KISS

[expofan]

Can we get Felipe Alou back? I am sure old man alou can still teach mat a thing or two about proper management

[Slateman]

Chris Johnson @masnCJ
Williams on Ross in 7th: "He’s got the lead. He’s at 84. He just went thru the last inning fine. Standard decision as far as I’m concerned."

Says everything.

I'm officially in the Fire Matt camp. He can't keep Harper in check, he won't bench Desmond and force Rizzo to call up Turner, and he can't manage the pitching staff. He's gotta go.

[UMDNats]

Nothing like having a manager who is so inflexible with his decision making that it hurts the team on just about a daily basis.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I get the pitch count was low but Rizzo built a strength through trade and Matt hasn't adjusted his strategy to utilize that strength against our rival. Very disturbing.

Nothing like having a manager who is so inflexible with his decision making that it hurts the team on just about a daily basis.

spot on.  that he can't realize he has different tools than he had a week ago and adjust is pretty damning.  At least he's honest about it. 

[Ray D]

Devil's advocate here. Could it be that they wanted to see if Ross has matured enough to give up a homerun, then face the guy again and have figured out how to avoid a homerun, and in a clutch situation.  He's not there yet, but he needs opportunities like last night to get there.  Is it possible that he learned from that experience, and that that's more important than that one game, because they have to figure out who's who's and what the roles need to be by post season.   There is still alot to figure out, and I get the impression that alot of these moves are "experiments" to see what works consistently. And I don't think that's such a bad idea.

Yeah, I know, your answer is "they're not that smart".   Maybe so, but maybe they really are.

[UMDNats]

We won't have to worry about the postseason roles because we won't be playing in the postseason if this keeps up.

[BeltwayBaseball]

There is still alot to figure out, and I get the impression that alot of these moves are "experiments" to see what works consistently.

That's always been the case, that's why Blake Treinen was trotted out in the 8th so often in April. I'm pretty sure that's why Barrett has been used so much since coming back. But you experiment in April, for the first 2, maybe 3 weeks tops. This is a pennant race, these are the guys chasing you. You don't experiment, you win the game.

Also, I had another thought, fellas. I've been going over it in my head. Ross is a rightie and Duda is actually worse vs righties...but he just hit a homer off him and the kid nearly gave up a homer to Cespedes the inning before. He's young, could be fatiguing, too, so just pull him out. You could put Thornton in there for the lefty-lefty matchup, but Duda's actually hitting far better vs lefties. You could put Casey Janssen in there, who apparently is healthy and could have come on in the extra innings game...but I digress. Janssen isn't exactly a stud and has had his problems, he's a control guy, maybe against Duda it doesn't work out so well, because career Duda was much better vs righties. So if you're gonna play it by this years stats and you still want to use a righty, you just need a better one.

How about Drew Storen?

He's not the freaking closer any more. The save we've always said sometimes comes in the 7th, or the 8th, in Game 7 last year in came in the 2nd. Why the hell does Storen have to be used in the 8th when the meat of the lineup is coming up in the 7th, the eighth should be a bunch of soft hitters you can match up for, and THEN you can send your precious closer out in his role. Why does Drew's role have to be "set-up," why can't it be fireman, or 1-inning "heart of the order" guy. I have no faith Matt will ever learn this. He relieved Zim last year in Game 2 because "he nearly gave up a homer, Buster posey is a great hitter, and Buster Posey is seeing him well tonight." Not cause "he was tired, pitch count, etc etc." Literally the same reasons to relieve Ross facing Duda last night, but he didn't do it. And he'll stick with his roles until he's out of a job.

[Baseball is Life]

I wish we had a manager who could demand offense.

I don't think he should demand, I think he should ask very nicely.

[whytev]

I guess that's why there are a lot of ex catchers managing teams and some of them are the best in the business.   They know when a pitcher is done before damage can occur most of the time.  I know the nats don't have the super pen that some teams are now using but they could have shortened the game and won today if MW had a clue.  Ross is on a innings count for the season so might as well get as many starts out of him as possible before the nats shut him down for the year. IMHO they should try to have him go 5 every game no matter what and if they make the post season they do the same thing.  I rather have this kid out there than JZimm or Fister.  Hell he looks more impressive than Cy Gio at times too who seems to magically get himself out of terrible jams.

Who could have anticipated that "shortening the game" meant that if we aren't ahead after 7 we're screwed?

[HalfSmokes]

I don't think he should demand, I think he should ask very nicely.

[mitlen]

How about Drew Storen?

He's not the freaking closer any more. The save we've always said sometimes comes in the 7th, or the 8th, in Game 7 last year in came in the 2nd. Why the hell does Storen have to be used in the 8th when the meat of the lineup is coming up in the 7th, the eighth should be a bunch of soft hitters you can match up for, and THEN you can send your precious closer out in his role. Why does Drew's role have to be "set-up," why can't it be fireman, or 1-inning "heart of the order" guy. I have no faith Matt will ever learn this. He relieved Zim last year in Game 2 because "he nearly gave up a homer, Buster posey is a great hitter, and Buster Posey is seeing him well tonight." Not cause "he was tired, pitch count, etc etc." Literally the same reasons to relieve Ross facing Duda last night, but he didn't do it. And he'll stick with his roles until he's out of a job.

Who knows what Rizzo/Willams promised Storen to placate his broken heart?    They may have promised to only use him in set-up situations.   Hell, they promised a newcomer the closer role.

[stoneghost28]

spot on.  that he can't realize he has different tools than he had a week ago and adjust is pretty damning.  At least he's honest about it.

The clues were in place after the choke job/idiot performance against the Giants last fall. People said "[hopefully]..he learned his lesson from this." I said at the time that it was clear he didn't if you read his post-game interviews that day and in the week after. Lessons were clear last October in how one must adapt tactics to situation in the playoffs, and not simply read off a checklist a la the old school point after scratch and sniff guide book moron coaches in the NFL used for a decade before Chip Kelly, and Bill Bellichek made mincemeat of such stupidity. Matt Williams is clearly a "by the book" manager who simply isn't flexible in his thinking, nor innovative, creative, or thoughtful in approach. He doesn't learn, he believes he has accumulated wisdom from four decades in the game, and that is all the guidance he needs, he'd make a great manager for a fool like Ruben Amaro Jr.

What I can't understand is how a great GM like Rizzo that seems to utilize everything at his disposal from scouts, to metrics, to instincts, can get the "manager" so wrong, and not fix it. He's built a great team, and he's given the team over to "Mongo" to run. Is it a surprise that the team is drastically underperforming when the guy at the wheel of the Lexus, drove a clown car with 10 of his friends for a decade before that? Just insane.

Really depressing that a team that has done so much, so right since 2007-2008, can't get manager right since Davey Johnson left. Mets should be 8-10 games back, instead they're 1, with 1/10th the positional talent and only equivalent at best pitching. Genius.

[varoadking]

Let's all take a deep breath and remember that Williams is Rizzo's boy. 

The Nats picked up Matt Williams' 2016 contract option, rewarding their 49-year-old skipper for the job he did in his first season at the helm.

He ain't goin' anywhere...and sadly, neither is this team, apparently...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

How about Drew Storen?

He's not the freaking closer any more. The save we've always said sometimes comes in the 7th, or the 8th, in Game 7 last year in came in the 2nd. Why the hell does Storen have to be used in the 8th when the meat of the lineup is coming up in the 7th, the eighth should be a bunch of soft hitters you can match up for, and THEN you can send your precious closer out in his role. Why does Drew's role have to be "set-up," why can't it be fireman, or 1-inning "heart of the order" guy.

NJ Ave said that he hoped that Storen would now be used for the toughest stretch of hitters close and late once the Papelbon deal came thorugh, rather than strictly as 8th inning ahead guy.  Your post has it nailed.

[expofan]

No espi in today's lineup. Matt is getting stupider by the day.

[tomterp]

Do not understand it. Last night you have a string of righties vs. a lefty who has a propensity to give up homers and nearly did the inning before, yet you leave him in because ostensibly your lone righty outside of your closer, Casey Janssen, is unavailable, after having not pitched in two days and that having been his only appearance of the week. Sounds like he's injured, or headed to the DL.

Storen was available, to any manager but Matt.

[Baseball is Life]

No espi in today's lineup. Matt is getting stupider by the day.

Escobar leading off and Rendon hitting second.

[BrandonK]

Whatever

[aussienatsfan]

bump, just because he still sucks