Joe Maddon: The Man Behind the Glasses

[Saul Goodman]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

Better tactician, better man.

[SKO]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

Only the keenest tacticians understand that letting your left handed hitter with the .600 OPS face the Greatest Pitcher On the Planet (who is left handed) is actually smart

[Eli]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

He's right though.

[Yeti]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

He's right though.

He may be right here, but SKOblood has been on Joe's ass the whole playoffs, because SKOblood knows better than Joe

[SKO]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

He's right though.

He may be right here, but SKOblood has been on Joe's ass the whole playoffs, because SKOblood knows better than Joe

I've complained about three things with Joe.

1) Being willing to use Chapman in the 8th but not willing to just start the inning with him, instead waiting until he's already in a jam despite Chapman being uncomfortable pitching with inherited runners. He's done it twice now, both time it's blown up in his face. Compared with the way Roberts and Francona have deployed Jansen and Miller, Joe's use of Chapman is pretty disappointing.

2) Using Travis Wood, who doesn't strike anyone out, to try to strand two inherited runners on 2nd and 3rd in a game where any of those runs could have been the ballgame. Joe had Edwards/Strop/Rondon all available and could have gone to one of his strikeout guys. If that hadn't worked out, fine, but the process was terrible. You were in a situation where you needed a strikeout or at least a groundball and he went to a flyball pitcher who strikes nobody out. Shockingly, both runs scored.

3)Letting Heyward, a lefty with a .631 OPS, face Kershaw in the biggest AB of the night. If you have Heyward in "because of his defense", then fucking pull him there, pinch hit Soler, and sub in Almora if RF defense is that important to you.

I've been on Joe's ass because Joe's been wrong, if your defense of him is "he's the manager and you're not," I suggest tolerating a little less bullshit.

[SKO]

DPD, but I get why no one wants to hear it from me, the guy who complains about everything, but unless you can actually explain why those specific complaints are wrong, they're not invalid.

[ChuckD]

DPD, but I get why no one wants to hear it from me, the guy who complains about everything, but unless you can actually explain why those specific complaints are wrong, they're not invalid.

I don't disagree with those. Calling Maddon an "OVERRATED HACK*" is some weapons-grade meatball, though.

* I'm like 90% sure that that was your wording including the all-caps. I don't want to look at your Twitter to confirm it, though because it's terrible.

[Tonker]

DPD, but I get why no one wants to hear it from me, the guy who complains about everything, but unless you can actually explain why those specific complaints are wrong, they're not invalid.

I do agree with you, although you're right, I don't want to hear it from you and do I think you overreact.  My only bone of contention would be with Joe's use of Chapman.  At the start of the innings in question I didn't smell trouble and I wasn't screaming for Chapman.  I thought, as I suspect Joe did, that whoever was starting the inning would probably be able to get through it without the Cubs having to resort to the nuclear option.  However, I would agree that he left it too late and should probably have brought Chapman in, in each instance, after the first baserunner got on.  You don't know it's a high-leverage situation until it starts to become a high-leverage situation, though, know what I mean?

[SKO]

DPD, but I get why no one wants to hear it from me, the guy who complains about everything, but unless you can actually explain why those specific complaints are wrong, they're not invalid.

I don't disagree with those. Calling Maddon an "OVERRATED HACK*" is some weapons-grade meatball, though.

* I'm like 90% sure that that was your wording including the all-caps. I don't want to look at your Twitter to confirm it, though because it's terrible.

This is probably unfair, but I'd like to separate my insane twitter ramblings from my more composed desipio arguments, if it pleases the court. I try harder to lodge only legitimate, non meatball complaints here.

[SKO]

DPD, but I get why no one wants to hear it from me, the guy who complains about everything, but unless you can actually explain why those specific complaints are wrong, they're not invalid.

I do agree with you, although you're right, I don't want to hear it from you and do I think you overreact.  My only bone of contention would be with Joe's use of Chapman.  At the start of the innings in question I didn't smell trouble and I wasn't screaming for Chapman.  I thought, as I suspect Joe did, that whoever was starting the inning would probably be able to get through it without the Cubs having to resort to the nuclear option.  However, I would agree that he left it too late and should probably have brought Chapman in, in each instance, after the first baserunner got on.  You don't know it's a high-leverage situation until it starts to become a high-leverage situation, though, know what I mean?

This. I was fine with him trying to let Montgomery get the lefty pinch hitter, but then go to Chapman right away. Don't even bother with Strop.

In game 3 against SF though I wanted him to just start the inning with Chapman because the Giants had Belt-Posey-Pence due up. Use your closer to get their best three hitters, 8th inning be damned. If you don't want to use Chapman for 2 innings after that, fine, that's why your GM spent everything to give you Super Bullpen so you'd have multiple options. Let Rondon go after the bottom of their order in the 9th.

[Tonker]

DPD, but I get why no one wants to hear it from me, the guy who complains about everything, but unless you can actually explain why those specific complaints are wrong, they're not invalid.

I do agree with you, although you're right, I don't want to hear it from you and do I think you overreact.  My only bone of contention would be with Joe's use of Chapman.  At the start of the innings in question I didn't smell trouble and I wasn't screaming for Chapman.  I thought, as I suspect Joe did, that whoever was starting the inning would probably be able to get through it without the Cubs having to resort to the nuclear option.  However, I would agree that he left it too late and should probably have brought Chapman in, in each instance, after the first baserunner got on.  You don't know it's a high-leverage situation until it starts to become a high-leverage situation, though, know what I mean?

This. I was fine with him trying to let Montgomery get the lefty pinch hitter, but then go to Chapman right away. Don't even bother with Strop.

In game 3 against SF though I wanted him to just start the inning with Chapman because the Giants had Belt-Posey-Pence due up. Use your closer to get their best three hitters, 8th inning be damned. If you don't want to use Chapman for 2 innings after that, fine, that's why your GM spent everything to give you Super Bullpen so you'd have multiple options. Let Rondon go after the bottom of their order in the 9th.

Don't forget it was fucking Gillaspie, Crawford and Panik who were killing the Cubs with their thousand jammy, spawny little cuts - not Belt, Posey and Pence.

[Yeti]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

He's right though.

He may be right here, but SKOblood has been on Joe's ass the whole playoffs, because SKOblood knows better than Joe

I've complained about three things with Joe.

1) Being willing to use Chapman in the 8th but not willing to just start the inning with him, instead waiting until he's already in a jam despite Chapman being uncomfortable pitching with inherited runners. He's done it twice now, both time it's blown up in his face. Compared with the way Roberts and Francona have deployed Jansen and Miller, Joe's use of Chapman is pretty disappointing.

2) Using Travis Wood, who doesn't strike anyone out, to try to strand two inherited runners on 2nd and 3rd in a game where any of those runs could have been the ballgame. Joe had Edwards/Strop/Rondon all available and could have gone to one of his strikeout guys. If that hadn't worked out, fine, but the process was terrible. You were in a situation where you needed a strikeout or at least a groundball and he went to a flyball pitcher who strikes nobody out. Shockingly, both runs scored.

3)Letting Heyward, a lefty with a .631 OPS, face Kershaw in the biggest AB of the night. If you have Heyward in "because of his defense", then fucking pull him there, pinch hit Soler, and sub in Almora if RF defense is that important to you.

I've been on Joe's ass because Joe's been wrong, if your defense of him is "he's the manager and you're not," I suggest tolerating a little less bullshit.

So, should Joe had let Strop ride it out once it got out of control? Just because Fuckface doesn't like a non-clean inning? Strop and Montgomery should have done their jobs in the first place. Chapman, who is the Cubs best and most effective reliever, was their backup. They fucked up, and Chapman struck out 2 before Gonzalez was able to hit a 102mph pitch into CF.

[Yeti]

So, should Joe had let Strop ride it out once it got out of control?  Just because Fuckface doesn't like a non-clean inning? Strop and Montgomery should have done their jobs in the first place.

I see this has been answered.

This. I was fine with him trying to let Montgomery get the lefty pinch hitter, but then go to Chapman right away. Don't even bother with Strop.

Though, if you're going to move the goalposts:

1) Being willing to use Chapman in the 8th but not willing to just start the inning with him, instead waiting until he's already in a jam despite Chapman being uncomfortable pitching with inherited runners.

then it makes it hard to argue the point with you

[SKO]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

He's right though.

He may be right here, but SKOblood has been on Joe's ass the whole playoffs, because SKOblood knows better than Joe

I've complained about three things with Joe.

1) Being willing to use Chapman in the 8th but not willing to just start the inning with him, instead waiting until he's already in a jam despite Chapman being uncomfortable pitching with inherited runners. He's done it twice now, both time it's blown up in his face. Compared with the way Roberts and Francona have deployed Jansen and Miller, Joe's use of Chapman is pretty disappointing.

2) Using Travis Wood, who doesn't strike anyone out, to try to strand two inherited runners on 2nd and 3rd in a game where any of those runs could have been the ballgame. Joe had Edwards/Strop/Rondon all available and could have gone to one of his strikeout guys. If that hadn't worked out, fine, but the process was terrible. You were in a situation where you needed a strikeout or at least a groundball and he went to a flyball pitcher who strikes nobody out. Shockingly, both runs scored.

3)Letting Heyward, a lefty with a .631 OPS, face Kershaw in the biggest AB of the night. If you have Heyward in "because of his defense", then fucking pull him there, pinch hit Soler, and sub in Almora if RF defense is that important to you.

I've been on Joe's ass because Joe's been wrong, if your defense of him is "he's the manager and you're not," I suggest tolerating a little less bullshit.

So, should Joe had let Strop ride it out once it got out of control? Just because Fuckface doesn't like a non-clean inning? Strop and Montgomery should have done their jobs in the first place. Chapman, who is the Cubs best and most effective reliever, was their backup. They fucked up, and Chapman struck out 2 before Gonzalez was able to hit a 102mph pitch into CF.

"the player should just do their jobs" is the worst argument when it comes to managers. If your argument in favor of the manager is managerial irrelevance, why bother defending the manager at all? Of course they should just get outs, but hey, they're less likely to do so than Aroldis Chapman, and Joe should know that. Dave Roberts understands that about Pedro Baez, which is why Kenley Jansen came in last night to lock down a win. Heyward "should" just get a fucking hit at some point. He hasn't all fucking year, so it's up to the manager to understand that and stop writing his name in the damn lineup card.

And no, Joe was still right to bring Chapman in eventually, he gave them their best chance of getting out of the jam, but if they'd just used him earlier there's probably no jam in the first place. This shouldn't be hard to grasp.

[CT III]

This is all Lackey's fault for getting Schwarber hurt...

He'd have sat tonight so Heyward could be in on defense. Need lockdown right field defense behind Kyle Hendricks, the guy that induces more grounders and weak contact than anyone in baseball. Worth mailing in four ABs including your only AB with a RISP for that. Yessir

Matthew SKOblood

He's right though.

He may be right here, but SKOblood has been on Joe's ass the whole playoffs, because SKOblood knows better than Joe

I've complained about three things with Joe.

1) Being willing to use Chapman in the 8th but not willing to just start the inning with him, instead waiting until he's already in a jam despite Chapman being uncomfortable pitching with inherited runners. He's done it twice now, both time it's blown up in his face. Compared with the way Roberts and Francona have deployed Jansen and Miller, Joe's use of Chapman is pretty disappointing.

2) Using Travis Wood, who doesn't strike anyone out, to try to strand two inherited runners on 2nd and 3rd in a game where any of those runs could have been the ballgame. Joe had Edwards/Strop/Rondon all available and could have gone to one of his strikeout guys. If that hadn't worked out, fine, but the process was terrible. You were in a situation where you needed a strikeout or at least a groundball and he went to a flyball pitcher who strikes nobody out. Shockingly, both runs scored.

3)Letting Heyward, a lefty with a .631 OPS, face Kershaw in the biggest AB of the night. If you have Heyward in "because of his defense", then fucking pull him there, pinch hit Soler, and sub in Almora if RF defense is that important to you.

I've been on Joe's ass because Joe's been wrong, if your defense of him is "he's the manager and you're not," I suggest tolerating a little less bullshit.

So, should Joe had let Strop ride it out once it got out of control? Just because Fuckface doesn't like a non-clean inning? Strop and Montgomery should have done their jobs in the first place. Chapman, who is the Cubs best and most effective reliever, was their backup. They fucked up, and Chapman struck out 2 before Gonzalez was able to hit a 102mph pitch into CF.

"the player should just do their jobs" is the worst argument when it comes to managers. If your argument in favor of the manager is managerial irrelevance, why bother defending the manager at all? Of course they should just get outs, but hey, they're less likely to do so than Aroldis Chapman, and Joe should know that. Dave Roberts understands that about Pedro Baez, which is why Kenley Jansen came in last night to lock down a win. Heyward "should" just get a fucking hit at some point. He hasn't all fucking year, so it's up to the manager to understand that and stop writing his name in the damn lineup card.

And no, Joe was still right to bring Chapman in eventually, he gave them their best chance of getting out of the jam, but if they'd just used him earlier there's probably no jam in the first place. This shouldn't be hard to grasp.

Yeah, although there is at least a method to it.  Joe told Chapman the first guy he was going to face was Corey Seager, and clearly was hoping that would be in the ninth. He was hoping to only use him for inning since there was a game the next night (unlike last night's game)  No, you don't have to like it, but that's how it is.

Meanwhile brilliant bullpen tactician Dave Roberts was issuing intentional walks to the two biggest slapdicks on the playoff roster, so I guess playoff managers just be crazy, amirite?