Joe Maddon: The Man Behind the Glasses

[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.

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?

Yeah I didn't mean to hold up Roberts as a paragon of great management. I think Joe still is better than him at a lot of things (frankly I can't remember ever being mad at Joe ordering a nonsensical intentional BB), I just think Joe is way too conventional with his bullpen usage.

[R-V]

I think if Rondon was pitching like he did before the injury, Joe would be handling the bullpen a lot differently and there wouldn't be nearly the amont of SKOcend guessing going on. Hector has not been the same since he came back and it's turned the Cubs bullpen from a great one into one that scares the shit out of me.

[SKO]

I think if Rondon was pitching like he did before the injury, Joe would be handling the bullpen a lot differently and there wouldn't be nearly the amont of SKOcend guessing going on. Hector has not been the same since he came back and it's turned the Cubs bullpen from a great one into one that scares the shit out of me.

That's fair. Hector's been kinda hard to evaluate so far this postseason. He looked very solid in game 2 against the Giants. I don't know how to weight his appearance in game 3. He missed badly while walking Posey but it was pretty clear he was mostly just not going to give in to Buster. He looked good while getting the win in game 4. Saturday night he gave up some screamers but he was pitching with a five run lead and I'd rather he go right after guys than take a chance on walking anybody.

[Saul Goodman]

Lineup is out. Heyward over Soler or Almora.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Lineup is out. Heyward over Soler or Almora.

Whatever.  I had something else in mind but like I said, it doesn't matter if Dextony Rizzobrist doesn't hit.

[Shooter]

Lineup is out. Heyward over Soler or Almora.

Whatever.  I had something else in mind but like I said, it doesn't matter if Dextony Rizzobrist doesn't hit.

With Lackey being fairly fly ball heavy, I can see not sending Soler out there.

[CubFaninHydePark]

Sticking with Heyward is mind numbing. Fucking bat him 9th if you do...

Hopefully Jason can rebuild his swing in the offseason, because he's making Carl Crawford look like a genius signing.

[Saul Goodman]

Sticking with Heyward is mind numbing. Fucking bat him 9th if you do...

Hopefully Jason can rebuild his swing in the offseason, because he's making Carl Crawford look like a genius signing.

I ..... agree? If he can't do anything with multiple fastballs right down the middle with runners on in a playoff game, he has no business being out there. I'd like to see Almora or Jorge take his next AB.

[Saul Goodman]

Sticking with Heyward is mind numbing. Fucking bat him 9th if you do...

Hopefully Jason can rebuild his swing in the offseason, because he's making Carl Crawford look like a genius signing.

I ..... agree? If he can't do anything with multiple fastballs right down the middle with runners on in a playoff game, he has no business being out there. I'd like to see Almora or Jorge take his next AB.

Almora would have homered.

[SKO]

He let Montero face Miller, he let Heyward bat in the 9th, and he didn't intentionally BB Davis with Miller on deck (enabling the wild pitch that moved Davis to 3rd). Joe's lack of urgency about anything really fucking blows.

[BC]

He let Montero face Miller, he let Heyward bat in the 9th, and he didn't intentionally BB Davis with Miller on deck (enabling the wild pitch that moved Davis to 3rd). Joe's lack of urgency about anything really fucking blows.

Not bunting with Zobrist in the 9th may have been the worst move of them all. I know Zobrist has been swinging well, but you HAVE to get that runner to second base.

[Eli]

He let Montero face Miller, he let Heyward bat in the 9th, and he didn't intentionally BB Davis with Miller on deck (enabling the wild pitch that moved Davis to 3rd). Joe's lack of urgency about anything really fucking blows.

Who was supposed to hit for Heyward? The bench was basically empty by that point.

[BC]

He let Montero face Miller, he let Heyward bat in the 9th, and he didn't intentionally BB Davis with Miller on deck (enabling the wild pitch that moved Davis to 3rd). Joe's lack of urgency about anything really fucking blows.

Who was supposed to hit for Heyward? The bench was basically empty by that point.

Still had Almora and Ross (Well, Travis Wood also I guess). I like Ross the best out of those options, but it isn't exactly an open and shut case to pinch hit for Heyward there.

[SKO]

He let Montero face Miller, he let Heyward bat in the 9th, and he didn't intentionally BB Davis with Miller on deck (enabling the wild pitch that moved Davis to 3rd). Joe's lack of urgency about anything really fucking blows.

Who was supposed to hit for Heyward? The bench was basically empty by that point.

Literally anyone who even slightly resembles a major league hitter. Almora, Ross. Wood. Arrieta. Anyone who isn't 7 for their last 54 and coming off a season where they hit like Alexei Ramirez' shriveled corpse.

[Eli]

He let Montero face Miller, he let Heyward bat in the 9th, and he didn't intentionally BB Davis with Miller on deck (enabling the wild pitch that moved Davis to 3rd). Joe's lack of urgency about anything really fucking blows.

Who was supposed to hit for Heyward? The bench was basically empty by that point.

Literally anyone who even slightly resembles a major league hitter. Almora, Ross. Wood. Arrieta. Anyone who isn't 7 for their last 54 and coming off a season where they hit like Alexei Ramirez' shriveled corpse.

Only one of the guys you mentioned even slightly resembles a major league hitter and against right-handers, even that's debatable.

EDIT: If you want to quibble with Maddon there, it should be for unnecessarily pinch-running for Rizzo with Coghlan while knowing Heyward was due up. Is Coghlan even faster that Rizzo?