Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Is It Chess Or Checkers




I've always been of the belief that during the season, a team with a decent amount of talent wins without much difficulty approximately 4 out of every 10 games. On the flip side, that same team loses another 4 out of every 10. These games both on the win and lose side are essentially blowouts. It's the other 2 out of 10 games where the manager can have a profound affect on the teams success or lack of.


Some managers, just like players are better than others and when as much as 20% of your games hang in the balance, it's important as hell that we have a manager that can not only rally his troops but is strategically one step ahead of his opposition if possible.


Probably no other aspect of the game magnifies these strategic decisions more than late game pitcher changes. I have my own opinions of Piniella, but I'd like to encourage all of you to give your assessment if you think Piniella is playing chess or checkers when making his strategic decisions. After you've all had your say I'll post my thoughts.

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