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I like the concept of expanded rosters, because I think it's cool to take a look at key minor leaguers. But i'm always torn, because the games post September 1 often turn into a farce.
Let's look at tonight's Reds/Cards game. This was a great game, easily the most exciting Reds game of the season. A tight 1-0 game with a playoff atmosphere, with two great pitching performances and some great defense.
The lone & winning run was scored by September call up Billy Hamilton, who pinch ran for Ryan Ludwick, stole second base on the first pitch he saw, then scored on a Todd Frazier double. There is no way that Ludwick, who is slow to begin with, plus is running like shit these days because he's out of shape since recently coming off the DL, would have scored from first on that double. Two days ago, the Reds probably don't score that run.
In the 8th inning, Mike Matheny got real wacky. The Reds brought LHP Manny Parra into the game to face a couple of left handed hitters, and Matheny countered with right handed pinch hitters for three consecutive batters. When the third batter (David Freese) walked, he pinch ran for him. In the bottom of the inning, Matheny used another player off of his bench to play 2B, because starter Kolten Wang was one of the three players he pinch hit for. He also made a pitching change. That's SIX total players burned off of his bench, in the span of three total outs.
The Cardinals, who are notorious for using loaded rosters post 9/1, have added EIGHT players to the team since Sunday. This means Matheny not only didn't have to worry about burning so many players in a single inning of a one run game, but he also didn't need to have any regard for what positions those players play. For example, he currently has four catchers on his roster. He can pinch hit two catchers if he likes, and still have an emergency catcher in his back pocket. It didnt matter who he used t pinch hit vs Parra, as long as they were right handed, because he still had plenty of options to play 2B on his bench anyway.
Even though Tony LaRussa was the most blatant abuser of this, i'm not just picking on the Cards. All teams do this shit post 9/1, and it gets to be pretty stupid in terms of the integrity of the game & strategy going to shit.
So I propose this. Don't get rid of September call ups. The concept of that is fine, because technically MLB teams have 40 men on the roster and the minor league season is over. But what you can do, is only allow managers to use a total of 25 players per game, or, 12 total substitutions (including pitching changes). Either way would fall somewhat in line to how a pre-9/1 game is played. The Cardinals have 33 players on the team. Some teams have as many as 38! It's absurd.
Let's look at tonight's Reds/Cards game. This was a great game, easily the most exciting Reds game of the season. A tight 1-0 game with a playoff atmosphere, with two great pitching performances and some great defense.
The lone & winning run was scored by September call up Billy Hamilton, who pinch ran for Ryan Ludwick, stole second base on the first pitch he saw, then scored on a Todd Frazier double. There is no way that Ludwick, who is slow to begin with, plus is running like shit these days because he's out of shape since recently coming off the DL, would have scored from first on that double. Two days ago, the Reds probably don't score that run.
In the 8th inning, Mike Matheny got real wacky. The Reds brought LHP Manny Parra into the game to face a couple of left handed hitters, and Matheny countered with right handed pinch hitters for three consecutive batters. When the third batter (David Freese) walked, he pinch ran for him. In the bottom of the inning, Matheny used another player off of his bench to play 2B, because starter Kolten Wang was one of the three players he pinch hit for. He also made a pitching change. That's SIX total players burned off of his bench, in the span of three total outs.
The Cardinals, who are notorious for using loaded rosters post 9/1, have added EIGHT players to the team since Sunday. This means Matheny not only didn't have to worry about burning so many players in a single inning of a one run game, but he also didn't need to have any regard for what positions those players play. For example, he currently has four catchers on his roster. He can pinch hit two catchers if he likes, and still have an emergency catcher in his back pocket. It didnt matter who he used t pinch hit vs Parra, as long as they were right handed, because he still had plenty of options to play 2B on his bench anyway.
Even though Tony LaRussa was the most blatant abuser of this, i'm not just picking on the Cards. All teams do this shit post 9/1, and it gets to be pretty stupid in terms of the integrity of the game & strategy going to shit.
So I propose this. Don't get rid of September call ups. The concept of that is fine, because technically MLB teams have 40 men on the roster and the minor league season is over. But what you can do, is only allow managers to use a total of 25 players per game, or, 12 total substitutions (including pitching changes). Either way would fall somewhat in line to how a pre-9/1 game is played. The Cardinals have 33 players on the team. Some teams have as many as 38! It's absurd.
Off tomorrow and Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels await this weekend. 
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