Paul Hoynes gives this baseball era it’s designation:
This is a dangerous time to be a starting pitcher for the Indians. It might be a line drive back to the mound that breaks a hand, a strained forearm or an unexpected drone attack.
Whatever the reason, the Tribe’s starting pitchers are marked men.
On the other hand, this just might be the golden age of relievers.
Teams certainly seem more concerned about developing pitchers who lead up to the closer, having relievers who can shut down teams in the seventh and eighth inning, not just the ninth. Terry Francona and Dave Roberts have their relievers on board with the idea of pitching not for the save, but in the highest leverage situations.
Game three of the ALCS also brings to mind the idea of having one pitcher for each time through the order. The research shows that opposing batters hit better as they see a starter more, so only let them see a pitcher once. So teams would use four pitchers per game, pitching every other game.
I still think human nature works against this. Players really like having roles precisely defined. Maybe they throw that out with a championship on the line. Winning, however, leads to imitation. The 2017 season might be very interesting in terms of relief usage.
from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/2eoEkcr
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