We seriously need to consider another closer at this point

[webbrick2010]

Buck is going to start losing the clubhouse.

He is putting Jim Johnson above the other 24 guys.

Patton was ready in the bullpen and he let JJ give up the winning double to a punch and judy LH hitter that Patton would have ate up.

Does someone need to send the stats to Buck on what happens to a closer after his 20th pitch yet alone his 40th??

[Blizzard1090]

This division is going to be tight and down to the wire. Thus you can't keep giving away winnable games like this.

Jim Johnson was lights out last year until the postseason. That is no longer the case now.

You can NOT keep giving winnable games away,you simply can't.

[SteveO]

So when the team does well and makes the playoffs, we owe it to buck.

But when Johnson loses 4 of 5 saves chances and buck says he's going to stick with him despite him having NOTHING, it's the players fault and not bucks???

Man that is sound logic.

Dude we went to the playoffs last year after 13 losing seasons mixing in guys who had no business on a playoff roster and using the same BP essentially that is failing now.

Its also barely past the 1/4 of the season mark. You people overreacting now say he sucks and should go despite the fact the man has forgotten more about baseball then you know.

Here is an idea.....wait till the end of the season and then make a judgement. Novel concept.

Every manager makes bad calls. I here you blaming Buck and I would bet you would be blaming him for bringing in Patton whoever else he brought in to.

[Ripken]

Right cause Patton has been great the past few weeks.

Hell McFarland got lit up his last outing.

Patton has struggled. I said the same thing in this thread. You start the inning with JJ. But IMO you HAVE to bring in Patton to face that last hitter. Johnson was completely terrible that inning. At least with a pitching change you can hope Patton is having a good day.

[PaulFolk]

He should do what he did with Strop last year when strop decided to suck real bad. He just quietly didnt use him in the 8th inning anymore. Just quietly not use JJ in the 9th.

How do you "quietly" not use Johnson in the 9th? If there's a save situation and Johnson isn't brought in, somehow I think people will notice.

[eddie83]

You are yanking your all-star closer who is one pitch away from a save for Troy Patton who can't throw strikes.

[MDK02]

Hey and look. Perez of the Indians just blew a save in spectacular fashion giving up 4 runs to the Sox. That guy's a bum too.

The hits just keep coming today.. fall another game back.

[webbrick2010]

Of course it all comes down to starting pitching that can't even complete 7 innings.

A lot of workhorse pitchers were available in the off season.

But DD did .... wait for it NOTHING

[Bigbie03]

Patton DIDN'T HAVE to come in. O'Day could've pitched. Buck decided he couldn't.

[Norfolk orioles]

Dude we went to the playoffs last year after 13 losing seasons mixing in guys who had no business on a playoff roster and using the same BP essentially that is failing now.

Its also barely past the 1/4 of the season mark. You people overreacting now say he sucks and should go despite the fact the man has forgotten more about baseball then you know.

Here is an idea.....wait till the end of the season and then make a judgement. Novel concept.

Every manager makes bad calls. I here you blaming Buck and I would bet you would be blaming him for bringing in Patton whoever else he brought in to.

Buck isn't making bad calls. He's ignoring reality. So are you apparently. It's right there in front of his face.

We dl'd strop for the exact same thing. But Johnson will not only get to keep pitching but he gets to keep closing too???

I'm sorry that's bad managing any way you slice it and no amount of "buck did this last year so he's always right" rationale will change that.

[Norfolk orioles]

You are yanking your all-star closer who is one pitch away from a save for Troy Patton who can't throw strikes.

As opposed to Jim Johnson who can't throw strikes unless they are meatballs that get destroyed?

Yeah, I'd have brought in Patton. For one it was a lefty lefty matchup and 2 Johnson had already thrown 30 pitches and we saw what the result was. The writing was on the wall and buck completely ignored it.

[SteveO]

Buck knows that this teams best chance of winning the division and championship is to have the closer who save 50 straight and was an allstar get right. That makes him a smart manager who does not fly off the handle.

Maybe he should have brought in Patton...but its not like the options he had were much better. O'Day was not available.

[mlaws9]

This one is on Buck at least as much, and probably more, than it's on Johnson.

For whatever reason -- I'd argue part of it is due to being overworked of late -- Johnson is just having a spate of being either all the way "on" or all the way "off."

Now, when it's CLEAR he's having an "off" game, he needs to get the hook. A three-run lead gave us all ample opportunity to see that Johnson just didn't have it; it doesn't matter when you pull him, just that you do at some point. Is it after the second straight hit? The third? After the Gose walk? To me, it doesn't really matter; once you see enough to know he can't find the plate/is getting smacked around, you pull the trigger.

The flipside of not wanting to "hurt his confidence" is that you're sending a message to the other bullpen arms: that we're going to stick with the closer no matter what; that you can't be trusted to finish this out, and the better option for trying to win this game is riding a bum Johnson all the way, no matter what.

(Personally, I don't buy any of that B.S. anyway. These guys are professional athletes. They should be able to weather it when they're having a crap game and Buck takes the ball from them.)

[AlbionHero]

You are yanking your all-star closer who is one pitch away from a save for Troy Patton who can't throw strikes.

He's not an all-star closer this year. And yes, lefty/lefty matchup would give us the best chance to win. You manage for what gives you the best chance to win.

[SteveO]

As opposed to Jim Johnson who can't throw strikes unless they are meatballs that get destroyed?

Yeah, I'd have brought in Patton. For one it was a lefty lefty matchup and 2 Johnson had already thrown 30 pitches and we saw what the result was. The writing was on the wall and buck completely ignored it.

Well since your talking matchups you do realize that Johnson has been better vrs lefties than Patton who has been god awful vrs lefties.