Buck Stuff

[esmd]

Even with Ubaldo's September resurgance, a critical statistic for him is this.

Ubaldo's first inning of work has been his worst, by far, all year long. He's had a .775 ERA and .995 OPS against in the first inning.

Sept 5 - 3 runs in the first. 0 the rest of the game

Sept 10 - 1 run in the first

Sept 16 - 2 runs in the first

So even in Ubaldo's strong September, he continued to show himself to be a slow starter. Besides leaving your best pitcher in the pen, it was just a poor decision.

I'm obviously not to going to argue that it was the right decision - the results show that it wasn't. But I'll play devil's advocate - say Britton comes in and pitches two innings. We don't score while he's in. Then somehow, miraculously, say in the 13th or 14th, we score. Then who do you bring in the close it out? Bundy? A guy with a dead arm, essentially a rookie? Hunter, a failed closer? Again, not saying it was the right decision, only that I'm not going to crucify him for it. The way the offense was going, especially with how Liriano was looking, didn't bode well for us. It was only a matter of time, IMO. Like I said, win some, lose some.

[esmd]

Inexcusable.

The entire world is currently slack jawed at what was one of the worst decisions in the history of professional sports.

Outside of sports I'm sure Buck is a good person, but within the realm of the sport this is unforgivable. This ranks right up there with Maier but feels worse because it was self-inflicted.

We spend money and time supporting this team and the manager decides to not play the best player. There is no discussion, there is no nothing. This can't happen but it did.

I'm done with him. Thanks for helping turn the ship around. There is no coming back from this.

Oh dear god...REALLY?!??! What are you, 4? What a childish tantrum.

[ledzepp8]

Do you really think anybody would have blamed Buck if the Orioles had lost in that fashion? Seriously?

Uhhhh...yeah. Is this your first time on this board?

[Babypowder]

I'm not even a huge Buck fan and I'm not in the "Fire Buck" camp here. However, losing a win or die game that goes 11 innings without using Britton is completely indefensible and monumentally stupid. 6 relievers got into the game before Zach Britton. Six. One of them was a bad starter who struggles in the first inning and out of the bullpen.

He even had an opportunity to use him to get said bad starter out of trouble, and passed then too.

Does anyone else remember the Buck quote about playing by the "win" rule and not the "save" rule? Yeah, he was clearly lying about that. Britton was only coming in for a save. In a win or go home game in extras, that's just silly.

All that said, 4 hits and 5 men on base in 11 innings. That will lose you a lot of games.

[esmd]

Dear God...you guys are getting pathetic.

Let me ask you this.

What happens if Buck plays it like everyone wanted him to and pitches Zach in the 9th and 10th, and lets say he has 40 pitches (he's done there). The Orioles score one run in the 11th and now its a 3-2 game. Now we have someone trying to close it out who hasn't closed all year. So if Edwin still hits that homerun, everyone is still pissed that Buck wasted Britton in the 9th instead of saving him. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

Buck was waiting for one of our guys to go deep, just one run and he was running out to get Zach in. It didn't happen. We need to play better and win the division next year. Plain and simple. Rant over.

This. Just.....this.

[pastorfan]

It is not Buck's fault. He pushed all the right buttons and had a plan for the 12 inning. He had already put Nolan Reimold-Showalter in, no doubt for his great plate discipline and defense. He planned to lead off the 12th with the RBI machine, Caleb Joseph. Then he was going to put Britton in the game.

[ledzepp8]

The same Edwin who hasn't had a hit off Ubaldo. The same Ubaldo who had a whip under 0.8 in the second half. Yes.

Secondly, don't complain about spending on playoff tickets, you'll get a refund. Lighten up fellas, its baseball. February will be here soon and I guarantee this team will come to compete.

My personal opinion, is that I can't get too mad about losing a one and done playoff game. That's a coin toss every time. I'm sorry but after 14 straight losing seasons, I'm happy to have a team that has been playing meaningful baseball late in the season and/or making the playoffs for the past 5 years.

[Babypowder]

I'm obviously not to going to argue that it was the right decision - the results show that it wasn't. But I'll play devil's advocate - say Britton comes in and pitches two innings. We don't score while he's in. Then somehow, miraculously, say in the 13th or 14th, we score. Then who do you bring in the close it out? Bundy? A guy with a dead arm, essentially a rookie? Hunter, a failed closer? Again, not saying it was the right decision, only that I'm not going to crucify him for it. The way the offense was going, especially with how Liriano was looking, didn't bode well for us. It was only a matter of time, IMO. Like I said, win some, lose some.

That situation may or may not come to pass. You know you have to extend the game. You absolutely cannot lose a one game playoff in extra innings with your best reliever on the pine.

No way everyone outside of Baltimore is blasting Buck if the situation you describe occurs. The best reliever in baseball did not pitch in a one game playoff his team lost in 11 innings.

That's impossible to defend.

[canonfaz]

No doubt it is a tough loss. I personally would have brought in Zach, and at the very least, Bundy instead of UJ, but this is the beauty and agony of sports. We've been on the other side many times, we'll be there again.

I'm looking forward to 2017 with a full year of Bundy and Gausman anchoring the staff. I'm looking forward to another MVP type of performance from Manny. I'm looking forward to another lock down bullpen.

I know it sucks right now, but it will get better. It will make winning the World Series all that more meaningful when it happens.

[atomic]

I'm obviously not to going to argue that it was the right decision - the results show that it wasn't. But I'll play devil's advocate - say Britton comes in and pitches two innings. We don't score while he's in. Then somehow, miraculously, say in the 13th or 14th, we score. Then who do you bring in the close it out? Bundy? A guy with a dead arm, essentially a rookie? Hunter, a failed closer? Again, not saying it was the right decision, only that I'm not going to crucify him for it. The way the offense was going, especially with how Liriano was looking, didn't bode well for us. It was only a matter of time, IMO. Like I said, win some, lose some.

You could bring in Jiminez then if you want. If Britton pitches two innings bring in whomever is your next best option. I would have put Worley on the roster and used him after Britton. But you make the decision after Britton is done. If you lose after Britton pitches two shut-out innings than you put your best in and gave your team the best shot to win.

[TXOriole]

I can understand the philosophy of "we weren't hitting anyway, so what did it matter", except that in the top of the 12th, we had Machado, Trumbo, Weiters due up. 2 of our 4 hits and both RBI came from that trio. Why not bring in Britton to get us to the top of the 12th and pray those guys can get something done for Britton to close it up in the bottom of the 12th? If it doesnt happen...fine. Then the loss is on the offense. But not even giving them the chance is inexcusable.

[atomic]

Saves in the playoffs are a pretty meaningless stat. I think Buck felt the offense might not score for a long time and was hoping to get multiple innings from Jimenez until they finally did. He was afraid to burn Britton and still be in a tied game. I get it. I don't agree with it. It backfired. If Jimenez goes 5 scoreless and Britton closes it out in the 16th or whatever, Buck looks like a genius. I think Bucks tries to be smarter than everyone else. Sometimes he succeeds.

How would that make him look like a genius. If he waits for a save situation to bring Briton in he can only get one inning out of him. What if it were still tied in the 16th does he still not bring Britton in? To get multiple innings out of Britton you have to bring him in a non-save situation. Well unless Britton blows the lead . And Britton had already warmed up 3 times at that point he shouldn't even be brought in. My feeling is if you warm up Britton bring him in.

[Babypowder]

Saves in the playoffs are a pretty meaningless stat. I think Buck felt the offense might not score for a long time and was hoping to get multiple innings from Jimenez until they finally did. He was afraid to burn Britton and still be in a tied game. I get it. I don't agree with it. It backfired. If Jimenez goes 5 scoreless and Britton closes it out in the 16th or whatever, Buck looks like a genius. I think Bucks tries to be smarter than everyone else. Sometimes he succeeds.

Saves are a pretty meaningless stat all the time. What I meant was that Britton wasn't coming in unless they had a lead, which I think is obviously what Buck was saving him for.

[MikeAD]

How dare you suggest that the other team had talented baseball players who wanted to win as much as us? They're Canadians!

(Okay, technically they're mostly Americans and Dominicans and various other non-Canuck nationalities representing the Great Northern Menace. But let's not get too far into the weeds.)

Oh please. Nobody is suggesting the Jays aren't a better team. However we went into the lion's den of the better team and were give a huge gift taking the game to our turf. The best bullpen in baseball with a closer coming off an historic season. That's when you have to win. If we had lost in nine innings by several runs I get it. They beat us. Buck beat us last night. Terrible roster management, I cannot fathom pinch hitting Reimold in that situation and then putting him in the field when Stubbs is on the bench and defense could save the game. Our bullpen was our best aspect and the best part of that best aspect was left out of the most important game of the season. Inexcusable. And to show up at the press conference without even anything resembling a reason makes it that much worse. Embarrassing.

[MikeAD]

Rest assured that if Buck had used Britton and two innings later they lose after taking the lead in the top of the inning, the same cast of characters would have been pissed that Buck wasted Britton in an earlier inning.

This is why I pay little attention to this site during the season. The reactionary stuff is sad.

I am disappointed, but man what a great season(s)

I challenge you to find a reactionary post from me over the past thirteen years. This is unusual and stems from an absurd decision by a professional manager.