Managers often second-guessed when removing pitchers from a game - Warm Up Tosses - "L'aquila Italiana" on American League Baseball - Statistical Data Included

Baseball Digest, July, 2002 by John Kuenster

HE WAS A LIFELONG BASEBALL FAN WHO CALLED HIMSELF "L'aquila Italiana" (the Italian Eagle). He grew up in the old Italian neighborhood in Chicago, and in years past he often called or wrote Baseball Digest to express his incisive opinions about the game, its players and managers.

He was a sharp observer and his self-designated nickname could not be dismissed as harmless exaggeration. He could spot mental mistakes and misjudgments in a ball game quicker than an airborne eagle catches sight of prey scurrying around on the ground.

"Managers," he liked to intone, "don't have a monopoly on brains."

It was his favorite expression, even though he was counseled that maybe he would not make such a harsh assessment if he knew all the factors in managerial decisions.

However, many second-guessers, if asked, would undoubtedly have agreed with his view last April 10 when the struggling Cubs lost a 3-2 game to the Mets at Wrigley Field.

Here was the situation, The Cubs were leading the Mets, 2-1, at the end of seven innings. Their starter, Kerry Wood, had struck out ten batters, had limited the Mets to four hits, and had thrown only 97 pitches.

A big, strong, young right-hander, Wood had dominated the opposition. When he returned to the dugout after completing his seven innings, he figured he'd be going back to the mound for the eighth inning.

Although he had developed a small blister on the middle finger of his right hand, he said, "I was fully expecting to go (back) out. I was ready to go."

Manager Don Baylor squashed that idea quickly even though he later admitted Wood's blister "really didn't hinder his pitching."

He told Wood, "That's enough."

And, Wood had to sit while reliever Jeff Fassero surrendered back-to-back home runs to Roberto Alomar and Mike Piazza that won the game for the Mets.

Alomar was happy Wood had been taken out of the game. "It was a relief to face someone you know," Alomar said of Fassero who had pitched against him when both were in the American League. "I was surprised Wood did not pitch that inning."

Piazza was even more elated he didn't have to duel Wood again. He had struck out in all three at-bats against Wood before ripping a 3-and-1 slider by Fassero to the back of the right field bleachers for the game-winning home run.

Even though Baylor couldn't use the reliever he wanted (Kyle Farnsworth who had suffered a stress fracture in his right foot while warming up in the bullpen during the seventh inning), the Cubs manager had to take the heat for his strategy in lifting Wood.

In his defense, it should be mentioned that Baylor later said he would have been "taking a chance" of Wood incurring more damage to his blistered finger if he had kept the right-hander in the game.

Yet, he had admitted the blister wouldn't have affected Wood's pitching, so the second-guessers were wondering why Baylor didn't let him continue.

The blister wasn't that bad. It didn't force Wood to miss his next start on April 15 against the Expos at Olympic Stadium.

Once again, though, Baylor yanked Wood after he had thrown shutout ball for six innings, using only 74 pitches as the Cubs led, 3-0.

The rationale for Baylor's move was that Wood had been struck above the left elbow by a one-hopper hit through the mound by the Expos' Peter Bergeron in the fifth inning.

Wood breezed through the sixth, needing only seven pitches to complete the inning.

Yet, Baylor thought that was enough for his starter and went through three relievers who nearly blew the game.

Off-field strategists wondered why Wood, a sturdy, 6-5, 220 pound-athlete, couldn't pitch with a little pain in his left arm when he threw with his tight.

"I was having trouble getting my left arm up in my delivery," Wood said. "They (Baylor and pitching coach Larry Rothschild) didn't want anything to throw off my mechanics."

The removal of Wood might be considered a case of coddling by critics whose knowledge of the game extends back more than a few years. Younger critics might say it was a case of common sense.

Whatever, whether a manager should pull a starter from a game or let him stay on the mound has become a greater source of second-guessing in baseball these days for the simple reason complete games are out of fashion in the majors.

In the 2001 season, only one of every 11 American League games and only one of every 13.5 National League games resulted in a complete game for a starting pitcher.

Our old Italian friend earlier had addressed this modern trend in no uncertain terms.

"These managers today," he claimed, "are afraid to let their young pitchers develop. They baby them. They make decisions on the number of pitches they've thrown. They pull them even when they're throwing well, are in a tie game or have the lead.

"What a crock of--! Money is at the root of it. They have these highly-paid relievers, who work one or maybe two innings, and they figure they'll look foolish if they don't use them."

Although our friend voiced his gripe with a sense of righteousness, he missed one big point.

And, that point simply can be found in the lack of sufficient quality starting pitching for all 30 teams in the majors today.