Kudos to Macha

[rluzinski]

As soon as DiFelice threw 4 balls - Macha could tell he didn't have his best stuff and pulled him.

 

I don't think you can tell if a pitcher has it after 1 PA and I don't think that's a viable way to manage a pen, anyway.

[logan82]

I like that the guy who pitched well in the 8th inning was left in for the 9th. Whether Coffey should have been left in to bat is highly debatable. I don't think relief pitchers should ever bat. Being up by a couple runs makes it a much different situation than if we were tied or losing though. I hope that Macha will continue to use Coffey and Villanueva in multiple inning roles starting in the 6th inning if necessary.

[monty57]

I hope that Macha will continue to use Coffey and Villanueva in multiple inning roles starting in the 6th inning if necessary.

 

I hope he doesn't do it too much before Hoffman comes back. We're off tomorrow, which makes it more palatable that Coffey went 2 2/3 innings. Otherwise, we can't be without one of the the two guys (along with DiFelice) who has been dependable because he's pitching multiple innings. When Hoffman's back, we should have several guys (DiFelice, Coffey, Villy and McClung) that can go more than one inning when necessary.

[yount19.u]

As soon as DiFelice threw 4 balls - Macha could tell he didn't have his best stuff and pulled him.

 

I don't think you can tell if a pitcher has it after 1 PA and I don't think that's a viable way to manage a pen, anyway.

Given the team's recent history with the bases loaded, I don't think you can fault Macha for having a quick hook with DiFelice. Plus, DiFelice is know for throwing strikes, so coming in and walking someone on four straight balls would indicate he may not have his best stuff. If the bases were empty, I would say leave him in. In today's game, I think Macha made the right move.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

Given the team's recent history with the bases loaded, I don't think you can fault Macha for having a quick hook with DiFelice. Plus, DiFelice is know for throwing strikes, so coming in and walking someone on four straight balls would indicate he may not have his best stuff. If the bases were empty, I would say leave him in. In today's game, I think Macha made the right move.

Also with the off day tomorrow I don't have a problem with using a bit more of the pen. The 7th inning I still wasn't crazy about, but I did like that he didn't sit waiting around for Suppan to pitch out of it. Perhaps a lesson learned from the Easter Walkathon?

[danzig6767]

However, I'll second Russ's suggestion that Coffey isn't anything special, so even though it worked today, I'm not sure its the right move tomorrow or next Tuesday. Coffey has over 200 MLB IP suggesting that he's a GB pitcher who gives up way too many HR to be anything more than just another guy in a decent pen. Some of that was no doubt related to Cincy's silly ballpark, and some of it was probably bad luck (nobody's really homer-prone enough to yield 25+% HR/FB rates), but you'd have a heck of a time convincing me he's any better than a 3.75 - 4.00 or so ERA short reliever in the long run, 17 scoreless IP or no.

We'll find out how much this matters or not as the year goes on, but Coffey has mentioned a few times that while with the Reds, they pushed him to be more of a fastball/slider pitcher and to not use his sinker as much as he wanted to do. Watching him pitch this year, it sure looks like he throws his sinker the majority of the time, while mixing in a few straight fastballs and sliders.

 

His sinker does look impressive along with his command of it. Lots of them on the corners with a nice late downward slant on it. When he's throwing sinkers there, it's going to be hard for hitters to elevate and drive those sinkers.

 

I don't have the worlds greatest memory, but i do seem to recall when we faced Coffey with the Reds, he threw a lot more fastballs and sliders and a lesser number of sinkers than he's throwing with us.

[bigredrobbo]

If all the quirks had backfired today, we'd not be reading a thread entitled "Kudos to Macha". I think for many, Macha will get credit for lots of questionable moves by the sheer fact of not being Yost.

[rluzinski]

I did see a post where Coffey's fastball is almost 2 MPH this year than last years. I wonder if he had health issues last year. That said, he's never been anything special in the majors, so I think some people might be setting themselves up for disappointment. I hope I'm wrong.

[endaround]

Fangraphs has Coffey's FB at 93.6, about 1.2 MPH over last season and 1 MPH over career. He is also throwing his slider much less this season than last (28.8%(!) in 2008 vs 12.3% in 2009 and for his career it was 18.8%.) and his fastball much more (84% vs 69.8%). While he doesn't look it, Coffey is only 28 the age where relievers often start having 2-3 years of really good performances so there is some hope that this is a new level but I'm not overly optimistic.

[Fatter than Joey]

I think for many, Macha will get credit for lots of questionable moves by the sheer fact of not being Yost.

 

I don't think this is fair -- I think the board considers leaving Suppan in the game to bat as a bad move that worked out well.

 

Frankly, I think everyone was just happy we won this game, we aren't going to get too critical.

 

Yost was a bad manager that should have been fired long before he did.

[Fatter than Joey]

I don't think you can tell if a pitcher has it after 1 PA and I don't think that's a viable way to manage a pen, anyway.

 

I don't think Macha said "DiFelice doesn't have it today" -- My guess is he made some sort of decree in the locker room, that if you come into a game and give up a walk on 4 straight pitches -- out you come. Given the problems the Brewers have had with BBs, I have to think that walking a guy on 4 straight pitches to load the bases is the current cardinal sin for the Brewers right about now.

 

If you look at the matchups, I can certainly understand Macha not wanting Stetter to face Wright. I am not so clear why Coffey facing Delgado is better than DiFelice facing him, or Swindle for that matter.

 

That said, he's never been anything special in the majors, so I think some people might be setting themselves up for disappointment.

 

I agree with your concerns Russ. I feel like he could be more effective than McClung and Julio, and he might have a good season this year, but I am not to the point where I want to see him long-term.

[TheCrew07]

I'd probably wait a bit before coming to the conclusion that Macha is gonna scrap the defined bullpen roles. I'm guessing that when Hoffman comes back the bullpen roles will become a bit more defined

In the latest bullpen article on JSOnline

Macha also said a little more than a week ago that he did not believe in traditional roles for the bullpen, that he merely goes with the guys who are pitching well at the moment. Considering that Coffey hasn't had a bad inning since the Brewers pulled him off the scrap heap in the heat of a pennant race last September, there just might be hope out there.

Hoffman will close but it will be a fluid situation in front of him, or at least I'm hoping so.

[joepepsi]

I did see a post where Coffey's fastball is almost 2 MPH this year than last years. I wonder if he had health issues last year. That said, he's never been anything special in the majors, so I think some people might be setting themselves up for disappointment. I hope I'm wrong.

Actually, he showed a lot of improvement in his 2nd year, 2006: 81 appearances, 3.58 ERA, 60K; 27 BB.

 

2007 he wasn't very effective, but he also spent a month in the minors mid-summer, so maybe there was an injury issue? Last season the Red sent him down in April and kept him there most of the summer, until they released him.

 

As a minor leaguer he has a 3.14 career ERA with a 3:1 K:BB ratio. 2.6 BB/9ip; 8.4 K/9ip. Bearing in mind relievers as a group are remarkably inconsistent and unpredictable, I still feel there is ample evidence that Coffey will be a good reliever in the majors.

[Thurston Fluff]

If all the quirks had backfired today, we'd not be reading a thread entitled "Kudos to Macha". I think for many, Macha will get credit for lots of questionable moves by the sheer fact of not being Yost.

 

I agree with this. If that liner Hall caught went through it is a totally different game. If it gets through the base runners Coffey put on base score. Same goes for the ball dropping in his hand instead of going slightly to the left or right and becoming an infield single or run scoring ground ball. It's hard to call luck good managerial strategy. Before I call Macha good or bad I think I'd like to see how well this team does all year. Hard to call a manager good when he has a quality team and a 4-8 record. Yost might not have been a strategic genius but he did win with less talent than this team has. Macha better be able to do the same or it's hard to say he's an upgrade.

[Nottso]

It would always tick me to have 1 reliever breeze through an inning in 10 pitches and Yost go to the next guy even though the pitcher's spot didn't come up in the order. If a guy has it going on, let him pitch another inning, if he doesn't then by all means move on to the next reliever.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

[Thurston Fluff]

It would always tick me to have 1 reliever breeze through an inning in 10 pitches and Yost go to the next guy even though the pitcher's spot didn't come up in the order.

 

I don't remember him doing this without reason all that often. In fact he always wanted pitchers who could go more than one inning and wanted Melvin to find more relievers who could do that. Yost's desire to have multiple inning relievers was one of the reasons cited by Melvin for getting guys like Torres and Mota and not keeping guys like Wise who couldn't.

[JohnBriggs12]

Coffey's arm might fall off by July.

 

That won't be Macha's fault or even the other relievers. This team needs to hit and they're not hitting, especially the guys that have to, Braun, Fielder and Hardy.

 

I still think you don't let Suppan lead off the 7th if he's on a one hitter leash pitching in the bottom of the inning. They had a reasonably rested pen and DiFelice should have started the 7th, then they could have gone to Stetter if he got in a jam.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Not saying these reasons justify not bringing in your best reliever when he would be the most useful, but it's probably why they don't.

 

Hey monty...great post, that is exactly my point. I read all the logic you posted and I find it to be the typical flawed conventional baseball logic you'd hear from the press or a manager. The risk of it going wrong is why they don't do it...they can't handle the heat. At some point someone is going to step up and start using their reliever that way and it will improve their odds over the long run.

 

It's why the Cubs are better off with Marmol or the Yankees used to be with Rivera...when they were the best reliever they had but weren't yet annointed as the 9th inning guy. It allows their teams to use them in the highest leverage situation. It's also why many Brewers fans are rooting for the Cubs to move Marmol to the closer spot. Let him rack up the saves...we'll have a better shot at them in the 7th & 8th.

[naivin]

This thread is hilarious. The Brewers have been absolutely dreadful so far this year, and people are making a point to give kudos to Macha, seemingly for one reason...his name is not Ned Yost. If the Brewers were 4-9 and in last place in the division, walking every batter in sight, this place would be going ballistic, with a new Yost thread started every hour.

 

I'm not saying Macha is to blame, and I believe the Brewers will improve, but to suggest Macha deserves any sort of praise at this point is as ludicrous as saying he deserves blame.

[giffted1]

This thread is hilarious. The Brewers have been absolutely dreadful so far this year, and people are making a point to give kudos to Macha, seemingly for one reason...his name is not Ned Yost. If the Brewers were 4-9 and in last place in the division, walking every batter in sight, this place would be going ballistic, with a new Yost thread started every hour.

Macha hasn't been getting much heat because in some roundabout way Yost is to blame for this record.

 

I'd give it some time. If there's one thing fans like to do, it's complain about managers/coaches. There's already been a handful of posts questioning Castro. I'm sure there's a significant group of fans that like Macha simply because he isn't Yost, but if these struggles continue into May, they won't be able to resist the urge, and we'll see a fury "he's not motivating the players enough" or "he needs to hold players accountable" posts.

I'm not saying Macha is to blame, and I believe the Brewers will improve, but to suggest Macha deserves any sort of praise at this point is as ludicrous as saying he deserves blame.

Exactly. A few weeks is nowhere near enough time to make an evaluation of Macha's managing.

[TooLiveBrew]

This thread is hilarious. The Brewers have been absolutely dreadful so far this year, and people are making a point to give kudos to Macha, seemingly for one reason

 

It's funny... it's almost like people are focused on strategy & not outcomes

[logan82]

I think referencing how a player hits versus a certain pitcher must be another of those managery things. Macha seems to constantly be referencing these head to head match ups.

[Ennder]

Certain hitters are going to be better against certain types of pitchers so I don't have a huge problem with it. I'd rather they say that "pitcher" X likes to pitch low and outside and our "hitter Y" likes the ball there so it is a good matchup.

 

As for Macha vs Yost, it is too early to tell. Macha is getting to know the team so things like leaving a pitcher in a little too long is understandable right now. For the most part I haven't had as many head shaking reactions to his moves as I generally had with Yost. Yost made some moves that weren't just bad but so bad that it was almost like he wanted to lose the game.

[Thurston Fluff]

For the most part I haven't had as many head shaking reactions to his moves as I generally had with Yost. Yost made some moves that weren't just bad but so bad that it was almost like he wanted to lose the game.

 

I was as big a Ned fan as there was on this site but I agree Macha seems to be a better in game manager so far. It is way to soon to know for sure since he has already had one hard to understand move and he has only been at the helm for a couple weeks. While Ned was not the greatest strategist ever he was not as bad as it was made out to be. People tended to nitpick and blow many of his moves way out of proportion which made some of his moves seem a lot worse than they were. Or, at the very least, so many more boneheaded moves than the average manger made. I remember plenty of times someone would scream about how stupid a certain move was and see a page or two of debate on whether or not it was as idiotic as the person thought. Anything that can be debated that long cannot be all that stupid IMO. That said, yes, he did make a few too many head scratchers to be hailed as a strategic genius. With Macha we will see. This thread already has one hard to defend move and he's only managed for a couple weeks. How long did Ned go before he made one?

[GormanHarvey]

My biggest problem with Ned was that he never seemed to learn from his mistakes. Macha seems to be the type that would figure out to put the toilet seat up after peeing all over it once or twice.