Will Smith's role??

[JohnBriggs12]

Will Smith was a great addition to this staff. But he didn't come cheap. Melvin spent a solid everyday leadoff hitter to get him I'm sure in part because his stuff is good enough to get out both lefty and righty hitters and the fact that he showed in KC the ability to go multiple innings. So down the road, a starting role seemed likely.

 

So why does our esteemed manager seem intent on limiting him to a lefty specialist role? Teams do not give up starting OF for lefty specialists do they?

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

Yeah.... RR's move yesterday cost us the game. If he leaves Smith in to finish the 8th, we probably escape with a 3-2 win.

 

The running into outs is really getting old as well...

[JohnBriggs12]

It wasn't just yesterday. Of his last 10 appearances, 7 have been for less than one full inning. That's the very definition of lefty specialist. Not only that but by doing that with Smith, Roenicke burns through his bullpen faster, leaving himself thin should the games go extra.

 

Lohse was not sharp yesterday. That he managed to get through 6 2/3 innings allowing only 2 runs was a near miracle. There were a lot of very hard hit outs. That's a perfect scenario to bring in a well rested Smith to start the 7th inning and perhaps go 2 innings to get to K-Rod, and save the rest of the pen.

[pacopete4]

He loves Kintzler and wants him to be that 8th inning man. That's why.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's no slight on Kintzler to use Smith to get through the 8th occasionally.

[Baldkin]

Lefties pitch to lefties.

 

Kameron Loe pitches to Joey Votto.

 

It's the Roenicke Way.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

A couple years ago we (including me) were all bent out of shape when RR would dogmatically stick with the 7/8/9 inning guy roles. This year he's more flexible by matchup. I get that some would argue Smith doesn't fit since his splits don't show a big R/L difference, but Kintzler is an awfully good option at that point. I had no problem with how he's used Smith or anyone else in the pen this year.

 

What were his splits in the minors?

[Roderick]

A couple years ago we (including me) were all bent out of shape when RR would dogmatically stick with the 7/8/9 inning guy roles. This year he's more flexible by matchup. I get that some would argue Smith doesn't fit since his splits don't show a big R/L difference, but Kintzler is an awfully good option at that point. I had no problem with how he's used Smith or anyone else in the pen this year.

 

What were his splits in the minors?

 

It seems to me there has been multiple times this year that a Smith/Duke/Thornburg have closed out an inning and could be brought in for the first batter of the next inning for a righty/lefty matchup and he hasn't brought them back out. I know it is nice for the reliever to start the inning fresh, but these pitchers that can go more than one inning easily and he isn't using them that way - and I assume at some point they won't be stretched out to go a long two innings if needed. A waste to me.

[Thurston Fluff]

Seems to me whatever he is doing with them is working for the most part.

[HiAndTight]

It wasn't just yesterday. Of his last 10 appearances, 7 have been for less than one full inning. That's the very definition of lefty specialist. Not only that but by doing that with Smith, Roenicke burns through his bullpen faster, leaving himself thin should the games go extra.

 

Lohse was not sharp yesterday. That he managed to get through 6 2/3 innings allowing only 2 runs was a near miracle. There were a lot of very hard hit outs. That's a perfect scenario to bring in a well rested Smith to start the 7th inning and perhaps go 2 innings to get to K-Rod, and save the rest of the pen.

 

That's not at all the definition of a lefty specialist, and a lefty specialist wouldn't likely have 13.1 IP in 16 appearances or have faced more right handed hitters than left handed hitters as Smith has.

 

 

Roenicke had two late inning relievers. He used his right handed guy to face the Reds cleanup hitter after using the left hander to get the previous two guys out.

 

Any time something doesn't work out you can look back and complain about it, but this was perfectly logical at the time.

[Pugger]

A couple years ago we (including me) were all bent out of shape when RR would dogmatically stick with the 7/8/9 inning guy roles. This year he's more flexible by matchup. I get that some would argue Smith doesn't fit since his splits don't show a big R/L difference, but Kintzler is an awfully good option at that point. I had no problem with how he's used Smith or anyone else in the pen this year.

 

What were his splits in the minors?

 

I was disappointed when we traded away Aoki but Smith has been great! Unfortunately Kintzler hasn't been wonderful since he's returned from the DL.