6C40484F4463544252210 wrote: A horrible loss.
Shelton is fortunate that the Pirates are not in a pennant race because his inept managerial performance through-out last night's game is what would not go unnoticed and would get you fired in other organizations.
I know that the Pirates have missed Bednar, however his performance really started to decline even before the All-Star game. It also didn't help that DeJong went down for a while. Regardless, there is no excuse for leaving Crowe in last night's game, and in my opinion, for bringing him into the game in the ninth in the first place.
The Buc's were on the verge of beating the Yankees in NY after getting swept by the Mets. Perhaps a day when Pirate players could feel a moment of pride and joy as they trudge toward a 100+ loss season. Nope, the Shelton effect proved too hard to overcome.
Derek Shelton likely is a good person, and I don't wish him any ill will. But, if (hey, you must have hope) he is in the dug-out at the start of tonight's game, BC wrongly will have fostered the continuation of the current malaise.
I think Shelton's probably a nice guy. The players seem to like him. I think he's very knowledgeable about baseball. In several games he knew obscure rules. He was a batting coach and is probably very proficient at the technical nature of hitting. He worked with analytics in Toronto. He probably has an impressive resume in baseball except for one thing--managing.
Prior to being hired to manage the Pirates, Shelton's managerial experience was limited to Rookie and Class A leagues. At those low levels, the emphasis is more on player develop than winning. Players need to be given a chance to show what they can do without being overused, and work thru their issues if need be. Winning is nice but not the important thing. What he wouldn't be doing at those levels is using his roster in the most logical way to win the game being played on any particular day.
And he manages the Pirates the same way. He seems to have no sense for putting his team in the best position to win a game. Lineups don't matter. Pitching changes don't matter. Rest hot players, start cold ones. Remove effective pitchers, give the struggling ones a chance. Predetermine how long pitchers will go and the order of the relievers. It's just like managing at the Rookie or Class A levels where winning isn't really the goal.
If Shelton is capable of more, he hasn't shown it in 3 years. If he's following orders, then he's on the front line to take the heat. IMHO, he's a perfect example of the Peter Principle--a person rises to the level of their incompetence. He did well in previous jobs until being promoted to a position for which he has no aptitude. He can probably tell you all the rules of the game, how to hit, what's an ideal amount of time to rest young players and how to plan a bullpen. But give him a roster and tell him to utilize his players in the most efficient way to win that game and he seems clueless.
https://www.mlb.com/news/derek-shelton- ... be-manager
Game Thread - 9/20 - Bucs @ Yanks
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