If ...
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:40 pm
7B5A527B50583F0 wrote: Watching Musgrove tonight makes it hard to feel bad about the Cole trade.
Yeah. Personally, I like Musgrove in a Pirate’s uniform better than I liked Cole. I’m not saying Joe is better than Cole, just a better Pirate.
Musgrove is a fierce competitor. I'm not saying Cole wasn't a competitor. Gerritt couldn't get over the hump when things went south in a game. He couldn't just forget a bad pitch ... it lingered.
This why I won't be surprised if he implodes in the playoffs. Not rooting for it, but it won't surprise me.
Nothing is impossible in the playoffs. Bob Friend in 1960. Barry Bonds in the early 90's. But that is one possibility that I would be very happy to be possible.
In Friend's defense he had given up 2 ER and already had 6 Ks when lifted for a PHer trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the 4th in Game 2 of 1960 WS. In the proceeding 5 innings the BP gave up 13 runs. He did pitch poorly in game 6 and couldn't hold the lead in 1 inning of relief in game 7. But he wasn't pitching poorly in game 2 and Murtaugh probably regretted lifting him so early for a PHer in a 3-1 game when Friend had whiffed 6 Yankees in 4 innings including Mantle, Skowron (twice) and Howard (twice). To this day Friend is still bothered by being pulled in that game.
Murtaugh's decision to PH for Friend was further compounded by the injury to Bob Skinner, which resulted in Gino Cimoli in LF and Rocky Nelson starting at 1B (for another LH bat). Had Skinner provided the LH bat in LF, Stuart would have been at 1B and either Cimoli or Nelson would have PH with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 1 out. But Murtaugh didn't want to use up his power threat off the bench (Dick Stuart) or his #2 catcher (Hal Smith) so early. Dick Schofield was needed in reserve in case Groat's recently healed broken wrist gave him trouble. With Skinner out, Joe Christopher was the only extra outfielder. That left slim pickings with Gene Baker or Bob Oldis. Both were with the team all season and were not hitting threats. Baker had just 9 singles in 40 ABs and Oldis had 3 singles and a double in 20 ABs. They combined for 5 RBIs. Murtaugh decided to pull Friend for Baker, who popped out. A Hurdlesque move to be sure. The Bucs didn't score any more that inning and the BP then turned a close 3-1 game into a 16-3 rout, which unfortunately Friend gets associated with.
Yeah. Personally, I like Musgrove in a Pirate’s uniform better than I liked Cole. I’m not saying Joe is better than Cole, just a better Pirate.
Musgrove is a fierce competitor. I'm not saying Cole wasn't a competitor. Gerritt couldn't get over the hump when things went south in a game. He couldn't just forget a bad pitch ... it lingered.
This why I won't be surprised if he implodes in the playoffs. Not rooting for it, but it won't surprise me.
Nothing is impossible in the playoffs. Bob Friend in 1960. Barry Bonds in the early 90's. But that is one possibility that I would be very happy to be possible.
In Friend's defense he had given up 2 ER and already had 6 Ks when lifted for a PHer trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the 4th in Game 2 of 1960 WS. In the proceeding 5 innings the BP gave up 13 runs. He did pitch poorly in game 6 and couldn't hold the lead in 1 inning of relief in game 7. But he wasn't pitching poorly in game 2 and Murtaugh probably regretted lifting him so early for a PHer in a 3-1 game when Friend had whiffed 6 Yankees in 4 innings including Mantle, Skowron (twice) and Howard (twice). To this day Friend is still bothered by being pulled in that game.
Murtaugh's decision to PH for Friend was further compounded by the injury to Bob Skinner, which resulted in Gino Cimoli in LF and Rocky Nelson starting at 1B (for another LH bat). Had Skinner provided the LH bat in LF, Stuart would have been at 1B and either Cimoli or Nelson would have PH with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 1 out. But Murtaugh didn't want to use up his power threat off the bench (Dick Stuart) or his #2 catcher (Hal Smith) so early. Dick Schofield was needed in reserve in case Groat's recently healed broken wrist gave him trouble. With Skinner out, Joe Christopher was the only extra outfielder. That left slim pickings with Gene Baker or Bob Oldis. Both were with the team all season and were not hitting threats. Baker had just 9 singles in 40 ABs and Oldis had 3 singles and a double in 20 ABs. They combined for 5 RBIs. Murtaugh decided to pull Friend for Baker, who popped out. A Hurdlesque move to be sure. The Bucs didn't score any more that inning and the BP then turned a close 3-1 game into a 16-3 rout, which unfortunately Friend gets associated with.