Official Game Thread - 7/2 - Bucs vs Cards

[Wildwoodcoach]

On the broadcast they just stated that the Pirates are 3-16 this year and going back to last year after an off day.
So much for the theory of resting players

That is a pathetic stat. In tho old days, that would earn the players a full scale workout on their off day

[Bobster]

On the broadcast they just stated that the Pirates are 3-16 this year and going back to last year after an off day.
So much for the theory of resting players

That is a pathetic stat. In tho old days, that would earn the players a full scale workout on their off day

I looked at this season's results so far and they are 6-8 in games the day before an off day. Better than the day after but still a losing record. The Pirates have a practice of resting players the day before or the day after an off day so that they go 2 days without playing. Which means that on days before or after an off day, the lineup is deliberately weakened.

When a player is going well, sometimes a day off is the worst thing for him. When you're hot, you want to go right back out there and stay hot. Off-days are part of the schedule and can't be helped. But adding an extra day off by keeping the player out of the lineup can serve to needlessly cool him off even more. Remember how Michael A. Taylor got off to a great start to open the season and was rewarded with a 3-game rest? He's been ice cold ever since. Taylor is not someone who's going to hit much, so when he's hot you let him play. But not the Pirates. They knew better.

I believe the record is better (although still poor) on games before rather than games after a day off is because the game before an off day is another in a series of games. But the game after an off day is a game in which the entire team was idle the previous day. Players always say that the key to playing better is to play more. Contrary to what our genius GM believes, players don't get better by not playing.