Post by Rog on Dec 30, 2016 18:30:48 GMT -5
Trading for Mark Melancon wouldn't have guaranteed a World Championship, but it certainly would have helped. Even Bobby Evans admitted so less than a month after not being able to land Melancon.
But it's possible the Giants could have won it all with just what they had.
After August 18th, there was no better reliever in the game than Will Smith. Bruce Bochy should have made him the closer, for game four against the Cubs at the latest. Then he would have had Derek Law (1.04 ERA after June) as the primary set up man (or even as a second closer). Beyond those two, he had Hunter Strickland, Sergio Romo and even Santiago Casilla as ROOGY's and Javier Lopez, Josh Osich, Stephen Okert available as LOOGY's. He also had George Kontos (2.53 ERA) and Ty Blach (1.06) available for specialty situations.
In other words, Bruce Bochy -- known for his excellent handling of the bullpen -- made some mistakes this time around. Some of it was because the bullpen was uneven. Part was because Casilla and later Romo failed in the closer role. But part of it came because Bruce failed to properly evaluate the tools he had at his disposal.
Everyone on this board has known that over the past two seasons Casilla and Romo have become ROOGY's. High level ROOGY's, but ROOGY's nonetheless. Santiago's OPS against lefty hitters was .841 and .849 the past two seasons. Romo wasn't much if any better at .929 and .790.
In contract, Law limited righties to a .189 batting average and a .523 OPS last season, and the southpaw Smith limited lefty hitters to just .193 and .197 averages the past two seasons, keeping their OPS at .545 and .645. In other words, despite being left-handed, Smith was right in there with Casilla and Romo against right-handed hitters and not surprisingly was FAR better against lefties. Law was better against both righties AND lefties than the Giants' primary closer and their set up man/closer Romo.
In other words, Bruce had the wrong guys in the wrong roles. He should have put his highest faith in Smith and Law, and used the other relievers as the ROOGY's or LOOGY's they were. In fact, one could have made an argument for using Kontos and the red-hot Blach over the other guys.
When Bruce Bochy goes into the Hall of Fame, one of his top traits will considered to be how he handles a bullpen. But this past season he failed in that regard.
Yes, as Evans admitted, it is a shame he didn't land Melancon four months earlier than he ultimately did. But he did fill an inordinate number of holes in the year preceding the 2016 postseason. Despite his admitted failing with Melancon, he may have given Bruce the tools he needed. But at least in the bullpen, Bochy's utilization of the available pieces was questionable at best.
If Bochy had done a Hall of Fame job with his bullpen as he did in previous World Championship years, who knows? The competition from the Cubs, Dodgers and Indians would have been tremendous, but they just might have pulled off another even-year "miracle."
We'll never know, of course. And it's painful to think about. But it's something we shouldn't totally forget when we criticize Evans. It may be that Evans gave Bochy the slippers that fit, but Bruce used other "brands."
Smith's very slow start as a Giant and Romo's having been a successful closer before (prior to becoming a high-level ROOGY) made it less than easy for Bruce to see the picture clearly, but had he managed his bull pen at his usual Hall of Fame level, he might well have done so. Unlike past postseasons, Bruce didn't solve the puzzle.
The pieces were quite possibly there. Bruce may have matched up the border pieces, but he didn't solve the key middle portion.
But it's possible the Giants could have won it all with just what they had.
After August 18th, there was no better reliever in the game than Will Smith. Bruce Bochy should have made him the closer, for game four against the Cubs at the latest. Then he would have had Derek Law (1.04 ERA after June) as the primary set up man (or even as a second closer). Beyond those two, he had Hunter Strickland, Sergio Romo and even Santiago Casilla as ROOGY's and Javier Lopez, Josh Osich, Stephen Okert available as LOOGY's. He also had George Kontos (2.53 ERA) and Ty Blach (1.06) available for specialty situations.
In other words, Bruce Bochy -- known for his excellent handling of the bullpen -- made some mistakes this time around. Some of it was because the bullpen was uneven. Part was because Casilla and later Romo failed in the closer role. But part of it came because Bruce failed to properly evaluate the tools he had at his disposal.
Everyone on this board has known that over the past two seasons Casilla and Romo have become ROOGY's. High level ROOGY's, but ROOGY's nonetheless. Santiago's OPS against lefty hitters was .841 and .849 the past two seasons. Romo wasn't much if any better at .929 and .790.
In contract, Law limited righties to a .189 batting average and a .523 OPS last season, and the southpaw Smith limited lefty hitters to just .193 and .197 averages the past two seasons, keeping their OPS at .545 and .645. In other words, despite being left-handed, Smith was right in there with Casilla and Romo against right-handed hitters and not surprisingly was FAR better against lefties. Law was better against both righties AND lefties than the Giants' primary closer and their set up man/closer Romo.
In other words, Bruce had the wrong guys in the wrong roles. He should have put his highest faith in Smith and Law, and used the other relievers as the ROOGY's or LOOGY's they were. In fact, one could have made an argument for using Kontos and the red-hot Blach over the other guys.
When Bruce Bochy goes into the Hall of Fame, one of his top traits will considered to be how he handles a bullpen. But this past season he failed in that regard.
Yes, as Evans admitted, it is a shame he didn't land Melancon four months earlier than he ultimately did. But he did fill an inordinate number of holes in the year preceding the 2016 postseason. Despite his admitted failing with Melancon, he may have given Bruce the tools he needed. But at least in the bullpen, Bochy's utilization of the available pieces was questionable at best.
If Bochy had done a Hall of Fame job with his bullpen as he did in previous World Championship years, who knows? The competition from the Cubs, Dodgers and Indians would have been tremendous, but they just might have pulled off another even-year "miracle."
We'll never know, of course. And it's painful to think about. But it's something we shouldn't totally forget when we criticize Evans. It may be that Evans gave Bochy the slippers that fit, but Bruce used other "brands."
Smith's very slow start as a Giant and Romo's having been a successful closer before (prior to becoming a high-level ROOGY) made it less than easy for Bruce to see the picture clearly, but had he managed his bull pen at his usual Hall of Fame level, he might well have done so. Unlike past postseasons, Bruce didn't solve the puzzle.
The pieces were quite possibly there. Bruce may have matched up the border pieces, but he didn't solve the key middle portion.