Hargrove's bench
While M's fans wonder if the team will ever get back to winning baseball, it is interesting to see the success the Detroit Tigers are having. They have suddenly gone from 90 losses to the best record in baseball, which is proof teams can turn it around when all the pieces are in place.
I'm the first to admit I don't follow the Tigers closely. I see they lead the league in team ERA, and we all know the Tigers have decent hitting. (After all, we gave them Carlos Guillen.) But an offseason that featured signings like Kenny Rogers doesn't exactly explain the sudden change.
Much of the credit has gone to Jim Leyland. In general, I'm not a big fan of giving too much credit or too much blame to a manager, but the explanation for his bench use I found interesting.
Essentially the story goes like this- Leyland talks to his players. He walks around the clubhouse chatting it up with the players. He lets the bench players know when they are playing, and keeps them as upbeat as possible. He lets them all know they are one injury away from getting in the game, and that he uses the bench to keep the everyday players healthy and productive.
This is of course pretty close to the exact opposite of the approach Mike Hargrove takes. He likes a set lineup. He thinks in some cases an injured starter at 80% is better than a bench player at 100. He is not a rah-rah kind of guy who goes around the clubhouse and gets players excited about the game.
Now this post is not meant to bash on Hargrove. Bill Bavasi knew all these things when he hired him, and Hargrove has won in Cleveland before, so clearly his approach can work.
But we do know this team has looked awfully dispirited at times during a loss. You had players like Lawton who clearly were not happy about the playing time they were getting, and most of the extra players are pitchers anyway. It's hardly shocking the team doesn't have any great clubhouse presence when it's biggest stars (Sexson, Beltre...) are struggling mightily. It had to be a pretty down bench, and explains some of the missing energy this club has shown during the first part of the year.
The good news is the team has addressed this to a point. The big meeting last week has resulted in a few more smiles around the clubhouse, and Lawton is gone. Players like Morse are just happy to be in the big leagues, so expect to see a smile on his face every day he wakes up in a big league uniform.
Leyland is credited with other things besides the bench, but fans who watch the team have commented on the noticeable and positive affect it has had on the team.
I have always been a big fan of teams with depth. If I was the manager, Ichiro would have already had at least two nights off, and I would be giving bench players every reason to believe they really are an important part of the club.
Just something to think about while we enjoy the next few weeks... watching the M's beat up on some other teams with poor benches.
While M's fans wonder if the team will ever get back to winning baseball, it is interesting to see the success the Detroit Tigers are having. They have suddenly gone from 90 losses to the best record in baseball, which is proof teams can turn it around when all the pieces are in place.
I'm the first to admit I don't follow the Tigers closely. I see they lead the league in team ERA, and we all know the Tigers have decent hitting. (After all, we gave them Carlos Guillen.) But an offseason that featured signings like Kenny Rogers doesn't exactly explain the sudden change.
Much of the credit has gone to Jim Leyland. In general, I'm not a big fan of giving too much credit or too much blame to a manager, but the explanation for his bench use I found interesting.
Essentially the story goes like this- Leyland talks to his players. He walks around the clubhouse chatting it up with the players. He lets the bench players know when they are playing, and keeps them as upbeat as possible. He lets them all know they are one injury away from getting in the game, and that he uses the bench to keep the everyday players healthy and productive.
This is of course pretty close to the exact opposite of the approach Mike Hargrove takes. He likes a set lineup. He thinks in some cases an injured starter at 80% is better than a bench player at 100. He is not a rah-rah kind of guy who goes around the clubhouse and gets players excited about the game.
Now this post is not meant to bash on Hargrove. Bill Bavasi knew all these things when he hired him, and Hargrove has won in Cleveland before, so clearly his approach can work.
But we do know this team has looked awfully dispirited at times during a loss. You had players like Lawton who clearly were not happy about the playing time they were getting, and most of the extra players are pitchers anyway. It's hardly shocking the team doesn't have any great clubhouse presence when it's biggest stars (Sexson, Beltre...) are struggling mightily. It had to be a pretty down bench, and explains some of the missing energy this club has shown during the first part of the year.
The good news is the team has addressed this to a point. The big meeting last week has resulted in a few more smiles around the clubhouse, and Lawton is gone. Players like Morse are just happy to be in the big leagues, so expect to see a smile on his face every day he wakes up in a big league uniform.
Leyland is credited with other things besides the bench, but fans who watch the team have commented on the noticeable and positive affect it has had on the team.
I have always been a big fan of teams with depth. If I was the manager, Ichiro would have already had at least two nights off, and I would be giving bench players every reason to believe they really are an important part of the club.
Just something to think about while we enjoy the next few weeks... watching the M's beat up on some other teams with poor benches.
posted by Tom at
2:50 PM
