It’s been a few days since I’ve posted a Dusty-O-Meter update, but I have been keeping track. This exercise has revealed a couple things:
First, a manager really has very few things he can do to affect the course of a game. As I said when I introduced the feature, the goal was to evaluate places where Dusty made choices. Those don’t come up all that often, especially as the season moves along and guys get hurt or fatigued. Wednesday was a good example – I can’t complain about using Mike Lincoln for two innings when the whole bullpen is shot.
Second, the Dusty-O-Meter is definitely going to miss most of Dusty Baker’s value as a manager. In almost every instance, I’ve tried to give Dusty the benefit of the doubt. I’ve credited him for moves that seem pointless in the short-term but could have positive morale or development purposes in the long-term. I’ve ignored lineups – the one thing people complain about the most – entirely. But even with my finger slightly on Dusty’s side of the scale, his numbers are in the negative. I don’t think he’s a good manager, overall – not for this team – but he does have strengths, and they’re strengths that are exercised in the clubhouse, out of our view. I don’t think I can stress that enough.
Anyway, the numbers through 9 games:
– Reds Record: 5-4
– Dusty-O-Meter Season Total: -3.25
– 2 positive game scores, 1 neutral, 6 negative
– 1 positive score in a loss
– Best game score: +1.0 Last Thursday afternoon vs. StL
– Worst game score: -1.5 (twice) Last Wed. vs. StL; Sunday (in a win) vs. the Cubs
(Note: I loaded the scores into a spreadsheet, and discovered 3-4 math errors from the original posts. I can’t believe you guys missed those.)
All the numbers . . .
– no title specified
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|
Game |
vs. |
Result |
Date |
Move |
+/- |
Game Score |
Season Score |
Note |
|
|
1 |
STL |
L |
Apr 05 |
Using Miguel Cairo as your first PH off the bench |
-0.25 |
||||
|
Using Mike Lincoln as your first reliever out of the pen |
-0.25 |
||||||||
|
Sending Lincoln out for a second inning |
-1.00 |
||||||||
|
Letting Hererra stay in the game to face RH Ludwick and Molina |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
PH Stubbs for Nix, to set up Stubbs/Motte (instead of Nix/Reyes) |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
PH Francisco in a close game to get the experience and evaluate him |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
Getting Ondrusek a non-pressure debut inning, down 6-3 |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
-0.50 |
-0.5 |
||||||||
|
2 |
STL |
L |
Apr 07 |
Starting Gomes against a RHP. |
0.25 |
||||
|
Not walking Ludwick after Rasmus’ 2b |
-0.25 |
||||||||
|
Letting Cueto throw 109 pitches in his first start. |
-0.50 |
||||||||
|
Bringing in Ondrusek to face the heart of the order with the game on the line. |
-1.00 |
||||||||
|
Getting Masset an inning to clear his head after Monday’s beating. |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
Using Cordero in the 9th, down 6-3 and with a “must win†game in 16 hours. |
-0.25 |
||||||||
|
-1.50 |
-1.5 |
-2.00 |
|||||||
|
3 |
STL |
W |
Apr 08 |
Holding Arroyo back for the day game (4.88 day ERA last year vs. 3.46 at night)* |
-1.00 |
||||
|
Sticking with Arroyo after the Holiday HR and Rasmus walk. |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
*Holding Arroyo back for the day game +1.5 (benefit of the doubt that Dusty knew something) |
1.50 |
||||||||
|
Letting Gomes face Motte (rather than bringing in Nix or Francisco) |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
1.00 |
1 |
-1.00 |
|||||||
|
4 |
CHI |
W |
Apr 09 |
Leaving Homer in for to pitch the 5th, having already thrown 96 pitches on a cold night in April. |
-0.50 |
||||
|
Putting in Janish to PR and play SS in the 9th. |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
-0.25 |
-0.25 |
-1.25 |
|||||||
|
5 |
CHI |
L |
Apr 10 |
Giving Rolen a day off. |
0.25 |
I was going to slightly ding Dusty -0.25 for using Rhodes when he had to know they were going to PH for Fontenot there. But learning that Cordero was unavailable, that wasn’t a terrible move. That’s a Jocketty/Lincoln problem, as was noted elsewhere. |
|||
|
0.25 |
0.25 |
-1.00 |
|||||||
|
6 |
CHI |
W |
Apr 11 |
Not giving Lee an IW in the 6th. Only 1 out, tying run on 2d, and Ramirez up. |
-0.25 |
||||
|
Bunting Stubbs when Leake singled in the 6th. There was NO chance Stubbs GIDPs. |
-0.25 |
||||||||
|
Having nobody warmed up when Leake got into trouble, making him face Ramirez when he was clearly gassed. |
-0.50 |
||||||||
|
Pinch-hitting Miguel Cairo with the game on the line (and Hanigan available). |
-0.50 |
||||||||
|
-1.50 |
-1.5 |
-2.50 |
I don’t care that some of these moves “worked.†These were some plainly wrong moves. I’m not an IW guy, but I don’t let Lee beat me. For whatever reason, Dusty thought it would be cool for Leake to finish 7 IP, and he risked the whole outing to try to get it. I’m okay with putting Bruce out there, at least in the name of player development. I agree with Thom & Brantley that a couple RBI against a LHP would’ve done him a world of good. |
||||||
|
7 |
FLA |
W |
Apr 12 |
Not sending Bryan Price to the mound after the balk in the 3d. |
-0.25 |
||||
|
Hit and run in the 6th |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
Bullpen use in the 7th (Lincoln’s 2nd IP, vs Miami’s 2-3-4, up a run). |
-0.50 |
No demerit for Nix being CS at home. I just can’t believe Dusty called that. |
|||||||
|
Setting up Gomes vs a RHP, as opposed to Nix vs a LHP |
0.25 |
||||||||
|
-0.25 |
-0.25 |
-2.75 |
|||||||
|
8 |
FLA |
W |
Apr 13 |
Letting Bronson hit for himself b/c he was going to bunt. |
0.25 |
||||
|
Too long a leash for Ondrusek. Again. |
-0.25 |
||||||||
|
0.00 |
0 |
-2.75 |
|||||||
|
9 |
FLA |
L |
Apr 14 |
115 pitches for Homer in a meaningless April game. I don’t care how tired the pen is. |
-0.50 |
||||
|
-0.50 |
-0.5 |
-3.25 |
|||||||