Because Flaherty is boring and generally not informative I don't pay much attention to him. However, he got my attention a few days ago when he said early in a game that a the team, I can't recall which, would gladly trade that run that had just scored for the out that it got on the same play. I thought, no it wouldn't, or at least I wouldn't.
Then he said it again last night, getting even more of my attention and more disagreement. The Yanks scored 5 in the first and won 15-4, including two runs in the 9th off non-pitcher Jonny Gomes, who behaved strangely in the roll even for him.
Yankee starter Masahiro Tanaka in the bottom of the first allowed single, walk, RBI single. Then a sacrifice fly, making it 5-2 Yanks and finally the first out by the Braves. Maybe it's not too strange for Flaherty to have said it then but think about it.
A team could allow a run on an out for both of the first two outs of an inning. If Tanaka had done that for nine innings the Yankees could have allowed 18 runs, which even last night would have resulted in a loss.
Obviously a team would not do do that, nor want to as Flaherty implied. At the end of the blowout the Yankees would have traded runs for outs as their lead far exceeded the number of outs remaining.
Generally, I would not trade a run for an out. How about you?
2 comments:
It's top of the first, no score, visiting team has runners on first and third with no outs. Pitcher fields a ground ball. Do you want him to throw home to get the runner scoring, or to second to start a double play?
The pitcher actually fielded a ground ball? I'd want him to hand the ball to a baseball player to make the throw.
As to your actual point, check my math but you're trading a run for TWO potential outs with batters 3,4,5 coming up. Yes, I would go for the DP, which cannot be assumed.
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