Thursday, June 22, 2017

Rogers Hornsby as manager removed pitchers from the dugout. Sounds good.

OK, not the entire time he was managing but eventually Rogers Hornsby would stay in the dugout and remove his pitcher from there. Now some of the time Hornsby was a player-manager and since he was usually playing second base in those years, his presence on the mound was natural. His most famous pitching change was in game seven of the 1926 World Series at Yankee Stadium.

http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/b5854fe4

Game Seven turned into a classic. The Cardinals led 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, but after the Yankees loaded the bases with two outs, Hornsby signaled for Alexander to come in from the bullpen. No one knows for certain what kind of shape Alex was in, but he told Hornsby he felt fine when he reached the mound.53 He took only three warm-up pitches before facing Tony Lazzeri, who hit a long foul on a 1-and-2 pitch that was almost a grand slam. But Lazzeri then struck out to end the threat.
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Thirty-nine year old Pete Alexander (Grover Cleveland Alexander) had pitched a complete game victory (104 pitches) the day before. Alexander finished game seven with Hornsby recording the final putout, tagging Babe Ruth trying to steal second base.

Hornsby last played in the majors in 1937.

While managing the St. Louis Browns for their first 52 games in 1952:

http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/b5854fe4

The acerbic Hornsby had general contempt for pitchers and continued his long-standing practice of making pitching changes from the dugout.104

104. According to one story, Hornsby didn’t go to the mound to change pitchers because once when he did, the pitcher talked Hornsby into letting him stay in the game, swearing that he could get the next batter out. About the time Hornsby returned to the dugout, that batter hit a home run. From then on, he didn’t want to risk being talked out of removing a pitcher. Guinn, 52.
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Baseball has devolved to where the manager signals for the relief pitcher on his way to the mound. Now you know why. There's nothing to discuss and the pitcher simply leaves.

I can remember when the pitcher would wait for his relief to arrive and hand the ball to the new pitcher. Now the manager takes the ball and controls all.

Only people in uniform may go onto the field during a game. Prohibit non players from wearing the team uniform, so that manager and coaches are prevented from going out there and causing needless delay. Change pitchers from the dugout, like Rogers Hornsby.

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