I’ve looked at life from both sides now. From win and lose and still somehow, it’s life’s illusions I recall. I really dont know life at all. -Joni Mitchell
Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! Think Twoface. Think Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Gilligan. Think Sybil. Think those folks there. You have regular season Joe Torre, and then you have Post Season Joe Torre. With six you get eggroll. The regular-season version of Joe Torre has been known to cut his veteran starting pitchers some slack. He’s been prone to leaving guys in close games in order to preserve the opportunity for them to earn their all mighty win. Guys like Roger Clemens. Guys like David Cone. Guys line Andy Pettitte. But come playoff time, abracadabra, presto-chango, it’s a new Joe Torre entirely.
Postseason Joe is like Hall & Oates. Post Season Joe can’t go for being twice as nice. He can’t for that, he can’t for that. No can do. Post season Joe is quick with the hook. Last night he was quick with hook. Last night, he did not hesitate when it came to pulling struggling starter Randy Wolf in the fourth inning of Game One of the Division Series. It didn’t matter Wolf held a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning. It just didn’t matter. This is post season Joe.
Post season Joe seems to know what he’s doing. Jeff Weaver induced Ryan Ludwick to ground out, escaping a two-out, bases-loaded jam, and Weaver was the winning pitcher in the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory. Post season Joe strikes again!
That marked the ninth time in Torre’s postseason managerial career that he has removed a starting pitcher with a lead before he could qualify for a win by pitching five innings-the most such removals by any manager in postseason history. In similar circumstances, Torre has previously yanked Denny Neagle twice, Kenny Rogers, David Wells, Kevin Brown, Mike Mussina, Pettitte and even Clemens himself in Game Five of the 2001 Division Series at Oakland.
When it comes to this time of year, when it comes to playoff baseball, growed folks baseball, I’ll take my chances with post season Joe.
Public Spectacle:
[pro-player width='455' height='253' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RUm5lA_DSM[/pro-player]
Peace out homies. Six two and Even!
Need More? Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
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