Stop pitching Marmol with big leads

[TruffleShuffle]

The second in my "Lou continues to do something exceedingly stupid" series, Marmol pitched today with a five run lead. He pitched two innings in a game last weekend with a six run game, and is on pace to throw 102 innings out of the bullpen - which is way too much. if you want marmol to be useful in september and october - which is the ultimate goal of this team - then stop using marmol in a spot where any pitcher out of the bullpen will do.

 

now sit back and enjoy as lou continues to do things in his stupid way.

[TruffleShuffle]

marmol in september:

 

http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_pictures/grail/large/HolyGrail018.jpg

[Flames24Rulz]

Just very frustrating. A five run lead in the 9th should equal Chad Fox time or Scott Eyre time. Instead, Eyre's first outing of the season comes in a pretty big situation as he had to keep the Cubs within one. Thankfully he did, but he shouldn't have been the first choice for that situation.

 

So why exactly is Chad Fox on this team if he's not going to pitch in these situations while we keep using our best reliever in situations like these? It just reeks of idiocy.

[splintersag]

I don't understand it either. Maybe Lou's logic is that Marmol will shut down the batters, while another pitcher would give up the lead. But still, if Fox gives up a run or two, Marmol can come up then.

 

I don't get it. :?

[Bote McBoteface]

Maybe the Cubs aren't used to not having their best pitcher on the DL, so they're trying to get Marmol injured so that things go back to normal?

[ParadigmShift]

marmol in september:

 

My name is Dusty Baker and I approve of this message.

[Mizzou]

I don't understand it either. Maybe Lou's logic is that Marmol will shut down the batters, while another pitcher would give up the lead. But still, if Fox gives up a run or two, Marmol can come up then.

 

I don't get it. :?

If he doesn't think that a reliever can protect a 5 run lead, then that reliever wouldn't be on the team to begin with. I'm not sure what he's thinking, but I don't like seeing our best guy being used when we're up 5 runs.

[tfarks]

Its so incredibly stupid and frustrating I just try to ignore it. There is nothing I can do except hope either Lou gets smarter or Marmol's arm can just handle it. I really wish some one would ask him post game about this so we can see his incredibly asinine logic. Until then I remain dumbfounded as on aggravated outsider.

[javy knows my name]

He's becoming more like Dusty every damned day. OBSCENITIES

[A New Era]

In the extended post game they said he pitched something like 4 innings in the last 2 weeks. That might not be accurate but it was something like that. All I know is it sounds like he is not being abused and was in just to get an inning of work in and keep him fresh.

 

Yet you guys think he's being overworked? Why.

[inari]

In the extended post game they said he pitched something like 4 innings in the last 2 weeks. That might not be accurate but it was something like that. All I know is it sounds like he is not being abused and was in just to get an inning of work in and keep him fresh.

 

Yet you guys think he's being overworked? Why.

 

He worked yesterday. That's plenty fresh.

[TruffleShuffle]

In the extended post game they said he pitched something like 4 innings in the last 2 weeks. That might not be accurate but it was something like that. All I know is it sounds like he is not being abused and was in just to get an inning of work in and keep him fresh.

 

Yet you guys think he's being overworked? Why.

 

he's on pace to throw 102 innings this season. how many relievers in baseball threw that many innings last season? i'll give you a hint. it's neither a positive nor a negative number.

[Outshined_One]

In the extended post game they said he pitched something like 4 innings in the last 2 weeks. That might not be accurate but it was something like that. All I know is it sounds like he is not being abused and was in just to get an inning of work in and keep him fresh.

 

Yet you guys think he's being overworked? Why.

 

It's not just overworking him, although that is an important part of the argument. It was stupid to use him in this context, considering we used him yesterday and we're in the middle of a tough series against the best team in baseball. If we end up in a high leverage situation tomorrow (let's say up by 1 in the Top of the 7th with the Diamondbacks threatening with men on 1st and 2nd and one out), we won't be able to use him.

 

It's fine to get him regular work, but this is just wasting him.

[TruffleShuffle]

In the extended post game they said he pitched something like 4 innings in the last 2 weeks. That might not be accurate but it was something like that. All I know is it sounds like he is not being abused and was in just to get an inning of work in and keep him fresh.

 

Yet you guys think he's being overworked? Why.

 

It's not just overworking him, although that is an important part of the argument. It was stupid to use him in this context, considering we used him yesterday and we're in the middle of a tough series against the best team in baseball. If we end up in a high leverage situation tomorrow (let's say up by 1 in the Top of the 7th with the Diamondbacks threatening with men on 1st and 2nd and one out), we won't be able to use him.

 

It's fine to get him regular work, but this is just wasting him.

 

yeah and when someone comes in and blows the lead, lou will lament during the post-game press conference that he didn't have his best reliever available to him. well no crap moron, that's because you insist on wasting him in games that he shouldn't appear in.

[CuseCubFan69]

I was hoping Z would pitch the 9th to get ready for tomorrow.

[B]

I just finished watching the game. When Marmol came in in the 9th I was like....WTF mate? What is Lou doing?

[TruffleShuffle]

I just finished watching the game. When Marmol came in in the 9th I was like....WTF mate? What is Lou doing?

 

i don't even bother asking that any more. when felix pie has a solid game and then sits for the next five, or marmol comes in to shut the door on a five-run lead, it's just par for the course. lou was all right last year but he is doing a pretty damn lousy job managing this year's club.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cant be very good for Wuertz' or Fox' confidence if the basic message is that Lou doesnt trust them with a 5 run lead.

[Irishoshea21]

I questioned it at the time, but prior to yesterday, he hadn't pitched in 5 days. He was quick and effective, no harm no foul - plus he needed some work.

 

Lou probably figures with Z going tomorrow and wood/wuertz/gallagher all with plenty of rest, they will be ok without marmol (if the game even gets played).

[Little Slide Rooter]

I questioned it at the time, but prior to yesterday, he hadn't pitched in 5 days. He was quick and effective, no harm no foul - plus he needed some work.

 

Lou probably figures with Z going tomorrow and wood/wuertz/gallagher all with plenty of rest, they will be ok without marmol (if the game even gets played).

 

So with Randy Johnson on the mound, it couldnt possibly be a close game, and Wuertz, Fox, or Gallagher couldnt possibly blow a close lead/worsten a close deficit to the top team in the league? Seriously, There was 0 reason not to pitch Wuertz or Fox in the 9th.

[islandcub]

Cant be very good for Wuertz' or Fox' confidence if the basic message is that Lou doesnt trust them with a 5 run lead.

Of course not. Wuertz is used to being called on to protect leads of only 14+ runs. He happens to pitch pretty well with them too.

Edited May 11, 2008 by islandcub

[A New Era]

I can see it only if he's still on the "giving a messege to the rest of the bullpen" shtick. We have been blowing lately and I can understand it today if only to have a quick 9th and get a new winning streak going, and at the same time sending a subcontious messege to most of the bullpen.

 

I'm not too upset about Marmol's workload lately.

[bring stone back]

I just finished watching the game. When Marmol came in in the 9th I was like....WTF mate? What is Lou doing?

 

i don't even bother asking that any more. when felix pie has a solid game and then sits for the next five, or marmol comes in to shut the door on a five-run lead, it's just par for the course. lou was all right last year but he is doing a pretty damn lousy job managing this year's club.

 

The Marmol thing I get and is a bit puzzling but exactly how many "solid" games has Pie had this year?

[VVMattVV]

I can see it only if he's still on the "giving a messege to the rest of the bullpen" shtick. We have been blowing lately and I can understand it today if only to have a quick 9th and get a new winning streak going, and at the same time sending a subcontious messege to most of the bullpen.

 

I'm not too upset about Marmol's workload lately.

 

You're not upset that our best reliever is on pace for over 100 IP? There was no reason to use him in a game where we were up by 5 runs, even if he hasn't pitched much lately, he's pitched too much so far this year.

 

The idea that he pitched in that situation to send a message to the bullpen is crazy. Wuertz and Howry aren't suddenly going to go on a hot streak and pitch better because Lou decided to use our best, overworked reliever incorrectly. I seriously doubt any rational reliever would get that impression.

[Sosa21MVP]

In the extended post game they said he pitched something like 4 innings in the last 2 weeks. That might not be accurate but it was something like that. All I know is it sounds like he is not being abused and was in just to get an inning of work in and keep him fresh.

 

Yet you guys think he's being overworked? Why.

 

It's just a ritual here. Every time Marmol pitches, everybody screams ZOMG HE IS BEING OVERUSED HIS ARM WILL FALL OFF ZOMG ZOMG.

 

It's pretty amusing.