Crash Course
10-14-2004, 12:48 AM
In the bottom of the 6th inning of Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS, on Pedro Martinez's 106th pitch of the evening (according to my rough count) he served up a 2-run HR to the Yankee's John Olerud.
The blast made the score in the game 3-0; and, the Yankees had the breathing room needed to go on and win the game, 3-1 (and take a 2-0 lead in the ALCS).
While watching the game, I noticed that the Yankees were really making Pedro elevate his pitch count in a hurry. He had thrown 45 pitches (again, by my rough count) by the end of the 2nd inning. The Yankees took pitches like a boxer would take body blows. And, as many of those "takes" seemed to be called third strikes, some of them really were body blows.
As I was watching this unfold, I thought back to Alan Schwarz' great book, The Numbers Game. I knew there was a mention in there about Pedro in 2003, his pitch count limit, and Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.
Looking at the book now, I can tell you that it's on pages 247 to 248. Basically, the book says that the data in 2003 clearly showed that Pedro hits a wall around 105 pitches. This was a fact that got Grady Little fired after the ALCS - as Sox G.M. Theo Epstein warned him about leaving Pedro in too long. According to the book, Theo stewed over this for a month after the game, later blaming himself for not making it clear to Little that the front office did not want Pedro going deep into a pitch count, beyond 105 pitches. (IIRC, Pedro threw about 119 pitches in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.)
The Sox have done a better job with Pedro this year. If you look at the data on ESPN.com (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?statsId=4875&type=pitching&year=2004) for this year, coming into Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS, Pedro was only allowed to face 43 batters all season after reaching 105 pitches in a game.
So, that brings us back to pitch # 106 in Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS for Pedro. Why was Martinez allowed to throw it? How many times must the Red Sox allow Pedro to cross that line in a big spot before they realize that he cannot cross it in a situation like that without great risk? And, how long will it take Theo this year to realize that he needs to do a better job at communicating with his field manager in terms of what to do at Pedro's wall?
Then again, maybe it was only pitch # 104 and I just lost count - and this is all moot. If anyone knows the exact pitch number of the Olerud HR, please do share it here with us. Thanks in advance!
The blast made the score in the game 3-0; and, the Yankees had the breathing room needed to go on and win the game, 3-1 (and take a 2-0 lead in the ALCS).
While watching the game, I noticed that the Yankees were really making Pedro elevate his pitch count in a hurry. He had thrown 45 pitches (again, by my rough count) by the end of the 2nd inning. The Yankees took pitches like a boxer would take body blows. And, as many of those "takes" seemed to be called third strikes, some of them really were body blows.
As I was watching this unfold, I thought back to Alan Schwarz' great book, The Numbers Game. I knew there was a mention in there about Pedro in 2003, his pitch count limit, and Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.
Looking at the book now, I can tell you that it's on pages 247 to 248. Basically, the book says that the data in 2003 clearly showed that Pedro hits a wall around 105 pitches. This was a fact that got Grady Little fired after the ALCS - as Sox G.M. Theo Epstein warned him about leaving Pedro in too long. According to the book, Theo stewed over this for a month after the game, later blaming himself for not making it clear to Little that the front office did not want Pedro going deep into a pitch count, beyond 105 pitches. (IIRC, Pedro threw about 119 pitches in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.)
The Sox have done a better job with Pedro this year. If you look at the data on ESPN.com (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?statsId=4875&type=pitching&year=2004) for this year, coming into Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS, Pedro was only allowed to face 43 batters all season after reaching 105 pitches in a game.
So, that brings us back to pitch # 106 in Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS for Pedro. Why was Martinez allowed to throw it? How many times must the Red Sox allow Pedro to cross that line in a big spot before they realize that he cannot cross it in a situation like that without great risk? And, how long will it take Theo this year to realize that he needs to do a better job at communicating with his field manager in terms of what to do at Pedro's wall?
Then again, maybe it was only pitch # 104 and I just lost count - and this is all moot. If anyone knows the exact pitch number of the Olerud HR, please do share it here with us. Thanks in advance!