Good morning Everybody!
The Nationals got a gift yesterday, courtesy of Joe (the genius) Maddon. In case you did not see it I will give you all quick synopsis. In the bottom of the 8th inning with the Nationals down 3-1 to the Cubs, nationals' bats are still asleep only able to get 2 hits in the first 7 innings. Joe Maddon brings in right handed setup man, Carl Edwards to pitch. With the pitchers slot due up Dusty Baker calls on his best pinch hitter, lefty Adam Lind who, with an 0-2 count singles to left against the hard throwing Edwards.
Had the Cubs been playing a straight up defense and not been in an exaggerated shift the third basemen would have had a very good chance to catch the weak line drive. The ball was hit right where the third basemen should have been playing, but Joe Maddon is a genius.
Why shift against a very experienced hitter who sprays the ball all over the field and is facing a fireballer who throws 96mph+, Maddon is a genius. In addition Edwards is struggling with his command and leaves the ball out over the outside half of the plate. Making it easy to hit to left. Next up Trey Turner, his struggles continue as he strikes out on a pitch in the dirt. Edwards got the K but only threw one good pitch. Now comes left hander Brice Harper. Harper has also been struggling, but you have to respect arguably the best player in baseball.
The Cubs have a left hander ready and waiting in the pen, but Maddon, the genius, leaves the struggling right handed Edwards in to pitch to Harper. Harper feels they have no respect for him and digs in. He lays off 3 bad balls to work the count to 3-1. Now it's getting dangerous, do you give in to Harper or pitch around him? Harper is the tying run, there are no good options. Edwards throws a "get me over" curveball trying to fool Harper but he drives it out to tie the game. You won't see a player more focused then Harper was and now the Nationals and the home crowd are all fired up!!!
Maddon, the genius, leaves the struggling Edwards in and he walks the next batter. Finally they bring in the left handed Mike Montgomery to face left handed hitter, Daniel Murphy who promptly singles to left. Now the Nationals have the go ahead run at second and their most experienced hitter coming to bat, Ryan Zimmerman who has just had the best offensive season of his career.
Here comes another genius Joe Maddon decision; he leaves the left hander in to pitch to the right handed Ryan Zimmerman who homers just over the left field wall. Keep in mind Ben Zobrist the man who can play several positions and does is playing in left. I understand Maddon wanted his bat in the lineup but why was he not substituted with a better defensive replacement? A better defender might have made a play on Zimmerman's homerun that just made it over the fence. Zobrist mistimed it so badly he could not even try to jump to catch it.
It was 3-0 going into the 8th. The Nationals had not been hitting at all in the first 2 games. Why no defensive replacements with the heart of the Nationals lineup due up? Why disrespect the struggling, young and proud Brian Harper by letting the right hander pitch to him? Maddon gave the Nationals the chance to wakeup and Harper became the alarm clock.
Nationals shut down the Cubs in the 9th and go on to win 6-3, thank you Joe Maddon, genius.
I always think of Buck Showalters comment when asked about Joe Maddon's genius; Buck replied "it's easy to be a genius when you have so many #1 draft picks on your roster"
When Maddon first moved over to the National League. All winter the media would not stop talking about his "brilliant idea" of having the pitcher bat 8th. For over 100 years 99% of pitchers bat 9th only the "rare bird", a pitcher who is also a good hitter bats anywhere but 9th. It only took Maddon one month to realize why the pitcher bats 9th. I wonder what ever happened to that "great idea".
Most managers are not geniuses, they just give their great players the best chance to make them look like one.
The Cubs roster is so good they may once again over come Joe Maddon's genius and win the world series, but in close games his genius is exposed.
I love baseball!
Time to take my Mom to the grocery store, thank God I can.
Have a great day Everybody!
