Managing a Perfect Game

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

With the Reds-Philles game tonight going to the 9th with both teams scoreless it got me thinking of a situation and how to manage it.

So here it is.

Your pitcher has a perfect game going in the 9th in a tied game and your team is up to bat, you end up with 2 outs and a runner on third with your pitcher coming to the plate. Do you take him out for a pinch hitter or do you let him try to get a hit himself? Obviously there are alot more variables that go into the decision but give it a shot.



I think I leave him in to hit, I just don't know if I could live with myself if I took him out and my pinch hitter didn't produce. With leaving your pitcher in to hit he could come up big and make that game that much more grand, or he could get out but he can still go out there in the 10th and either win it or lose it himself.


What would you do?

 

[Platypus Palsy]

I would think I would HAVE to leave him in. The criticism would be really bad if you take your pitcher out when he has a perfect game going. If your pitcher produces, then that makes it all the sweeter. If he doesn't, then let him keep going unless his pitch count is ridiculously high.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I think that it depends on the situation.

1. If the pitcher has thrown a lot of pitches, and doesn't think he can go on, then the manager needs to take him out, because the health of a pitcher is more important then even a perfect game.
2. If it's a postseason game (especially a clinching game), then you have to take the pitcher out, because winning the game is paramount to a perfect game.
3. If you are playing at home, you can take him out, because he went 9 already, and he would get credit for a perfect game when the guy gets a hit.

If I were managing, I would find it really hard to pull the pitcher. However, given the 3 situations listed above, I would really have to considering pulling the pitcher.

 

[People's Champ]

Storm brings up the few scenarios that would need to be looked at before making that decision. But without looking at every specific situation I would always leave the pitcher in. I know we've seen it perfect games or games that were close to perfect a lot this season, but it still is something that most pitchers don't get in their careers. It still means something, its still a big deal. So if I got a pitcher who going perfect, I'm leaving him in, letting him try to finsih what he started.

 

[Tenta]

Look, you gotta let him hit. There's nothing you can to convince me to ruin history, and a perfect game always trumps winning a game. I realize that it may be better to let a pinch hitter swing, but there's a reason that guy is a pinch hitter; either he didn't play for the day, or he's just not good enough to play an every day game of baseball. And if it's the case of a guy who hasn't played the whole day, I kind of feel wrong sticking him into history, probably when he didn't deserve the moment.

A perfect game is history, and even a successful manager will be remembered as the guy that cost that pitcher history. Simply put, I don't wanna be that guy. I let the pitcher bat, and keep him in the game.