-=> Quoting Terry May to All <=-
 TM> Someone help me out here.  I'm listening to sports radio and a lot of
 TM> people are ripping Bobby Cox for bringing in Wohlers in the 8th inning
 TM> instead of Brad Clontz.
 TM> What am I missing here?  Does anyone dispute the notion that Wohlers
 TM> is by far the Braves' best reliever?  If not, then how can you blame
 TM> the manager for bringing in your best reliever, when that best
 TM> reliever fails to do the job?
Bobby (and a lot of fans) don't seem to understand the psyche of the closer. 
When the guy comes into the game, his attitude is to get three outs and 
celebrate. His mentality must be that "The game is riding on my shoulders 
RIGHT NOW. I get them out and we go HOME. I fail and we lose".
There is no sense of urgency when the closer comes in before it's time to 
close out the game. The man must be at his most intense and the eighth inning 
ain't it.
 TM> If the Braves win that game, the series is virtually over.  So you
 TM> bring in the guy with the 0.00 postseason ERA and five postseason
 TM> saves to slam the door and get the final six outs.  He fails, so the
 TM> manager screwed up for bringing him in?
The manager screwed up for removing a guy who was getting everyone out in the 
first place, Mike Bielecki.
 TM> I could somewhat understand criticism if he would have blown the lead
 TM> in the 9th.  Then you could say he ran out of gas and shouldn't have
 TM> pitched two innings.  But how can you justify blaming the manager when
 TM> he blows the lead in the first inning he pitches?
Because he shouldn't be in the game in the first place. Closers seem to have 
more trouble in the eight inning than in the ninth. But then if they come in 
in the eighth, they're not closing, they're setting up for the closer. Those 
are two separate functions and mentalities. Those same people who would trash 
McMichael for the bad game he had aren't wishing the same for Wohlers. Why? 
Many of those games Wohlers closed out were set up by Greg McMichael.
 TM> I just don't get it.
Neither does Bobby.
Well, at least now that the Yanks have won, I can say that my two predictions 
were realized:
1. The Braves cannot win the World Series without David Justice
2. Marquise Grissom will kill the Braves if he doesn't play beyond little
   league depth
The Braves are the worst team in baseball when it comes to the fundamentals
   A. Sac bunts.
   B. Moving the runner from second with less than two out.
   C. Braves pitchers give up too many 0-2 hits.
   D. Too many Braves hitters are too impatient and unfamiliar with the 
trike
      zone.
Bobby Cox (A composite of games):
   A. Removes a pitcher who is getting everyone out and could have pitched
      another two or three innings.
   B. Cox declines the sac bunt in the first inning and loses by one run
   C. Sticks with the righty-righty, lefty-lefty pitching strategy regardless
      of the status or skills of the hitter or the pitcher (Joe Torre, after
      he brings in Rivera or Wetland, stays with them PERIOD). As a result, 
      the Braves scored TWO runs after the seventh inning of games 3 to 6 and 
      the Yankees won their games in those innings.
 TM> ... Atlanta Braves - Five straight division titles!
And have one less ring than Toronto, who has only two in five years
Hey, The Braves are my favorite NL team but winning a division title is like 
getting to first base with the woman of your dreams. Winning the Series is 
like hitting a grand slam!
Stephen                   
---
---------------