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The Hamilton Walk

 

Maddon is taking a lot of heat for the bases loaded intentional walk to Josh Hamilton, and to be honest, it is statistically difficult to support the move, as pointed out by several on this forum.  Chances are you’re better off pitching to Hamilton.  Maddon no doubt knew that too.  That’s why it hasn’t been done in the AL since 1901, and it took Barry Bonds to inspire the move in the NL in 1998.

 

Yet I support the thinking behind the decision.  It was a gamble, but a logical one—and I would have supported it even if it didn’t work.  The key here is to think like a manager of people, not numbers.  Let’s say that Balfour pitches to Hamilton, and he hits a grand slam (an admittedly unlikely outcome).  Obviously demoralizing, and even though the game is only tied, the momentum would have shifted—maybe for good.   Similarly, if Hamilton doubles or some other negative outcome, Balfour is pulled, and the momentum has still shifted.  Balfour is demoralized for blowing it in his role.  And if the Rays lose, everybody blames the pitching staff for failing—and right at the end of an otherwise very successful road trip. A lot of hard work down the drain.

 

What Maddon actually did was to take the responsibility for winning or losing the game on his own shoulders.  If the move works (which it did), then no harm no foul.  Maddon looks goofy, but the Rays win.  And if it doesn’t work?  Maddon is vilified in the press, and becomes the lighting rod for criticism.  Not his players.  He knows he can handle the media storm better than his players and feels comfortable with that.  But in the pennant drive, he needs to keep his untested players from folding.

 

And that, I suspect, figured greatly into what he was doing.

 

It’s the kind of move you’d only expect from someone with a career background in player development, who’s thinking a few steps ahead to get the most from his players in the long run.

 

3 recs  |  Comment 7 comments

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nice

Always appreciate when someone looks into a situation rather than judge only on what one sees. Who knows if your correct, but great insight nonetheless.

by Roc on Aug 18, 2008 4:45 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I’m just happy the he walked Hamilton just because of the national media shitstorm that would have erupted because it was Hamilton that hit the home run.

I can see it now… Fallen Devil(Ray) come back to vanquish Tampa Bay…or Redemption, again…

by laxtonto on Aug 18, 2008 4:57 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

you know, i'm not sure that's actually the reason why Maddon did what he did

but if it was, well done.

my blog // calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy // past results do not guarantee future performance

by Sky Kalkman on Aug 18, 2008 5:06 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I thought it was a good move

I had not thought about it from the perspective of Maddon trying to take the heat off the players. That’s a good insight if it’s true and it may well be true.

by Fox 71 on Aug 18, 2008 5:42 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

From the Rays official site:

“You got to go with what you think is the right thing at that moment based on everything that’s presented to you,” Maddon said. “Of course, if it didn’t work out, I would have been skewered. And that would have been fine.”

The Rays skipper said the decision was premeditated and he told pitching coach Jim Hickey of the plan — to be used if necessary — several batters prior."
_________________________________________________________
I think this quotation (“I would have been skewered”) indirectly suggests your analysis is correct Calif. I just like the second paragraph. Nothing new; we know that managers think ahead more than one batter, but it’s nice to reaffirm the point occasionally.

by bobr on Aug 18, 2008 11:18 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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