What is Dusty Baker Thinking?

[jdh]

After six innings, Wood had thrown 112 pitches, yet he still sent him out there for the 7th inning. Is his goal to run all his pitching arms into the ground so he has no chance of winning the division?

[Amnorix]

His goal is apparently to dominate the month of April.

Frankly, it is stupid and reckless. If I were the GM, I would call him into my office and say "look, you're the manager and I don't meddle with your on-field decisions, but you are risking the long term health of this franchise."

It is just amazingly stupid.

[Meat]

However, sometimes you should trust your pitcher and just ask how he feels instead of living by the almighty pitch count. For some pitchers it often way overrated.

[ramble2]

However, sometimes you should trust your pitcher and just ask how he feels instead of living by the almighty pitch count. For some pitchers it often way overrated.

Be that as it may, the pitchers for whom pitch count is overrated tend to be older pitchers and not young guys whose arms are still developing. Wood, in particular, does not seem to be an exception to the pitch count watch. After all, he already has a history of arm problems caused by over use.

[Amnorix]

However, sometimes you should trust your pitcher and just ask how he feels instead of living by the almighty pitch count. For some pitchers it often way overrated.

Riiiiiight.... I can see it now:

Dusty Baker, Manager, to young kid: "Hey, how you doing out here...need me to take you out?"

Young Stud Pitcher: "Yeah, Coach, I'm really tired. And I've had slight soreness in my arm after my last couple starts. I think it would be best for my long term development for me to come out now."

C'mon... Join us here on Planet Earth and realize that the typical mentality of an athlete is to never, ever, ever "wimp out". Witness Unit not wanting to skip a start, and then ends up on the DL even though he missed his start. Good players just tend not to protect themselves from injury. They want to gut it out. All that stuff...