I know this sounds bad, but after breaking the losing streak last night, I look at tonight's game with Peavy on the mound and I can't help but think that we're going to just start another losing streak. The offense still looks lackluster and while the pitching at the start of the rotation appears to be coming around, I'm not confident that Jake didn't do himself a fair bit of drinking last night to celebrate with the boys. Does that make him better or not so much better?
Jim Lefebvre says to put the blame on him:
"These players are busting their butts, doing everything we ask them to do. They just haven't had that luck, but we're close, real close.
Everything, Jim Lefebvre? Everything? Maybe somebody should try asking them to score a few runs now and then.
Here's something to think about. I'd mentioned David Sirlin before, and the seemingly obvious, but apparently ignored concept of "playing to win". Summarized briefly: When people compete at activities, they unecessarily play according to unwritten rules that limit their chances of winning.
Well, Sirlin points out a Malcolm Gladwell "playing to win" article. There's a terrific recount of a coach who had his girls basketball team apply the unconventional strategy of running a full court press every time the other team inbounds the ball. He knows his team isn't really talented at basketball. Since it's super tiriing to run full court press all the time and since he figures it would take longer to learn all fundamentals, he has them run more at practice as opposed to wasting time learning how to shoot. Everything is layups.
So that got me to thinking even more that a team should really capitalize on that sort of thing and get Eddie Gaedel like midgets on the team. I'm thinking dudes under five feet tall. If you get like 3 or 4 of them on a team, you can almost guarantee getting an extra run or two to top off a rally. Bases loaded? Let's guarantee a run by pinch hitting the little guy. Other manager trying to turn your batters around with a pitching change? Little guy time.
Somebody tell DePodesta! I think we're on to something!