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A great baseball debate
Situation:
8th inning....Braves 7 Reds 6, India on 2nd, 2 outs
Players:
LHP Dylan Lee on mound. LHB Fraley due up.
Options:
Let Fraley hit. On base four times Tuesday facing a RHP (2 hits. 2 walks). Or, pinch hit RHB Newman.
Numbers:
Fraley .151 career vs LHP
Newman .361 vs LHP last year/.282 career
Lee: Allows .163 LHB in career. 30% K rate.
Debate:
1. Stick w/ Fraley's hot hand, despite the success coming vs RHP Tuesday night and lack of career success vs LHP.
2. Turn to Newman, due to recent and career success vs LHP.
More to consider:
Fraley will never hit lefties well if he doesn't continue to get shots vs lefties. Fraley appears to be part of this team going forward. Newman appears to be a one year rental. Should the Reds focus lean more towards building for the future or winning in the moment?
Conclusion:
If Bell let Fraley hit and he made an out, fans would be upset Bell had a guy that struggles vs lefties face a guy that dominates lefties.....instead of going to one of MLB's best hitters vs LHP last year and a good hitter vs LHP for his career.
A manager's job it to put his players in the best position to succeed. Newman is a much better hitter vs LHP pitchers that Fraley. That's just a fact. That doesn't mean he will be better every time. That doesn't mean it wasn't the right decision.
Bell played the percentages. I'd guess you weigh your options in life and lean to what gives you the best chance to get the desired outcome. But nothing is 100%.
I understood why Bell did it. It didn't work.
That's baseball.