tjack16 said:
Dusty from April - September is insanely frustrating.
But Dusty in October as an Astro has been nails.
Although his process is infuriating, I do think his regular season managing has a purpose when it comes to the playoffs.
I'm not being argumentative with you at all, promise, but I'm just not going to excuse him that easily. He got fired from four other teams without winning a ring for a reason. Many very talented. Most with playoff flameouts.
If last year's team had been any less talented or less healthy, if Yordan or Peña had had one or two fewer hero moments, if Castellanos had squared up the 10th pitch of that game 5 AB a little better when Verlander probably got left in too long, he wouldn't get this sudden credit for knowing how to manage in the playoffs.
He's intentionally ignorant when it comes to personnel management and he always has been. This is not the game he knew in the 70s but he still insists it is.
And even IF we presume he's a different manager in the playoffs than in the regular season, it's because he had the good fortune in 2022 and 2021 to willingly toss games all year and still coast to a division title. He doesn't have that anymore but he acts like he does. And that ultimately affects your playoff odds.