http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/06/Rays/ ... arti.shtml


WHITE SOX 6, RAYS 4: After latest flop in eighth, Piniella vows to open games with brief stints by relievers.
By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer
Published July 6, 2005








CHICAGO - With Lance Carter's implosion in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the White Sox the latest debacle, manager Lou Piniella apparently felt there is no way any of the Devil Rays relievers can protect a lead in the eighth inning.

So he decided his next move is to try something that is totally different, potentially controversial and perhaps unprecedented.

Starting tonight, Piniella said he will use a reliever for the first two innings, then bring in his scheduled starter with the idea that he can pitch through the eighth before yielding to closer Danys Baez.

"I've made up my mind, and that's what we're going to do," Piniella said. "People are going to think I'm crazy, but we're just going to try it.

"Starting (tonight). I'll bring in whatever reliever I feel like starting the game with, and I'll bring my starter in in the third inning and we'll play nine innings of baseball that way. I'm serious."

Piniella first mentioned the idea last weekend, then dismissed it over concern for the starters' physical preparation.

But after watching Carter turn a hard-earned 4-3 lead into a frustrating 6-4 loss, giving up a three-run homer to Frank Thomas, as the Rays lost for the eighth time in a 34-game span after taking a lead into the eighth, his frustration got the best of him and led to the radical decision.

"I don't want to be an innovator," Piniella said, "but we're just going to try it."

Several players seemed skeptical Piniella would follow through - "We'll see if that happens," Tuesday starter Mark Hendrickson said - and pitching coach Chuck Hernandez politely declined to discuss it.

The plan presents some problems of its own: Piniella said he would decide each day which reliever would start and "keep the other manager guessing," which goes against baseball protocol of having an announced starter; the Rays could end up short pitchers if he uses one or two relievers early and a game goes extra innings; and starters who get rewarded financially for their number of starts, either through incentive clauses or in contract negotiations for the next season, may be troubled.

But right now, with no proven reliever on the staff to handle the assignment and the front office unlikely to acquire one, Piniella insists he is willing to risk any criticism or consequences - and perhaps make a point to his bosses in the process.

"We're going to try it and see what happens," he said.

Casey Fossum is scheduled to start tonight and said he had not been told any differently. But Fossum, who started the year in the bullpen, didn't dismiss the idea.

"Obviously, we've got to try something," he said.

The eighth inning has been something of a seasonlong problem. The Rays have lost 10 times (all in their past 47 games) after taking a lead into the eighth and have been outscored a mindboggling 90-27 in 84 games, including 52-10 on the road.

The eighth inning meltdowns, which have involved just about every reliever they've had, are a primary reason they have blown a major league-high 16 saves and have the worst bullpen ERA in the league.

The Rays worked hard to take the 4-3 lead into the eighth, rallying twice after the Sox had tied. The latest plan was to use Carter, their most experienced setup man, in the eighth, and minimize the potential for trouble by bring him in at the start of the inning.

The plan was executed the way the Rays wanted, but the problem was that Carter couldn't get anybody out.

He gave up a leadoff double to Scott Podsednik, a single to Tadahito Iguchi and then a towering three-run homer to Thomas.

"You saw it, what do we need to talk about it for?" Carter said. "He's paid to hit pitches that are terrible, and that was a bad pitch. He's hit a lot of home runs, and he got that one. If I could take it back I would, but I can't."

Ha!


Oh, Sweet Lou. We miss ya' here in Seattle.

it's refreshing to see a manager try something new, but I get a feeling this is just a ploy to get himself fired.

i watched part of last night's game because the cubs game got rain delayed and i was hoping to hear ken harrelson embarass himself a little on the air.
the sox made tampa's bullpen look like a batting tee, sheesh.

maybe they should just spot the other team 3 runs and only play 7 innings, since that's basically what's gonna happen here.

So instead of giving runs away late, they're going to give them away early instead?

i just said that!

At least you'll have a chance to come back.

lou is one of a kind, have fun rotting in tampa lou!

He'll be managing the Yankees at this time next year.

I doubt it

they owe him big money for 2006 and 2007.....and I can't see the Yanks choosing to eat his contract over two years.

Regardless, if I had to choose a succesor, I'd want Bobby V.

Valentine? are you serious?

Yeah but the Boss would want Lou.

he's shown he can be successful in NY, which is important IMO.

don't forget, the Boss loves ex-Mets almost as much as he loves ex-Yankees.

This could turn into a great season. Maybe he'll hop in a golf cart and drive over the pitchers he gets pissed at during games. Or maybe he'll pitch.

hahaha.....this is great...

It wouldn't be half as funny if it wasn't Sweet Lou and the team wasn't the D-Rays

oh, i agree.

i'm gonna die when this strategy works and the d-rays vault to the top of the al east.

there was a guy a long time ago who said the best strategy for pitchers was to start a normal relief guy, pinch hit for him his first at bat, then put in the starter. but, since the rays use the dh, this move shouldn't have any effect whatsoever, except to get piniella fired, which is what he's likely going for anyway.