As I’ve said, I agree with your general point about managers getting second guessed whenever the result doesn’t work, but I can’t support Dusty on this one.

I don’t think we’re outcome-oriented in our analysis here – I really don’t.

I am pretty sure if Dusty had made the move folks are suggesting on here and Cordero gives up the tying run (very plausible scenario, not because he’s a bad pitcher, but because closers give up runs just like anyone else, I don’t care how “nails” they are), he would be raked over the coals for burning Owings and needing to consider putting Cueto out there to cover some innings, or give up the game with Janish. I would be ok with letting Owings try to get the save, also, but that gets back to “its dumb because it isn’t what I would do” type of thinking.

Which is why I think Cordero should be shipped out the same time as Gonzalez.

For all the people that complained about other players on the Reds they feel made too much (see any list of stars), paying a closer $12 million (an average closer at that) is lunacy. I mean everything has to be perfect to earn that $12 million for sixty innings a year.

Dusty, like most managers, is too locked in to the concept of bullpen “roles.”

Use Owings to pinch hit, pray for a lead. If lead happens let Owings start the bottom of the inning leaving CoCo warm and see what happens. If Owings doesn’t get a hit nothing is lost and you still have McDonald on the bench for double switching/pinch running later. In extra innings you have to modify when you use your closer and what that role is.

Or, heck: let’s use your logic and hit Hannigan or Janish, or Dick Pole, or anyone but McDonald.

I had to think through that as well, but Dusty made the right move there knowing he wanted Cordero to pitch if the Reds took the lead. He would have had to be ok with Owings pitching the bottom of the inning if they took the lead, which he obviously didn’t since he hit McDonald.

Just the same, using McDonald instead of Owings to PH on Saturday nite flabbergasted me. Not only is Owings a better hitter (and a much better PH), the move wasted a player in a marathon game.

Sparky was not immune from criticism for doing “dumb things.” And I imagine that Sparky would not have the record that he does and would be criticized for doing lots of “dumb things” if he had to try and win games with the talent of the Reds during this decade. That is the nature of the beast, whereby baseball decisions are always open to “that is not what I would have done,” so when it turns out bad, the manager does “dumb things.”