MADDON'S MISTAKES FINALLY BEING RECOGNIZED BY RAYS FANS

Well, Joe Maddon has finally done it. He has actually made this blog's haters and folks that didn't agree with us, start to agree with our opinions. We have stated it for 2 years that Joe Maddon is simply not a great manager, and that he consistently makes too many managerial mistakes, and that the Rays winning record of 2008 was in spite of Joe Maddon, not because of him. Yes he may bring some chemistry to the clubhouse, but realistically if you watch long enough, most of these players are simply stating the company line. It's amazing to listen to Rich Herrera after games, as he tries to defend Maddon and everything about the Rays that isn't right. The guy is clearly following the company script, or else he is just a completely brainwashed individual.

As much as we wanted this season to be Joe Maddon's prove us wrong season, he simply has gotten more stubborn, and more defiant with his managerial ideas. People think that Joe Maddon Sucks.com doesn't believe in the math ideas behind Joe Maddon's philosophy. Quite the contrary however, as we do actually adhere to some of his ideas, and especially with Bill James' original sabermetrics ideas. The difference is, we also believe in common sense, and that not all game situations can be figured out by math and science. As D-Rays Bay would say, SSS, too small a sample size. This happens all too many times with Joe Maddon's math. He checks statistics, and uses them to fit his beliefs, regardless of the sample size, and regardless of common sense in a particular situation.

Sabermetrics generally is effective, but making changes just to make changes, or when a particular player is struggling, yet you continue to bring him in to relieve, when you can already predict the outcome, then who cares what the math over 2-3 years shows. If in the past few weeks a guy is struggling, why keep using him until he implodes over and over again, and finally you destroy his confidence to where he can't get it done at all. There isn't a math stat that can actually portray this accurately, as you have to have a feel for the game, and common sense to realize that certain guys aren't getting it done, so use other players that have a chance to help you. Last year, it was Dan Wheeler, and Troy Percival. They continued to destroy the Rays games, yet Maddon continued to run them out there over and over and almost ruined the Rays playoff hopes last year. This year, Wheeler has done pretty well overall, and actually carried the Rays bullpen, yet he isn't being allowed to pitch down the stretch when the Ray have needed him most. Maddon has used Balfour, Nelson, Shouse, and as of late Springer & Howell excessively, even though they have not performed well, and have continued to blow leads and games. Don't take this as a swipe at the players, as they are obviously trying to do their best. It is on the manager to not use the same pitchers who aren't getting it done, yet game in and game out, we see the same bullpen pitchers, and they continue to destroy the Rays leads. This doesn't mean we advocate not using these pitchers at all. In the case of Howell, he is an integral part of the Rays team and bullpen, but as much as he has struggled lately, Maddon has continued to us him in critical situations that he simply can't seem to get his confidence back. Why not use him when the game is already decided, or when it is 8-0 either way, so Howell doesn't have a chance to lose the game or blow a lead. Let him build his confidence back before continuing to ruin his chances of coming back from this disastrous stretch he has gone through. In the case of Balfour, it seems to be a similar situation, but he only has one really good pitch, and that seems to be the main culprit for his ineffectiveness.

Jim Hickey has been here as the pitching coach for awhile now, and watching him continue to go out to the mound, and then to see a pitcher implode shortly after, has been a frustrating scene to watch over and over. It seems that he has literally changed some of the Rays pitchers method of pitching, forcing them to pitch to contact, instead of letting them use their strengths. Garza is a strikeout pitcher, Price is a strikeout pitcher, yet they have struggled in trying to be pitch to contact pitchers. Ed Jackson was a strikeout pitcher, Kazmir was a strikeout pitcher yet they struggled until they left the Rays. To be fair, Kaz has only pitched one game since leaving, so we will have to give that some more time to see how he adjusts. The bullpen has imploded under Hickey as well. Jeff Niemann is a pitch to contact style pitcher, so this style seems to suit him well, and he has been successful. Shields is similar in that he can do both, but he has clearly struggled with the home runs this year, and is giving back leads in games that the Rays actually do score runs for him. Hopefully since the Rays are not going to get rid of Maddon and his methods, they can bring in a pitching coach that will help the Rays pitchers utilize their strengths, instead of trying to convert them into a different style of pitching. What will happen to Wade Davis under Hickey's tutelage?

Final notes on Joe Maddon. The Rays were winning 3-1 on Sunday, with 2 outs to go, nobody on base. Wade Davis pitched a gem, and left after 7 innings with a 3-1 lead. Lance Cormier came in and had retired 4 of 5 batters, and was doing fine with 1 out in the 9th, and nobody on base. Then Maddon decided to change pitchers. Remember Cormier is a long relief pitcher, and the Rays have a double header Monday, so they need to save the bullpen, yet Maddon changed pitchers anyways. His reasoning was because the batter was 6 for 14 in his career off of Cormier. This is a perfect example of using SSS, too small a sample, and abusing the sabermetric reasoning. Maybe this works with a 1 run lead, 2 men on, but with a 2 run lead, nobody on base, even a hit wouldn't have hurt the Rays as Maddon suggested. This is where common sense trumps math. Leave Cormier in, the chances of the Rays winning are extremely high. Instead we got to see the 3 main bullpen members that are struggling. Balfour came in and walked the batter, was replaced by Howell who walked a batter, was replaced by Springer, who gave up a single and GRAND SLAM to lose the game. Zero common sense, and another mis-managed game by Maddon. Maddon preaches one game at a time, but he doesn't truly follow this philosophy. Pulling Cormier because of SSS and worrying about saving him for the double header on Monday, shows that Maddon was again thinking about the future games, and not the game at hand. We all understand trying to rationalize in order to think ahead for other games, but you have to win the game you have in hand. Not according to Joe Maddon, he just continues to spread the kool-aid, and so many fans kept drinking it, until the past couple of weeks. Finally the fans are realizing just what Maddon does, and how consistently he does it. This is your 2009 Rays.

Click here for a list of Maddon Blunders this season