Defensive Replacements

[Wrathchild]

What is the standard practice for using defensive replacements? I see my opponents often bringing in half a dozen near the end of a game. What is the concept for doing this?

[Frozen Stiffer]

Not that I practice this myself, but I believe it's part of a subscription to the "we're going to lose anyway, might as well shake the rust off the bench players and pull our starters to avoid injury" theory. When you're down 2-10, why would you want to leave your star outfielder to play a hopeless game where he may pull, twist or (::wince::) snap something?

They're called defensive replacements because they're taking the players' position while the team is on the defensive, it doesn't necessarily mean they're being brought in as a hopes of IMPROVING the team defense or because those replacements are necessarily better fielders than the blokes they're replacing.

[GNDN]

You may also want to do it in a tight game, late innings.  If you have guys in the OF, 1B or 3B with no defensive range to speak of, you may want to put in that super-sub who can cover lots of territory.  The double you take from their team may save you the game.

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: GNDN

You may also want to do it in a tight game, late innings.  If you have guys in the OF, 1B or 3B with no defensive range to speak of, you may want to put in that super-sub who can cover lots of territory.  The double you take from their team may save you the game.

You aptly describe my philosophy on defensive subs. I keep a couple of guys on my roster specifically for this purpose. You could call them the position player equivalents of "closers" in tight games.