Frustrations I: The Blown Save

[KG Erwin]

Yeah, you guys have experienced it, right? You have a comfortable lead, and call in your closer or other reliable reliever. Within one or two innings, the guy blows up and allows the winning run to score. That's gotta be the worst in a managed or simmed game. You wanna bang either YOUR head or HIS (virtual) head against a wall. [:@]

[Bustoff]

Yeah, KG. Blown saves suck a lot. It also sucks when I decide to leave my starter in for "just one more batter" (often with men on base) and then have to watch helplessly as that batter jacks one way up into the cheap seats. D'oh!

This would make an interesting thread...good idea KG. Simmers one and all, what are your personal management frustrations?

Hey! Where the heck did all the avatars go???

[Frozen Stiffer]

KG & Bustoff,

I feel your pain.

I'm starting a new season with one of my teams, and my "new" closer (a converted reliever) currently has more blown saves (6) than good ones (4). I'm starting to reconsider his "promotion". On the matter of pitchers, that one hurts just as much. I see someone's ETA at 3.04 or 2.01 or something and think "Just one or two more batters and I'll get it under 4... or under 3..." and then WHAM. A walk, then a hit, then a triple later and not only is his ETA well above whatever I was hoping I could bring it down to, but the game is ruined.

On that same note, I confess that I have one particular reliever in my bullpen who is HORRIBLE, but whom I have nicknamed "The Savemaker". This moniker was not earned because he makes saves, no- because he creates save opportunities for us. When we're leading by too much, I call him in, he invariably allows a couple of runs, and brings us within 3. Next inning I call in for the closer and BAM- he earns the save. Otherwise, it would have been just another inning of good pitching for him; but no save.

PS- KG, you finally got your wish! My Dancin' Spidey is gone!!!!