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Dave Cameron FanGraphs Chat
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Dave Cameron
11:56
So, today's chat will start a little bit late; still only have one car in Oregon at the moment and wife and kid need a ride.
We will aim to start around 12:15.
12:15
Alright, Dave's Uber Service has been completed. Let's do this thing.
Matt (Denver)
12:15
Should Buck Showalter be fired for not using Britton last night?
Dave Cameron
12:17
No. In-game decisions are probably a minority of the ways that managers can impact a team, and by most accounts, Showalter is excellent at the other stuff. No one is perfect.

That said, if I'm Dan Duquette, I'm sitting down with Showalter and walking through the thought process of this decision, and trying to help him see why he should do it differently next time. If, after some reasonable conversations, he maintains he wouldn't do anything differently, then I might make a change.
You don't want to overrate in-game strategy as a part of the job, but intellectual curiosity has to be part of the process, and if Showalter refuses to believe that his decision was a mistake, then he might not be the right guy going forward.
Bork
12:18
Along with Buck saving Britton for a save situation, do you think he left Tillman in too long just to try to get him the win? I know it sounds bizarre, but there was no reason to leave Tillman in as long as he did.
Dave Cameron
12:18
He entered the fifth inning having allowed just one hit. I don't think the win had anything to do with it.
Matt (Toronto)
12:19
How do you see the Toronto-Texas series playing out? Texas won 95 games to Toronto's 89 . But Toronto had a run differential of +93 to Texas' +8.
Dave Cameron
12:19
Toronto is a better team than Texas, but in a short series, the difference hardly matters. Anything could happen.
Andrew
12:19
After watching Buck Showalter (not) manage last night, Terry Collins looks pretty good, huh?
Dave Cameron
12:20
Managers covet the ability to be the one making the call without interference from the front office, but it's still mind-boggling to me that stuff like this isn't worked through in offseason simulations. That people with the sole power to make decisions like this don't grasp pretty simple concepts is a problem.
Andrew
12:21
Last manager screw up as big as Showalter's last night?
Dave Cameron
12:21
I don't think I've seen one. People point to Grady Little, but there's a huge difference between "overreliance on one of the best pitchers ever" and "overreliance on Ubaldo Jimenez"
Zach Britton
12:22
What was preventing me from just running out on to the mound anyway?
Dave Cameron
12:22
That would have been pretty funny if he just took Duensing's spot.
I wonder what Showalter would have done if he had called for a lefty and gotten Britton...
Rog
12:23
Some fans are calling for Showalter to be fired, but 24 hours ago we were giving him much of the credit for the O's beating their projections. How does it all balance in your mind?
Dave Cameron
12:23
Showalter can be both a good manager and a guy who made a huge mistake.
They are not mutually exclusive.
Brad
12:25
Who would you pick for AL and NL Cy Youngs and who do you think will win? I would pick Verlander and Scherzer, but I think Porcello and Lester will win.
Dave Cameron
12:25
I cast my NL Cy Young ballot on Monday night, and it was brutal. So close at so many spots.
In the AL, I'd probably go with Verlander.
Gtrope87
12:26
Are you as surprised as I am that not only is Duda not starting; but he's not even on the roster for tonight?
Dave Cameron
12:26
They know more about his health than we do.
Thatguy
12:26
Would it be a bad idea on the Brewers end if they were to try and trade for Quintana this off season?
Dave Cameron
12:26
I don't think they're quite ready to be making win-now moves yet.
ConfusedRangersFan
12:26
Everyone's focused on Britton, but why didn't the Orioles intentionally walk Encarnacion to load the bases?
Dave Cameron
12:27
Because Ubaldo Jimenez is not exactly a strike thrower.
Jaime
12:28
Ideally, what should the phillies course of action be this offseason?
Dave Cameron
12:28
Do what the Brewers did last winter.
12:29
Collect interesting guys who need playing time to find out what they are.
Sirras
12:29
What is the most Cistulli sentence you can say with a straight face?
Dave Cameron
12:29
"Hey, gents, if I order this here bottle of fine red wine, would anyone else like to partake with me?"
I'm fairly certain I've heard him utter that exact sentence.
Fire Kevin Cash
12:30
Last night I felt like Ben and Sam in "The Only Rule Is It Has To Work." Was there a room full of Orioles statisticians somewhere screaming at a TV? Buck has earned a lot of freedom from his success, but I can't picture any of the stats people sitting calmly with full faith in Buck while watching Britton stay in the pen.
Dave Cameron
12:30
I know a few of the guys who work in the O's analytics department. I can't imagine they were on board with what was going on.
12:31
(Guys is poor phrasing there. The Orioles also employ Sarah Gelles, one of the few females working in analytics for a team. Sorry for leaving you out, Sarah!)
Matt
12:32
Hey Dave - Longtime reader, first time caller, er ... i mean.... Anyway, I just want to make one quick point. As a lifelong O's fan who basically watched most games this season, I think that all of the attention on Buck's call last night is a little misguided. Yes, it was absolutely the wrong decision. However, the reason the O's lost last night, in my opinion, is their abysmal OBP. It's the thing that killed them all year. Bullpen was good, defense was good, Buck (up til that point) called a good game. The O's simply couldn't work a count this year or draw a walk. Killed them in the season and killed them last night. Not Buck's call.
Dave Cameron
12:33
This type of singular focus on one thing is odd. I hear people do this all the time in all walks of life, and it just doesn't make any sense. The Orioles lost the game for lots of reasons last night. The offense struggling was one of them. So was Showalter's bullpen usage.
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