CollegeSportsUnfiltered.com

AndreWhere (1252)

Member

From: Decatur, GA

Registered: 2017-08-24

Posts: 8,746

Explain me something about opening with a bullpen arm...

So Tampa "Bay" is doing this thing where they open up with a guy who'd otherwise be a closer. He pitches one inning, then another guy who'd otherwise be a starter comes in. Seems to work well for them at least.

The comment I keep hearing, though, is that "oh, sure, that's fine in the AL, but it'd never work in the NL." What's the rationale there? I think it might work *better* in the NL. Your (literal) starter isn't coming out for the second inning, so he doesn't need to bat no matter how deep into the order you go. It just gives NL managers that much more to work with substitution-wise.

At least one media person seems to agree with me: https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/5/22 … ash-opener

---

Bring back Reed V. "Pie" TurkPalmer Eustachy.