Quite a few on here just aren't very smart when it comes to baseball So it's easy to just blame the manager
The warning track flies were a tease. Martin hit his HR to the deepest part and it was way out. The four runs the pitching surrendered isn't bad..... but I'd rather do less. We need to put Stroman in his place today... he has a higher ERA than Fiers. We're hitting better since last time, so there's hope.
I think it's just as dumb and not very smart either to believe hinch can do no wrong. I was simply relaying how hinch himself has come out time after time, on his weekly show, on his approach to pitch around situations. And yesterday's fire situation was one that fitted to his beliefs that a closing situation can arise before the 9th inning. Almost certain if that situation presents itself again, it will be feliz, pat, or luke that gets shelled. And I would be more than O.k with it. Just like when Cano and Florida evans were not walked in clutch situations and handed us losses, a month later trout is walked in that exact scenario and we make out of the inning alive to eventually win the game. Never said he should be fired, in fact i've said in the future he has all the traits to win a world series or two. I guess it's ok to diss players just not state opinions on how a manager should handle certain situations according to his own managerial style. =/
Sometimes a pitcher just makes a bad pitch or a hitter hits a good pitch. Yesterday, Hoyt made a bad pitch and Martin made him pay. Any other reliever (or McHugh) may have done the same thing. Unfortunately, managers have to make decisions without knowing the future. Relieving McHugh wasn't a bad decision. Using Hoyt was not a bad decision. They were simply decisions that didn't work out.
It's amusing that not a single person complained about the decision to bring in Hoyt *before* the hit. But after, it was clearly a horrible/stupid/etc decision.
Hinch is meh. Supposedly very strong in the clubhouse and good at managing his coaches and controlling practice. His on the field decisions are mediocre (and that is being generous).
I've never seen a single manager make consistently "elite" on the field decisions. From Joe Maddon to TLR to Phil Garner to Jimy Williams to Bobby Cox to Joe Torre. The aspects you mentioned that Hinch is "good" at are really the more important things any team needs in a manager. On the field decisions are equivalent to a good blackjack or craps player knowing what to do.
sure, and the ones who split 10's resulting in the dealer pulling his 21 instead of busting gets yelled at and laced into by the table. that's hinch.
Some managers are better than others at making in game decisions. I have given Hinch credit for keeping the team on the same page and have stated that is important. However it doesn't change the fact that Hinch isn't very good at strategic decisions, and it does have consequences in the W/L column. Anyone that thinks Hinch is the Astros biggest problem is mistaken. However he doesn't always help matters.
Actually, Hinch is the blackjack player who almost always does what the pocket table says to do. Conservative, robotic, often predictable... but making moves based largely on past experience/percentages.
Again, still haven't seen those "some managers" make in-game decisions better than others on a consistent basis. I really don't know how you (or anybody) would be able to assess a manager who is consistently good at "strategic decisions"... especially not on a team that largely does everything on a pre-planned basis (from shifts to approaches at the plate to deciding who to run on... and who not to run on). You can also add Matheny (who's suddenly on the hot seat), Mike Socsia, Don Mattingly, John Farrell and John Gibbons. He does manage personalities and youth well... and some managers have a harder job when there are high priced veterans that need special coddling (Hinch doesn't have that problem, yet).
Generally a manager's decisions are only as good as his player's performance. Hinch rarely makes a "bad" move (the same as most managers). Fans need to take into account how many rookies and young players are on the team. They don't have a single season-long starter having a great or even a very good year and only Fister can be considered to having a "good" season. They regularly trot out a lineup with 4-5 below average major league hitters. Unbiased fans would look at this overall team and ask how they are in playoff contention, even considering Altuve's "season for the ages". Now if the answer to that question is the generally good bullpen, then fans should realize that is probably the biggest game-in game-out decisions attributable to the manager.
Completely agree I don't know anyone that thinks Hinch can do no wrong though. The lack of discipline the team has shown on the bases is directly on him in my opinion. But some people criticize Hinch everytime a reliever gives up a run, as if a better manager would simply choose the guy who won't give up a run that day. Been watching baseball a long time, still waiting for that team with a pen that gives up no runs for a season
