Tweet
I thought his comments were very interesting today on sports radio. I've heard people say for years that managing in the N.L. was tougher and here you have a pretty seasoned guy that knows more about it than me or you and he says otherwise. He has taken teams from both league's to a WS so he should know.
Host: Jim, most people think managing in the AL is a job where you just throw out the lineup and sit back to watch the game. What are your thoughts on that?
Jim Leyland: Managing in the AL is much tougher because in the NL all the decisions are made for you. In the AL you struggle with when and what to do in every game. They say 80% of managing is handling the pitching staff and in the NL, all the decisions are made for you. If it is the 6th, 7th or 8th inning and you are trailing when the pitcher spot comes up, it's simple, you hit for him. In the AL it is a constant struggle with figuring out how much your pitcher has left and how long to leave him in there. One more inning, one more pitch, you just never know sometimes. In the NL, if you are down 2 runs in the 7th and the pitcher is coming up, it doesn't matter how he is pitching because you need runs. The double switch is pretty easy too because you only have so many options on your bench. I struggle much more with decision making in the AL than i did in the NL.
I know many might disagree but hell, it does make some sense when you think about it. Thoughts?
Host: Jim, most people think managing in the AL is a job where you just throw out the lineup and sit back to watch the game. What are your thoughts on that?
Jim Leyland: Managing in the AL is much tougher because in the NL all the decisions are made for you. In the AL you struggle with when and what to do in every game. They say 80% of managing is handling the pitching staff and in the NL, all the decisions are made for you. If it is the 6th, 7th or 8th inning and you are trailing when the pitcher spot comes up, it's simple, you hit for him. In the AL it is a constant struggle with figuring out how much your pitcher has left and how long to leave him in there. One more inning, one more pitch, you just never know sometimes. In the NL, if you are down 2 runs in the 7th and the pitcher is coming up, it doesn't matter how he is pitching because you need runs. The double switch is pretty easy too because you only have so many options on your bench. I struggle much more with decision making in the AL than i did in the NL.
I know many might disagree but hell, it does make some sense when you think about it. Thoughts?
Comment