WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – NUMBERS *DO* LIE

(Listen for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

WE SAW THE WORST OF WHAT SPORTS HAS TO OFFER TUESDAY NIGHT.

IT DOESN’T GET MUCH BIGGER THAN GAME 6 OF THE WORLD SERIES BUT THAT WAS THE SITUATION FOR THE L-A DODGERS AND TAMPA BAY RAYS LAST NIGHT IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS.

THE DODGERS NEEDED A WIN TO CAPTURE THEIR FIRST WORLD SERIES SINCE 1988 WHILE THE RAYS NEEDED A WIN TO FORCE A GAME 7.

IT WAS 1-0 RAYS INTO THE SIXTH INNING AND BLAKE SNELL – THE NASTIEST ACE ON THE BEST STAFF IN MLB – WAS PITCHING A SHUTOUT. HOWEVER TAMPA MANAGER KEVIN CASH PULLED SNELL AFTER GIVING UP 2 HITS OVER 73 PITCHES.

I’LL ADMIT TO NOT BEING A BASEBALL EXPERT. I PLAYED THE SPORT GROWING UP BUT GAVE IT UP WHEN I WENT FULL-TIME WITH THE ROUGHRIDERS FOR 20 YEARS.

HOWEVER I STILL HAVE COMMON SENSE.

THE DODGERS THEN CAME ALIVE, RAYS MIDDLE RELIEVER NICK ANDERSON GAVE UP ONE HIT AND TOOK THE LOSS, AND L-A CAPTURED BASEBALL’S COVID CUP.

ALL THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING IT WAS ANALYTICS THAT CAUSED THE RAYS MANAGER TO MAKE A PITCHING CHANGE, EVEN THOUGH SNELL WAS ON THE WAY TO ONE OF THE GREATEST WORLD SERIES PERFORMANCES EVER. (SHUTOUTS IN THE FALL CLASSIC ARE THE STUFF OF LEGEND.)

I FIRST NOTICED COMPUTER STATS TAKING OVER SPORTS 15 or 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I SAW NFL COACHES USING THOSE STATS TO PICK THEIR TEAM. IF THE WRONG DECISION WAS MADE ON CUTTING OR KEEPING A PLAYER, THE COACHES WOULD SIMPLY POINT TO THE NUMBERS AND SAY “THE NUMBERS SAID IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION AT THE TIME”.

PRETTY CONVENIENT.

WHAT’S WORSE, AFTER THE GAME MANAGER KEVIN CASH FACED THE MEDIA AND WHILE HE NEVER ADMITTED THAT ANALYTICS LED TO HIS DECISION, HE SAID HE’D DO IT AGAIN IF HE HAD THE CHANCE.

WHAT’S WORSE ABOUT THAT IS THE FACT CASH WOULDN’T ADMIT HIS MISTAKE. WHAT DID HE HAVE TO LOSE BY LEAVING SNELL IN? HE WASN’T GOING TO PITCH IN GAME 7.

IF I WAS A G-M OR OWNER AND MY COACH WAS RUNNING HIS TEAM BASED OFF NUMBERS AND STATS, I’D HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR HIM …

“WHAT DO I NEED YOU FOR?”

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.