whatifsports.com/slb/Boxscore.aspx

My team had a 10-4 lead in the 7th.  My starter had hit his PC, and my Long B was brought in.  So far, so good. 

By the 9th inning, our lead had increased to 11-4, and my Long B had reached his PC.  In the pen, I had 3 rested Long A pitchers and 1 rested Setup A.  The Setup A was brought in.  

Does this strike anyone else as off?  If a Long B is good enough to protect a 6-run lead, why isn't a Long A enough to protect a 7-run lead?

Maybe a 7 run lead in the 9th doesn't constitute a "long" relief situation in sparky's mind? I can't think of any other reasonable explanation for that move.

Maybe you're right, but when I think of Long A pitchers I think of being up (or down) by more than a couple runs; when I think of Setup pitchers, I think of close games.  Maybe the inning does factor into it, but in situations like the one above I don't think it should.

On a side not - if you had 3 rested Long A in the pen .....why was your Long B reliever brought in??

long B's come in when:

No long A's are available
The game is not close

My money's on: It's not a Long situation.

In the very next game with this team,  we were down 11-5 in the 9th -- and our Mop was brought in (with plenty of Long A/B types available).  If being down by 6 is considered a lost cause, then why is being up by 7 a situation for a Setup A when Long A's are available?

www.whatifsports.com/slb/Boxscore.aspx

With being able to set the inning available for each pitcher, I never really understood need of designated long guys. I always just ignore them and stick to setups, closers and mopup.

I don't like limiting a 112 inning stud pitcher like 1918 Toney to the closer role.  I'd like to have him come in frequently when games are close (when we're up or down by 1 or 2).   I figured the Setup A role (he's my only Setup pitcher -- no closer on the team) would accomplish this.  What I don't want is him pitching in games we're winning by 7 when Long A pitchers are available to come in.

Switching your Long As to Setup Bs instead would seem to solve your issue.

Well, I'll give it a shot.

Yeah, it does seem like Sparky very preferentially goes to setup guys in the 8th and 9th innings.

Posted by minnow on 1/24/2011 8:41:00 PM (view original):
Switching your Long As to Setup Bs instead would seem to solve your issue.

That's what I do most of the time.   I have my "good" relievers at set up  A and my "worse" relievers at setup B.   I just change the available innings so the good guys don't appear in the 5th inning of a blow out.