Posted by MikeT23 on 2/16/2012 12:27:00 PM (view original):
Quite honestly, no amount of statistical data for one player is going to prove anything along this line.
But, if you agree that batters change their approach and fielders change their approach based on the situation, it's hard not to believe that pitchers wouldn't do the same thing. Even coaches change their approach. So, really, it would be arguing that every competitor on that field does something different based on score EXCEPT for the pitcher. That would strike me as odd.
That's not to say Hunter was better or worse than his stats indicate, stats are what they are, but I find it hard to believe that he, like pretty much every pitcher in history, didn't say "Hit this. We're up 9-1. Your hit won't matter." And I'm more likely to believe it happens more frequently to pitchers on good teams than bad ones.
First line.
132 innings is less of a gauge than 3440. Both are less than "no amount of statistical data for one player".
But, again, if you believe batters, fielders and coaches change their approach based on situations, it seems odd that you don't think pitchers would do the same.