R/L Closer/Set Up Strategy

[bleacher_creature]

I know this belongs in the Strategy section, but it's pretty dead over there.

Q. What level of success or failure have people had in having a solid R/L strategy where someone like B. Looper is set for both set up and close vs RHBs, and someone like Guardado is set the same vs LHBs?

Is this fraught with problems? I just had pretty good success with A. Benitez for a year. He went close to 150 IP, and blew a few games, but overall I can't say I would never spend big $$ on an R2/C6 who can cover 7-9 if necessary. In fact my run differential vs win record would suggest that I won a ton of close games, abviously attributed to Benitez, and my p&*$ poor offense. 8)

[Stoney18]

I don't have evidence to back this up but it seems like this would not work.

What happens if Looper starts the 8th as set up vs right, 3rd batter of inning is lefty and Guardardo comes in. What happens in the 9th?

I don't think you can expect good results because one of them is going to be in against their weaker side.

I usually try and stay more balanced or have someone set up both ways, close on their strong side and have a weaker (lower price) closer against the opposite side.

[bleacher_creature]

[quote:0ce928b301="Stoney18"]I usually try and stay more balanced or have someone set up both ways, close on their strong side and have a weaker (lower price) closer against the opposite side.[/quote:0ce928b301]

Example? Names?

[tersignf]

ever since we went to these new boards nobody pays attention to the thread headers anymore. It sucks because now it's a single flat-threaded mess. Basically the new site brings us to this thread so they've made it this way by design (used to bring you to the list of discussion areas and you would have to click).

Anyway, if you're going to spend ~5 mil or more anyway, you're much better off going with a stud closer that you don't have to rely on HAL to handle the way you expect. Depends on park of course, but I'd much rather have a Mariano Rivera to close vs those 2 guys.

If you're looking for an R2 type, then go with an elite guy (like you mentioned) and use him til his arm falls off. In most parks, most of those studs are still better than most replacements.

Now I have used that strategy with success in a pitcher's park, where the weak sides have some protection. Basically went with a Percival-type and then a bunch of uneven cheap guys, like Halsey, Hammond, Brower, Witasick, etc with a mid priced balanced setup guy (Mahay, etc). The key to effective selective weakside bullpen management by HAL is having enough pitchers for him to choose from.