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- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 7:35 pm
Mystery League: I've concluded it is dangerous to make conclusions based on HAL's situational pinch hitting decisions.
A season-end review of 2000's Bill Mueller ('07) being pinch hit twice (Bard ('07) and Reese('99)) against Isringhausen ('01) and Valverde ('05) over a span of three games in mid-season, leading to an ill-advised drop of Mueller's card by the pennant-chasing manager shows how dangerous it is to make conclusions that Mueller was on a weak card.
Mueller's card was a .295 BA, with an 'N' against right-handed hitters.
Reese's card was .285 BA, with and 'N' against right-handed hitters, with stated power no better than Mueller's.
Bard is a switch-hitter.
Isringhausen ('01) and Valverde ('05) are right-handed pitchers heavily effective against left-handed hitters.
Possibly, Bard and/or Reese were listed as pinch hitter preferences by the manager, which may have influenced things, but, I'd hate to draw any assumptions about why HAL did what he did.