Max Scherzer does not like the principle of « openers »
Ever since the Tampa Bay Rays changed the world of baseball with openers (i.e. relievers who arrive before the starters), everyone has their opinion on the matter.
After all, it allows the starter to delay the infamous third round at bat with the top of the line-up …
That said, starting pitchers are usually bugs. Seeing them pitch at a different time than the start of the match can take them out of their routine.
Several pitchers stood up to say they didn’t like it. Madison Bumgarner, then with the Giants, said then that he would never agree to see Bruce Bochy put a reliever in his paws to bring him into the second inning.
And obviously, MadBum has an ally in MadMax.
Max Scherzer, the Dodgers’ top pitcher, isn’t a fan of strategy either. He said fans wanted to see starters pitch early and as often as possible.
Obviously, Scherzer is an old school pitcher. He throws his arm over his face, he wants to be the starter and he especially does not want to be taken out quickly. And it works more than well since his career will take him to the gates of Cooperstown.
But the fact remains that he wants to see a little more “traditional” baseball being played.
If you look at this [commencer avec un releveur] from an external point of view, you wonder if this is a direction in which you want to go. (…)
And my answer is no.
– Max Scherzer
He said this on the sidelines of Corey Knebel’s two “starts” against the Giants and the Braves. Failing to have starters. Dave Roberts used a page from the Book of Rays.
And it worked.
Recall that Knebel threw yesterday because Scherzer came to close the books against the Giants. The latter needed an extra day to throw and he will automatically be against Atlanta tonight.
Remember also that the Dodgers, affected by many important absences (Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Bauer, etc.), used many relievers to start games in 2021.
