Houston Astros: Five things Dodgers fans have to come to grips with
Reason #2 – A.J. Hinch
Dave Roberts led the Dodgers to 104 wins. He outmaneuvered Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks and crushed Joe Maddon and the defending champion Chicago Cubs. So it was only fitting that he would smooth his way past A.J Hinch. But Hinch had other ideas.
While much of the blame is placed on Roberts decisions to overuse his bullpen and starting Darvish in Game seven after getting shelled in Game three, much of the credit should go to A.J. Hinch. He outsmarted Roberts throughout the seven-game series and even made some bold moves in the process.
How many managers would decide to have two starting pitchers pitch an entire game? It worked in the ALCS in Game seven with Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers and the World Series Game three with McCullers and Brad Peacock.
How many managers would be willing to keep their leadoff hitter the same after a horrible performance in Game one? It paid off when Hinch kept Springer at the top of the lineup.
With Hinch at the helm, the Astros appeared to have the calmest presence in the clubhouse, even when the odds were against them. When the Astros trailed 3-2 to the Yankees, Hinch never wavered and the Astros won in seven. When the Astros lost Game six at Dodger Stadium and nobody favored them to win in seven, Hinch was calm and collected.
Oh the irony strikes again…
It’s only ironic that in their previous careers, Roberts was best known as the man who reversed the Curse of the Bambino with perhaps the most famous stolen base.
Meanwhile, outside of a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, Hinch was a disaster as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Fortunately, a stint with the San Diego Padres would alter the course of their careers. In a way, this could’ve set up the World Series matchup where a former player who won a World Series took on a former player with a horrendous record at Arizona.
This is not to say Dave Roberts set himself up for failure with the moves he made in the World Series. Though Roberts deserves some blame, you have to credit Hinch for his managerial decisions that won the World Series.
While not every decision worked out like bringing Ken Giles in a tie game in Game four, Hinch was never afraid to take a bold risk and utilize his pitchers to keep his bullpen fresh while making sure Springer had AJ’s support.
These moves and others paid off and got Hinch the ring. Isn’t the winning team the one who’s manager outsmarts the other?
It all comes down to reason number one.