If Grady Little got fired for keeping Pedro Martinez in for too long during game 7 of the 2003 ALCS vs.?

Question

the Yankees, then I feel that Terry Francona should also be fired for not starting Josh Beckett in the crucial game 4 of the series this year vs. the Indians, a must win game, instead he starts 41 year old Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballer. He said he did this because he didn't want to mess up his rotation and wanted guys like Schilling and Dice-K to have full rest for games 6 and 7. Well, wah wah wah, this was a must win, he should've pitched his 20 game winning ace, the youngster Beckett, who might've evened the series at 2-2. Now, the Red Sox backs are against the wall and have to win 3 straight against a very good team. Francona should be fired for this poor decision if the team loses, you agree?

In the old days, pitchers would throw on 3 days rest all the time. The pitchers nowadays are so spoiled. They only go 5 or 6 innings anyway. In the old days, pitchers would throw way more complete games, and when I say old days, I'm not even talking about the 20's or 30's, I'm talking about as recent as the 70's and 80's. Pitchers are paid way too much and babied. Beckett should've been ready for game 4.

Chip, are you off your rocker???? Game 4 was a must win, not a really have to win. Now you are asking a team to win 3 straight games. That is asking A HELL OF A LOT from those guys. Come on, wake up.

Hate to break it to you, there is NO GAME TONITE, game 5 is on thursday, read the papers people.

Answer 1

he should be fired, but not for starting Josh Beckett, he should be fired for using Gagne at all.

Answer 2

No, and there's no comparison at all between the two cases.

If Beckett had pitched last night and lost, you'd be on here vilifying Francona for not saving him. It was a judgement call on Francona's part, made easier by the fact that Beckett is already nursing a tight shoulder. Pedro, on the other hand, looked like he was going to fall off the mound and had shown that he couldn't get anyone out. Even the millions of casual fans at home could see that Little was handing away that series.

I'm not a Sox fan, but I don't think Francona made the wrong call last night. Maybe if the Sox offense could have solved Paul Byrd's 85-mph fastball before the seventh inning, it would have been a different story.

Answer 3

no, I do not agree and not just because I am going for Cleveland. If you listened carefully last night during the telecast, they said that Beckett was pulled after 80 pitches in Game 1 because they had a substantial lead but also because Beckett's back had begun to stiffen. When asked by the media if he could pitch Game 4, Beckett would not respond. If it is true that Beckett was having a balky back, then pitching him on short rest would not have been the solution. Cleveland fans all but pleaded for Wedge to start Sabathia on short rest over Byrd in NY. Wedge went with Byrd and he came up big. Byrd said he was grateful for Wedge's loyalty. Wedge has refused to change anything he has done in the regular season, including the starting pitching. If you cannot count on the players that got you there then who can you count on? Here is the better question, I think: why didn't they start Jon Lester and use Papelbon more in relief? If you are going to start tinkering and making all these pitching changes, why not look at Lester, a former starter who looked very good last night and who actually beat Cleveland in the regular season in his return from the minors?

Answer 4

this is the exact question from ESPN earlier today, and your going to get the exact same responses but from people who are biased fans of local teams.
first of all lets look at what happened to Pedro. He was their ace, little left him him, they lost and he was fired. Not the same scenario this year, and lets not forget wakefield did win 17 games this year, and there is no gaurantee that beckett would have won the game (like Pedro), so you want to fire someone because the man who is in position to make the best call made his call and it didnt turn out the way you hoped?
what if he had started beckett and then he began complaining about arm injuries? if you cant get 2 wins out of him in the World series whats the point of even getting there?

Answer 5

Try looking at the entire season. You don't fire one of the best managers in the leage for managing a great regular season and getting to the ALCS. Also the series isn't over so save this question for when it is ok. I'd rather Beckett get the rest for a MUST WIN game 5.

Answer 6

It really doesn't matter. Beckett can only pitch twice. They can't match up any way you look at it to Cleveland's 1 & 2 starters. Maybe Beckett would've won, maybe he will tonight. Any way you look at it, Boston's going down. Tonight's game is the most crucial, and Francona has his ace out there.

Answer 7

How can you not agree with that decision? Game 4 was not a must win game......game 5 is a must win decision. If they do not win game 5 season over, thry again next year. You lose Game 4 you play game 5, if you lose game 5 game over along with your season.

Answer 8

The comparison is superficial.

Anyway... Boston is still playing, so no, Game 4 was not a "must win". It was a "really like to win" but then, so are nearly all games.

NOW, they face must-wins, three of them. But G4 was not.

Answer 9

Don't agree. I do think putting Gagne in for Papelbon was a very stupid move though. If they let Pap pitch another inning they wouldn't have lost, that's for sure.

Answer 10

You will win very few games when scoring only 3 runs.

Answer 11

Does people NOT read the papers anymore???

BECKETT NEEDED TO BE RESTED!!

He did not want to start on short rest!