As everyone knows, I am a big fan of stats, but only so they tell you about performance and how they might perform in the future. I am not really a fan of stats for stats sake, ones that are merely accomplishments and not really telling, like pitching wins or RBIs. Fortunately for us, Ron Gardenhire doesn’t either, and he pulled Francisco Liriano before he could get his complete game Friday night.
Say what you will about Ron Gardenhire, and Lord knows I have, but he has an excellent track record of protecting his young pitchers. Anyone who is upset that Liriano didn’t get his complete game isn’t looking at the big picture (or simply has him on their fantasy team). Liriano had 107 pitches in 8 innings which is on the high end for any pitcher. The other, more important issue is that Liriano has an extensive history of arm injuries. You simply can’t push him. Had he gone the full 9 and ended up with elbow problems again, Gardenhire would have been crucified. I admit that I am not his biggest fan, but in this instance, I am completely willing to admit that made the right decision.
Now if only we could work on his penchant for putting the worst hitter in the lineup in front of Joe Mauer.
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