The Atlanta Braves 2009 season came to an unofficial end last night as soon as stumbling manager Bobby Cox decided not to send rookie ace Tommy "Big Red" Hanson to finish his shutout in the 9th with a 1-0 lead. Cox fell for the bullshit 100 pitch garbage that seems to have prevailed over any common sense these days and pulled Hanson in favor of closer Rafael Soriano despite the fact that Big Red was cruising and was still hitting 95 on the radar in the 8th. Once Hanson finished the 8th he had reached 98 pitches and because Cox is a moron pulled him because he thought throwing 12 or more pitches in the 9th to finish off his first career shutout would be too much for a 23 year old to handle.
Fucking idiot!
Listen, I don't like the 100 pitch count. A round number of 100 pitches does not make or break one's arm. Hanson and most importantly the Braves would be fine today if Cox would have let the kid stay in the game and finish his shutout. Maybe I'm old school but I think starting pitchers should be given the chance to finish games especially when it's someone who is his hitting mid 90's in the 8th and having his way with batters. This idea of a closer having to be there in the 9th to finish the game is conventional bullshit. It's this idea of trends in sports that drives me crazy and everyone follows it like a flock of sheep. Listen, just because everybody else uses the Wildcat offense in football now doesn't mean you have to use it and the same goes with the closer and the 100 pitch count in baseball.
Think for yourself and do what is best for the team. Pulling Hanson last night was just plain dumb. It made absolutely no sense and Bobby Cox, I hate to say it, has seen his time and now the Braves need to make a change. With all of their pitching this Atlanta Braves team has massively under achieved in what as hard as it is for me to admit was a great offseason for Frank Wren. Wren brought in the proper pieces to contend at the very least for a Wild Card. Bobby Cox and his managing has failed. Why he kept Kelly Johnson in for so long at 2nd base to start the season and why he continues to put Greg effing Norton in their to pinch hit in clutch situations are just minor examples of his failure this season.
It's time for a change. Let's just hope the Braves have enough balls to make the difficult decision and let Cox go.
