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The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we're running here at MLBDD and rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.
Good morning baseball fans! And a good morning it is, if you’re a Toronto Blue Jays fan. Last night, in glorious October baseball fashion, the Blue Jays swept the Rangers in an extra innings victory into Toronto. This is the second year in a row that the Jays have ousted Texas to advance is the American League Championship Series. That’s gonna sting.
This postseason has already been a weird one for closers. With Buck Showalter trying to “preserve” Zach Britton for a situation that never happened and Andrew Miller coming in to pitch in the 5th, maybe it’s time we examine the lore and tradition that have been ingrained in the role of the closer.
“Never forget that the leash of results-based analysis is short. The Indians won Game 1 of the ALDS, 5-4. All is well. They stole the game they needed to steal while they were shorthanded, and now Corey Kluber is pitching Game 2. All is well.
But it was millimeters away from failing.
This was how close we all were to talking ourselves around in circles about Andrew Miller, late-inning relief deity, shouldn’t have come into a game in the fifth inning...”
Bill Murray is all of us during the postseason. Who said stars can’t be normal people? (But if there is a way to turn me into Bill Murray someone let me know ASAP, thanks)
Wrigleyville right now. #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/DUyiLET6G8
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) October 8, 2016
Look, I know the playoffs are super exciting, don’t get me wrong here. However, I feel like we’re all very wrapped up in the games and are glossing over potential history in the making, you know, like the possibility of the first female GM.
“...Now, this group shouldn’t necessarily be blamed for the failings of Stewart and La Russa, as we don’t know exactly how much input they had under them, but that’s still a lot of internal looks for a club trying to erase recent history. Luckily, they’re also looking at a few external candidates, as well: former D-Backs scouting director and current Brewers scouting director Ray Montgomery, MLB executive Kim Ng, and former Dodgers GM (and current special adviser) Ned Colletti.
Ng and Colletti competed for the Dodgers GM job over a decade ago, and Colletti was eventually replaced by Farhan Zaidi when Andrew Friedman took over the Dodgers. Ng has interviewed for multiple GM jobs and never come away with one, but she’s recognized as a sharp baseball mind and is the senior vice president of baseball operations for MLB. Colletti’s failings are generally overstated, but he would be more of a lateral move from Stewart than an upgrade. It’s just a strange mix, and feels like it’s missing a few names.”
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The deeper we get into the postseason, the more managers will lose their jobs. Keep up with that game of chess in one place . Send us a thank you card later.
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Today in baseball: On October 10th, 1976, the Royals tally their first postseason win in franchise history when they beat the Yankees, 7-3, in Game 2 of the ALCS. Royals southpaw Paul Splittorff, pitching 5.2 innings in relief, is credited with the victory.