If you’ve been watching the playoffs, it would be hard to argue with the conclusion: Baseball looks different. “Bullpenning” - while it’s been rising in popularity over recent years - has never been more prevalent. Teams are equally aggressive with their lineup changes, milking every matchup to squeeze out even a tiny bit more advantage.
I was watching Game 7 of the Dodgers/Brewers series when Site Manager Emeritus Ben Humphrey asked, “can you even imagine Mike Matheny trying to manage like this?” I chuckled, but it’s a legitimate question.
Matheny was fond of playing chess, but modern teams are playing four-dimensional chess, and this year’s playoff teams are playing five-dimensional chess with the ghost of Earl Weaver.