Agree or Disagree with pulling Slowey with the no hitter going?

[harvey lee]

Sounds to me like there are alot of potential major leaque managers or pitching coaches here.

I would bet its alot tougher when your job is on the line and not simply second guessing a coach.

I also have second guessed Gardy at times but they do win games.

Very easy to pick them apart.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

“I was a little disappointed,” Slowey said. “I don’t think it would be possible not to be a little bit disappointed. But I think more than anything I think I was encouraged.

“I was encouraged by the way it was presented to me. I was encouraged by the fact that Gardy and (pitching coach Rick Anderson) care a whole lot about me as a person and as a pitcher in the long term than they do about winning one game or having one accomplishment. I think that says a lot about them, and it says a lot about our organization.”

[DTro]

queue the foghorn...

so he was upset than. I revert back to my first opinion then.

I also don't think BlackJack would've pitched that 10th inning either, and that is why Gardy will never be in the same league as Kelly

[blue_healer_guy]

Im not gonna second guess the decision, I second guess the people who say he is a good, some great, manager. And yes, I could do his job.

[Mitty]

NEVER TAKE A CHANCE FROM A YOUNG BALL PLAYER TO BECOME AN ELITE PLAYER FOR THE DAY.It probably will never happen again in his career.Feel for you Kevin,hope Gardentard at least apologizes to you.We will never know what the outcome would have been,and for you people who think he threw enough pitches if you get the chance to ask him please do.

[Big Dave2]

Silly me, I always thought team wins/losses were more important than individual accomplishments?

[Canon Guy]

Silly me, I always thought team wins/losses were more important than individual accomplishments?

Believe me,you're not the silly one here.

[going4it]

And Gardy said he felt bad and deserved the boos but he did the right thing. He labored through the 7th. Wonder how many even watched the game but have an opinion on it.

[PierBridge]

And Gardy said he felt bad and deserved the boos but he did the right thing. He labored through the 7th. Wonder how many even watched the game but have an opinion on it.

[zamboni]

Silly me, I always thought team wins/losses were more important than individual accomplishments?

I think we would have won if he got put back out there. We were up 4-0

[PerchJerker]

Gardy did the right thing to pull him. It's the middle of August and Slowey just missed a start ---- it's way more important to have him the next 2 months --- or in 2 months --- instead of those next 2 innings.

And at 106 pitches and 2 innings to go and the way he labored through the 7th --- it's not like he was on the verge of getting a no hitter. And even if he was --- the next 2 months are still way more important than those 2 innings. It wasn't about the win today when we were up 4-0, it's about wins and quality innings in the post-season, and getting there.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I agree that Gardenhire is not to blame here. No freaking way do we need to push a guy way past 100 pitches after he missed a start with tendinitis in his elbow. That is how pitchers go down for years...they are pushed when they are already injured or coming fresh off an injury.

I would have boo'd Gardie too, but I still think it's the right thing to do for sure.

[zepman]

Is this the same Slowey we all had on the next bus out of town 2-3 weeks ago...why all the love for him now as we enter our stretch run?

Slowey, given the chance, would've finished that game had his no-hitter stayed in tact. He has tendonitis...not a fast moving flesh eating virus running up his arm. His first few innings pitched were far more likely to see him have problems with his arm...not after he's warmed-up.

Too many of you are buying into the "pitch-count" [PoorWordUsage] that you hear on t.v. and read in the papers...c'mon Gardy...take off your skirt for once!!

[Born2Fish]

Yeah take off your skirt and throw the kids arm off....Wow. So being that we are all going on what IFs, what IF he keeps him in there and he hurts something in his elbow? Still worth it? What IF that injury is a career ender? Is THAT still worth it? What IF he comes in and the next pitch is hit deep for a homerun and is also injured on that pitch? Do any of you doctors or coaches know for a fact that none of that would of not happened? Sure I do not know that it WOULD happen..But what IF? He may have continued to pitch a no hitter, but I think the Twins pitching coach maybe knows a thing or two about pitching. Would you all agree with that? Do you think it was 100% Gardenhire that made that decision? No. Rick Anderson also had a hand in helping Gardy make that call. The Twins won that game and moved 3 games ahead of the Sux. Do individual stats really impress you guys more than winning the ball game?

[hanronson]

Gardy did the right thing, period. He was concerned about Slowey's arm, not Slowey's head.

[thatoneguy]

I'm going to guess that all those who act like pitch counts matter, or that pulling Slowey was a no-brainer, haven't bothered to do even cursory research on the subject.

For those (if any) who care about finding out what the actual facts of the matter are, I would recommend Bill James' (yes, that Bill James - the father of modern sabermetrics) excellent article, "Abuse and Durability." It provides a detailed statistical analysis of...well, I'll let you read it for yourselves

For those too lazy to read it, I'll summarize the key finding: There is absolutely no evidence that pitch counts enhance a pitchers durability or prevent injury. And of course any person with two working synapses knows that the 100-pitch mark is COMPLETELY arbitrary, and is not a danger threshold of any sort, nor is it supported by any data. I imagine it was just chosen because people tend to like round numbers.

Was it understandable to pull Slowey? Sure. Just don't act like it was the only sensible option, and that those who think otherwise don't know what they're talking about.

[MNice]

Agree, remember marathon, not sprint.

[luckydog25]

“I would boo too. I mean, I was booing myself. But I also know what's right, and that's why I [pulled him]. I wanted to see a no-hitter myself, but I also know I'm responsible for this young man's arm. You just can't risk a guy's career. I'm not going to do it. Slowey is coming off an elbow injury and we're not about to even come close to risking this guy.

I'm not going to let him throw 125, 130 pitches. It's just not going to happen. If he went back out for one more inning, he'd probably be up around 115, 120, and he'd be done anyway. There was no way he was going to finish, and we're just not going to risk this young man. He's got too big of a career ahead of him."

Isn't this why we have a manager?? To make these kind of decisions?? If you ask slowey if he wanted to finish the game OF COURSE he is going to say yes. Any pitcher would!! I give props to Gardy on this one, Slowey is banged up and had to miss his last start. His replacement is Perkins...not willing to take that chance!!

[Red Cabin]

Disagree, I wish he could have the chance.

[B. Amish]

either way, slowey was getting tired out there in the 7th. that double play ball saved him from getting yanked that inning. he's got great control, but he walked one and hit another in the 7th. that's like installing a bill board on the mound saying "i'm done".

[harvey lee]

“I would boo too. I mean, I was booing myself. But I also know what's right, and that's why I [pulled him]. I wanted to see a no-hitter myself, but I also know I'm responsible for this young man's arm. You just can't risk a guy's career. I'm not going to do it. Slowey is coming off an elbow injury and we're not about to even come close to risking this guy.

I'm not going to let him throw 125, 130 pitches. It's just not going to happen. If he went back out for one more inning, he'd probably be up around 115, 120, and he'd be done anyway. There was no way he was going to finish, and we're just not going to risk this young man. He's got too big of a career ahead of him."

Isn't this why we have a manager?? To make these kind of decisions?? If you ask slowey if he wanted to finish the game OF COURSE he is going to say yes. Any pitcher would!! I give props to Gardy on this one, Slowey is banged up and had to miss his last start. His replacement is Perkins...not willing to take that chance!!

Well said. Slowey will have many more chances at a no hitter with a solid arm. Another wound and it could be all over. Maybe and maybe not by why take that chance?

[JacobMHD]

I agree with Gardy. No reason to let Slowy hurt himself.

I'll bet Slowy comes out with a little more confidence in his next start.

[DTro]

Yep he had to be pulled. It was 100 pitches after all. We all know at 115, the arm gets like rubber and at 125, it completely falls off.

[\]end sarcasm

Gardy gets paid to win games, so yeah he's in a tough spot. But "no hitters" are pretty danm rare. No reason he couldn't have waited for him to give up one hit and then take the ball from him.

[mrklean]

agree 100% high in pitch count would you rather see him get a no hitter or blow out his arm in september, he was just having elbow issues not to long ago as well

[CodyDawg]

I had a slightly different take. The way Gardy did it, Slowey comes out with a ton of confidence. He goes out for the eighth and gets hit and gives up a run or two and this great game is just another win...nothing too special. Now, Slowey is brimming with confidence. I like the move. A 4 run lead is not insurmountable, and your first priority is to win the game. Ask Chicago how many runs they gave up in the 8th/9th yesterday! Good move Gardy, team first, individual achievements second.