Nobody Has Ever Been More Obsessed With Anything As Matt Williams Is With The Save Statistic In Baseball

Did you catch the Nats game last night? It was a hoot. The Nats had this comfy 5-3 lead and then a Drew Storen classic bed wetting and an ol’ Matt Williams classic bullpen mismanagement later, the Nats lost on a walk-off HR 8-5. Matt Williams went with his guy Casey Janssen for the second night in a row to blow the game. I honestly don’t remember the last time I saw Papelbon’s face. I simply can’t remember. Because if the game is tied in the 9th, Matt Williams won’t go to him. The other night he wouldn’t go to Papelbon to get a 4-out save. He just doesn’t believe in it. He thinks the closer can only enter the game in the 9th with a lead. He won’t use his best arm in any other situation. Pap has pitched 11 innings in over a month since he’s been here. Meanwhile, it did EXACTLY what we knew was going to happen to Drew Storen- killed him. Murdered him. Drew Storen might as well be a dead person out on the mound. Before the Papelbon trade Storen was a top 3 effective closer in the league. They made the move for Pap who hadn’t blown a save all year, a move I liked, and Storen has turned to shit. Giving up HRs left and right, no command, just bad pitching.

So back to last night, Williams trotted out Janssen for the second straight night to blow a game. He pitched like shit Monday night, pitched like shit before the walkoff last night, but Matty just stands there stone faced watching the world burn anyway. Williams was saving Papelbon for an inning that never came. He has no urgency, no must win now attitude.

Now, last night made a little bit of sense, because they used the majority of their guys already (if only the rosters expanded on September 1st and they could have another arm in there). But it doesn’t excuse the 3 game series with the Mets earlier this season where every game was a 1-run game and we never saw Papelbon. Doesn’t excuse him trotting out Janssen back-to-back nights to try and get to an inning that they were never going to get to with Janssen on the mound. He also yanked his long-reliever Doug Fister after 30 pitches, which was odd. It’s just mismanagement of the bullpen everywhere you look. Goes back to last season too, the playoffs, everything. He is brainless, clueless, and a bum. He commands no respect of the players who all seem to hate him. I don’t blame him for Storen falling apart, but in an alternate universe where the manager is capable, the Nats are not 6.5 games behind the Mets right now. When do pitchers and catchers report?