Speaking Worlds About Where the O's Belong on Baseball's Food Chain

Here's the quote that tells the story about yesterday's debacle for the O's from baltimoresun.com:

"Me and Tim Wakefield looked at each other on the bench in the ninth inning when they took Guthrie out, and we said, 'We're going to win this game,'" said Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, who allowed two runs in four innings before leaving with irritation to the skin of his right middle finger. "We both believed it."

There's much to be disheartened about here. First, if it's true as the story implies that Perlozzo told Guthrie that if a runner reached against him in the ninth--despite having given up only two hits and two walks all game--he'd be lifted, well, Sam, that's just unacceptable. Basically you've already made a decision based upon no factual evidence. It was a dropped pop-up. The only difference between that and an out is execution. It shows no confidence in ANY of your players to lift Guthrie at that point. Even if the next batter were to homer against him, he still pitched a HELL of a game for a guy making his third start, and you still have a three-run lead. You then have permission to go get the closer to save the game, Sam, with no runners on and no bad feelings and without inviting blame against yourself.