Possibly the most famous example of benching a slumping star in the World Series isn't even mentioned in the article - Walter Alston benching Jackie Robinson in favor of Don Hoak in Game Seven of the 1955 World Series.

Saw the headline, saw that it was from The Asbury Park Press and I thought the article was going to be about Bruce Springsteen telling Max Weinberg to take a show or two off every once in a while.

“The way he handled it was so impressive,” Bochy said. “I think he threw a bullpen that day"

Far more impressive than throwing a chair.

“He’s always communicated,” the pitcher said. “Sometimes the truth was not what I wanted to hear, but it was the truth.”

That's a big part of it going well, I'd guess. Though some players will always be upset. (Cue the Pete Rose quote.)

The article also mentions sitting Reggie Jackson in game 3 of the '81 series against Fernando Valenzuela (Reggie had missed the previous 3 games with a calf injury):

“The best left-hander in the National League was pitching against us,” Lemon said, “and Reggie hasn’t been at bat in quite awhile. It wasn’t fair to him, and it wasn’t fair to us.”

I always thought Fernando was tougher on righties since his screwball was better than his curve. It was close; he had no split in '81, and just a tiny one over his career (OPS against is .017 better against RHB's).

I wonder how many people had the data on lefty/righty splits in 1981. Bill James must have been collecting it by then, that's the last year of the self-published Abstracts, I think.

I wonder how many people had the data on lefty/righty splits in 1981.

Strat-o-Matic had been issuing lefty/righty split cards since 1971. It wasn't exactly unknown.

Billy also benched Reggie in game 5 of the 1977 ALCS (against Splitorff)--though he was inserted as a PH in the 8th and got a crucial single

Billy also benched Reggie in game 5 of the 1977 ALCS (against Splitorff)--though he was inserted as a PH in the 8th and got a crucial single

I don't know whether this was L/R in general, or Splitorff specifically. Seems like I remember the story being, Martin thought Jackson couldn't hit Splitorff, and checked with Catfish Hunter, who said "Not with a ####### paddle." Martin was not an index-cards kind of guy.

I don't know whether this was L/R in general, or Splitorff specifically. Seems like I remember the story being, Martin thought Jackson couldn't hit Splitorff, and checked with Catfish Hunter, who said "Not with a ####### paddle." Martin was not an index-cards kind of guy

hmmmm--Reggie's line against Splitorff actually isn't that bad--including postseason, its 279/309/462 in 111 PA's. Nothing special, but not that bad, either.

Strat-o-Matic had been issuing lefty/righty split cards since 1971. It wasn't exactly unknown.

That was my 1st set! GREAT game. I also remember Rose saying he might bat lefty vs Tug McGrawand Jim Berwer and RH vs Mike Marshall due to the screwball...