From: hasch@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (Bruce M Hasch)
Subject: Re: Wells/Gaston
Summary: game score from hell, gaston 
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords:  gaston, lame, wells, lamer, game score
Organization: The Johns Hopkins University - HCF
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 22:21:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.195717.21938@u.washington.edu>, sgs@milton.u.washington.edu (Steven Smith) writes...
>In last night's game in Milwaukee, Toronto Blue Jays starter David Wells
>posted the worst Game Score since I started keeping track 5 years ago.
>Here's the line:
>			IP    H   R  ER  BB  SO
>	  Wells L,7-7   4.1  11  13  13   4   1
>		HBP: Surhoff by Wells, Fletcher by Wells
> 
>The Game Score is an mind-boggling -16.

WOW!!  Mind-boggling may be too mild...Does anyone know of a worse game
score in recent history?

>[Summary of Wells' Woes deleted] 
> 
>Wrong. Mr. Wells has the unique privilege of pitching for Cito Gaston,
>perhaps the major league managing fraternity's pettiest, most self-centered,
>and smallest excuse for a man.  USA Today tells us that Cito was "trying 
>to save his bullpen." But the real reason Wells was left in the game was that
>Pobre-Cito was still hurting from an incident that occurred, what, over a year
>ago now?  Seems Mr. Gaston felt Mr. Wells showed him up when he tried to
>remove Wells from a game in the middle of the 5th inning last year. Wells
>was not pitching well, but the Jays had scored a lot of runs to lead the game
>and Wells wanted to finish the 5th to qualify for the win. Wells did not
>react well when Gaston yanked him.

Trust me, I'm not a Blow Jays :-) fan, but if there's one good thing I have
heard about Cito, it's that he is a players manager.  I remember the instance
which you refer to, but I honestly do not believe that Gaston left David out
there to rot for revenge purposes (By the way, if I'm wrong here, Gaston should
be fired TODAY--such pettiness is inexcusable in a manager [it's reserved for
umpires only ;-)]) I really think Cito is just a lousy game manager...

As for saving the bullpen, Gaston went out and pitched Ward and Henke ANYWAY...

>Well now Gaston has exacted his revenge on Wells. Oh, how his tiny mind must
>have enjoyed watching Wells roast out there.  Never mind that his team is
>in a tight pennant race. Never mind that every game counts. Never mind that 
>the Orioles had won earlier in the day. Never mind that Gaston does not 
>exactly have an embarrassment of riches in the starting rotation, and he might 
>just have to rely on Wells in a tight situation later this year. Never mind 
>that it must have been excruciating and demoralizing for the other Jays 
>players to watch their starter get kicked around and their manager not doing a 
>thing about it. Cito got to show Wells what happens to people who make him look
>bad, and that's the most important thing in Cito's mind.

Again, I think that revenge wasn't the meaning for this.  It's inexcusable to
leave a starter out this long, nonetheless.  Then again, Cito leaves ALL
his starters in too long, it seems...

>I've been pretty indifferent about the AL East race. I've never been much of
>an Orioles or Jays fan.  But last night Cito gave me a good reason to cheer 
>for the O's to pull it out. On the other hand, if the Jays win the East, I
>can still look forward to watching Tony LaRussa manage circles around Gaston
>in the ALCS. And then Gaston will get fired, won't he?

Happy to have you as an O's fan.  But don't forget about the Brewers...

It doesn't take a Tony LaRussa to manage circles around Gaston.  Gaston's
decisions seem incomprehensible at times (White's STILL leading off!!!), and
his lack-of-action reminds me of John McNamara.  The Jays lack of a decent
manager is a definite plus for the chances of the Orioles or Brewers. 

>And I'm not saying this just because Wells' performance totally trashed my
>Rotisserie team's ERA.
> 

Oh, sure you are!!  But that's OK--I don't mind!! :-)

>--Steve

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Jacobs: Sign Cal Now!!       Bruce 'Better Game Score than Dave Wells' Hasch
O's all the way in '92!!     E-mail at hasch@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
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