Something is Wrong When You Get Outsmarted by Cholly

First, this isn't second guessing. I said this ALL, before it happened and even tweeted how dumb it was before the backbreaking grand slam happened. It was first guessing.

So in a situation where the backup catcher, a RH and the pitcher spot where due up, Fredi G. brought in lefty specialist George Sherrill. It was pretty much an automatic that Cholly was going to pinch hit for Schneider and it was beyond obvious that if the pitcher's spot came up, a pinch hitter would be up there as well.

So it was a near guarantee that Sherrill was going to come on to face 3 RH hitters, if you were paying attention to the game situation. In this situation you need to put in a pitcher who can get out either handed batter out. Eric O'Flaherty would have been a good choice. Even Christhian Martinez would have been decent, as he wouldn't have walked anybody and made the guys hit their way on. Instead, a guy who should only ever face LH batters came in, and couldn't retire a single guy he faced, loading the bases.

This was bad enough.

However, as I said in my bullpen preview, Scott Linebrink, at this point in his career, is a decent bullpen guy, as long as he only comes in with the bases empty. He's prone to giving up the long ball, but is good if the worst he can do is give up a solo HR. But you NEVER bring him up with runners on base or especially with the bases loaded.

Yet, here comes Scott Linebrink and gives up a completely predictable grand slam. Was it guaranteed to happen? Obviously not, but it was substantially more likely to happen by bringing in Linebrink.

The worst part of this whole exchange was how predictably bad it all turned out. None of this was shocking to anybody who knows this team. One thing is known about Sherrill, he can't get RH hitters out. One thing is known about Linebrink, he gives up the long ball.

Cholly didn't pull out some managerial genius, he just made completely normal, predictable moves. Yet Fredi G's completely undefendable moves made Cholly look like a genius. You gotta try pretty hard to make Cholly look like a genius.

I don't know what's more likely the case and what's worse, if Fredi G thought these moves out and somehow thought they were good ideas or if he just wasn't really paying attention.