A local coach's insight into MLB playoffs

Managers putting aces into playoff games in order to keep a lead.

Hitters swinging for the fences instead of just making contact.

Yes, playoff baseball is way different — especially this year — as teams are doing anything and everything to advance to the World Series.

IN CASE you might have missed it, in an effort to get a 2-0 lead on Sunday, New York Yankee manager Aaron Boone played the percentages with his pitching matchups, using nine pitchers in the 11-inning game. Houston won the game on a walk-off home run.

“How baseball is going, it’s with analytics,” former North Idaho College and current Lake City High baseball coach Paul Manzardo said. “They’re looking at data and matchups in previous games where those players faced each other and previous experience.”

Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t.

“By the same token, what the Dodgers did with (Clayton) Kershaw was different, where you’re putting him in an unusual situation and into a closer role and limited days off,” Manzardo said. “Bodies aren’t physically ready for that. It’s just a different twist on things.”

Something you don’t normally see during the 162-game regular season.

“I think you put your team at a disadvantage because they’re not prepped for that kind of competition,” Manzardo said. “Unfortunately, the human body has limitations, and your body might not do what it needs to do. Then again, they’re competitors and they all want to play. But you’re the manager, and you have to look out for the best interests for the entire organization. You’ve got to remember that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.”

MANZARDO COACHED Lake City to the state 5A title in 2016. He was the coach at NIC from 1998 to 2002, when the program was cut.

As much as some might like to see the rotating pitching at the high school level, there’s a good reason why that doesn’t happen.

“At the high school level, the numbers are so limited,” Manzardo said. “Usually, the best couple of pitchers are key position players in the outfield and infield. To do that, it’s a lot of throwing on the arm and the body. If you push it, you could really hurt someone too. There’s some strategy to it, but generally in high school, if you’ve got good pitching, you’re throwing them from the get-go, unless you have a lot of arms. Around here, you’re very fortunate to have three arms most years.”

And as for pushing runs across with home runs?

“I’m more of a base-to-base, and try to manufacture runs instead of relying on home runs,” Manzardo said. “I’m coaching at a different strength level, and most kids aren’t going to hit home runs all the time. Our environment, we play in a lot of cold, damp weather. If you’re relying on the home run, it’s probably not going to happen. Our focus is really getting the barrel of the bat to the zone as quickly as you can and just put the ball in play.”

Even if that means bunting against a defensive shift.

“They’re getting paid to hit home runs, not singles and bunts,” Manzardo said. “It’s no fault of the players, but that’s what baseball has revolved around. I wonder why in the offseason if you’re a pull hitter, why wouldn’t you work on your approach. You could just push bunt down the third-base line, but the next batter is going to get ear-holed.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.