October 12th, 2013 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka It’s hard to find someone who thinks that Dodger manager Don Mattingly’s decision to replace Adrian Gonzalez with pinch runner Dee Gordon in the top of the 8th inning of a tied Game-1 of the NLCS was a smart move. In fact, I couldn’t find anyone who thought it was a smart move. I did, however, find a lot of people who agree that it was a bonehead decision.
There may be some who think Mattingly’s decision to remove Gonzalez for pinch runner Dee Gordon was a smart move, but I’ve yet to find anyone who does.
(Photo credit – Christian Petersen)
Just how bad of a move was it? How about it cost the the Dodgers the game.
In case you missed it, here’s how it all played out: Gonzalez draws a leadoff walk in a 2-2 tie in the top of the 8th; he is replaced by pinch runner Dee Gordon who doesn’t even attempt to steal second base; Gordon is forced out at second on a ground out fielders choice by Yasiel Puig (which Gonzalez could have done himself); Juan Uribe then grounds into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Poof!
Just like that it was over and the Dodgers were now without one of their best defensive and offensive players for the remainder of the game and wasted Dee Gordon as a pinch runner in the process. Gordon could have been used later in the game when Andre Ethier drew a two-out walk in the top of the 11th inning. Had Mattingly replaced Ethier with Gordon then, and had Gordon at least attempted to steal second base and made it, he would have scored what would have been the go-ahead run on A.J. Ellis’s single up the middle that followed Ethier’s walk.
But instead the game continued on into the 13th inning when the Cardinals eventually won by a score of 3-2 on a walk-off single by Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran.
And what did Mattingly have to say about what is arguably the worst decision in his three years as the Dodgers manager and what may very well prove to be the defining moment of the 2013 NLCS?
“”You’ve got to shoot your bullet when you get a chance.”
I’m not making this stuff up, folks – this is exactly what Mattingly said.
Now I have been one of the few people who has supported Mattingly through thick and thin even when many folks were calling for his head, but this is unequivocally the dumbest thing he has ever said about what is unequivocally the dumbest thing he has ever done. There is a huge difference between shooting your bullets and wasting your bullets, which is exactly what Mattingly did.
Had Gonzalez remained in the game (as he should have), he would have had two more at bats including one that former MLB manager and current DodgerTalk Radio host Kevin Kennedy would call “the game-changing moment” when AGon’s replacement, Michael Young, hit a weak fly ball to short right field that was caught by Carlos Beltran. Beltran then uncorked a perfect throw to catcher Yadier Molina to get Mark Ellis out at the plate after Ellis had stroked a one-out triple into the right field gap.
Oh sure, who’s to say that Gonzalez wouldn’t have hit a weak fly ball to Beltran himself, but my money would have been on Gonzalez to knock in Ellis one way or another, just as he has done all season long with runners in scoring position.
Sorry Don, but this loss is absolutely positively 100% on you and it very well may have cost your team a trip to the World Series.
Posted in 
RT @Think_BlueLA: New post: Mattingly shoots blanks instead of bullets – http://t.co/cYgrhBsqa9 #Dodgers #Dodgerfam
There’s nothing to argue with you about on your take. The only thing I would add was Mattingly”s equally bonehead decision to bunt Crawford over to second in the 12th, leaving first base open when Hanley was coming up. Who couldn’t see the intentional walk coming to the hottest hitter on earth? He set it up for Michael Young to ground into a DP for the 22nd time this year. The entire night was torture.
Whatever Mattingly was trying to do when he put Gordon in to run for Gonzalez just didn’t work and on top of that we lost one of, if not our best hitter for the rest of the game. I’m sure he had trouble sleeping on that last night. But we simply can’t dwell on that and must turn the page.
It’s not a matter of dwelling on it, Joe, it’s a matter of learning from your past mistakes, which Mattingly has yet to do.
As Evan noted, having Mark Ellis sac bunt Crawford over to second with no outs and Hanley on deck in the 12th inning was just plain stupid and once again shows Mattingly’s complete lack of managing intuition and skill. Why on earth would you purposely take the bat out of the hands of your best hitter – especially after you have already taken your second best hitter out of the game? Did Mattingly honestly think that Matheny wouldn’t intentionally walk Hanley to set up the double play? If so, Mattingly has no business managing in the MLB; this was a no-brainer. Do you even think about these things, Joe?
But alas, Mattingly (and you) will soon not have to “dwell” on anything much longer the way that he is managing this team. He may be “Donnie Baseball” but he is anything but “Donnie Manager.”
I couldn’t agree more. I fell asleep in the 11th – bitched continuously about the Dee Gordon bonehead play. I even knew we lost when I woke up – there was no way we couldn’t lose with the plays Donnie-boy made last night. I said to Jim “we lost didn’t we” – yep!! But as Scarlett says, “Tomorrow is another day.” Maybe Donnie will get his head out of his a– and be a manager.
Kind of hard to “get his head out of his a–” when he is too ignorant to even realize (or admit) that it is there. For a guy who prides himself on how well his players respect him, he crapped all over them last night.
Mattingly’s bonehead decisions don’t surprise me. He’s been making them for three years, but they hurt so much more in the post-season.
Putting Mattingly aside for now, here’s what also had me shaking my head. All along, I was so preoccupied, worrying about the absence of Kemp’s bat, that I gave little thought to how the absence of his glove could cost the team. I’m not blaming Ethier for not making that catch in the 3rd inning. It would have been beyond his skill set, but I’m sure Kemp would have made the catch, and the game would never have gone to extra innings.
The blogs today were of one note. Practically everyone was taking shots at Don Mattingly. The descriptions in various blogs included bonehead, stupid, head up his ass, ignorant, dumb, Donnie Boy, hopefully learned from his mistakes, needs a 20 point increase in his IQ and others. It seems that bloggers feel that using insulting language somehow makes their points better.
The whole thing centers around, “what if”. That is, what if Mattingly hadn’t made the moves he did. Who knows what would have happened. We can only speculate. We know now that Ramirez was in no shape to hit like he can. Maybe Mattingly knew what we didn’t. I don’t know if all the described moves by Mattingly were poor moves. Perhaps they were. However, the moves and their speculated consequences can be made without personal attacks.
The other side of the “what if” is, what if Zack had not given up a two out two strike hit to the opposing pitcher? What if Andre had made that catch? What if Yasiel had adjusted to the pitches? What if Michael Young had hit like the professional hitter he is supposed to be? What if nick Punto hadn’t struck out as a pinch hitter? What if the team hadn’t gone 1/10 WRISP? What if Kenley hadn’t gone to a 3-1 count to one of the best post seasons players in MLB? Not much talk about the lack of execution and players shooting blanks. The manager can’t do much about that.
It is unfortunate that the game was lost as the Cardinals starting pitchers after 1/2 are better than the Dodgers.
So you’re saying that pulling Gonzalez for Dee Gordon and wasting an out to set up the IBB to Hanley were wise decisions Harold? If so, you are the only one.
I appreciate your efforts to defend Mattingly, but his bonehead decisions (and I’ll stand by that assessment despite your attempt to make me feel bad by saying it) because they were.
Sometimes the truth hurts, my friend.
My post was mostly about the insulting comments made about Mattingly. Question the decisions by all means but no need to make disparaging personal remarks. How does that ever elevate a conversation?
Not trying to make you or any other blogger feel bad. Many had such personal comments. Just saying it is not needed to make a point.
Again -“I don’t know if ALL the described moves by Mattingly were poor moves. Perhaps they were.” I don’t think Gonzalez should have been taken out of the game. But – if I did – and the rest of the world didn’t, that wouldn’t bother me.
You can paint a turd gold but it’s still a turd.
Please don’t mistake my opinion of Mattingly’s bonehead decisions as not liking him, I like him a lot. He is simply in over his head here and his inexperience is glaring.
It’s so easy to say what went wrong after the fact. It’s also so easy to blame the manager for a lack of execution on the field. I think mattingly made a choice to go for the win when his team was not producing against a very good pitching staff. Was it the right choice ? In hind sight no. But did it make sense ? I think so and although I will now be grilled for speaking out I will take the hit as this is baseball and anything can happen, like coming from last to first in a very thrilling season when other threw in the towel in June.
I don’t expect you to ever take my word again for anything, but this from someone that I believe that you think even less of than me (or not):
I detest Plaschke as much (or more) than you do, but he is spot on with this.
Mattingly’s move made no sense to me whatsoever and I am thoroughly confused (and curious) how you came to your conclusion that it made sense; but barring a miracle, it is definitely the defining moment of the series.
If this is correct then the players are not performing like professional players. Plaschke wrote: “There was not only nationwide criticism of the decision, but it turns out Dodgers players were clearly unhappy as well, which perhaps led to several distracted plate appearances Saturday by a team whose mind seemed elsewhere.”
Distracted plate appearances when you have a chance to gain a split in St. Louis. Not sure why the players get a pass when they just didn’t execute.
They didn’t get a pass from me. As I just noted on the TBLA forum: