THE LITTLE THINGS
SIZEMORE GETS A+ FOR MANAGEMENT SKILLS
BY LEE GANNON
SPORTSWRITER
MIAMI MORNING SUN
MIAMI - IT'S NOT OFTEN A MANAGER IS CALLED "BRILLIANT" FOR HIS MID-GAME STRATEGY.
IT'S MORE HIS PRE-GAME PLANNING AND LATE-INNING MOVES HE GETS NOTICED FOR.
NOT FLORIDA'S GRADY SIZEMORE.
"YOU DON'T WIN THAT MANY DIVISION TITLES (EIGHT STRAIGHT WITH THE MARLINS SINCE TAKING OVER IN 2026 AND THREE WITH THE YANKEES FROM 2019 TO 2021 AND A SINGLE WITH CLEVELAND IN 2016) AND NOT CONSISTENTLY MAKE GOOD DECISIONS," SAID SIZEMORE'S COUNTERPART, LARRIBEE TUCKER OF THE PIRATES.
"HE LEARNED THE GAME FROM STRONG TEACHERS AND GAME MANAGERS, LIKE MIKE HARGROVE," SAID LONG-TIME AL SCOUT JOEY PETCHULARE.. "PLUS, GRADY HAS THE EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING WITH TODAY'S KIND OF PLAYER, SO HE'S OBVIOUSLY A PATIENT MAN."
DISSECTING THE PERFECTION
SIZEMORE'S MARLINS ENTERED GAME FOUR OF THE NLDS WITH THE PIRATES IN MIAMI OCT. 5 WITH A 2-1 SERIES LEAD. YET, SIZEMORE BENCHED THREE-QUARTERS OF HIS STARTING INFIELD.
HE REPLACED SHINGO SHINJO AT 3B WITH JARROD NAYLOR, SUBBED IN BENJIE DIORY FOR JIM KENNEDY AT SECOND AND DROPPED GEOFFREY BAUTISTA AT FIRST IN FAVOR OF LITTLE-USED CHAD WILLIAMS.
"MY THOUGHT WAS, 'IF WE LOSE TONIGHT, WE HAVE TO GET ON A PLANE THAT NIGHT AND GO TO PITSBURGH FOR GAME FIVE, SO I WANTED TO GET SOME GUYS SOME REST."
HOW DO REST GUYS LIKE THOSE THREE, OVER, SAY, SHORTSTOP PEDRO MORALES, WHO HADN'T HIT MUCH AT ALL THE INITIAL THREE GAMES?
"WELL, I'M NOT GONNA BENCH MY DEFENSIVE SHORTSTOP, AM I," SIZEMORE ANSWERED WITH A LAUGH. "YOU GUYS (THE MEDIA) WOULD ROAST ME."
TOP OF THE FIRST
ACE FLORIDA STARTER TOMMY SULLIVAN STRIKES OUT THE SIDE. "NOT MUCH MANAGERIAL SKILL THERE," SIZEMORE JOKES.
THIRD INNING
PIRATES GO DOWN 1-2-3, WITH WILLIAMS MAKING A GOOD PLAY AT FIRST FOR THE FINAL OUT.
FOURTH INNING
WITH THE GAME SCORELESS, SIZEMORE SENSES IT'S TIME TO GET SOME BETTER DEFENDERS INTO THE GAME. KENNEDY COMES INTO SECOND AFTER SHINJO PINCH-HITS FOR NAYLOR AND TAKES OVER AT THIRD.
FIFTH INNING
SHINJO MAKES AN OUTSTANDING PLAY, RANGING TO HIS LEFT, AND FIRING A JUMP-THROW FROM WELL IN FOUL TERRITORY TO NIP A PIRATE RUNNER AT FIRST - AND STOP A LEADOFF DOUBLE.
"THE ROOKIE (NAYLOR) DOESSN'T MAKE THAT PLAY," PETCHULARE STATES. "JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SIZEMORE'S KNACK FOR TIMING."
SEVENTH INNING
AFTER PITTSBURGH TAKES A 1-0 LEAD IN THE INNING BEFORE, SIZEMORE CONTINUES HIS MAGIC.
KENNEDY SINGLES IN WILLIAMS TO MAKE IT 1-ALL. SHINJO MOVES KENNEDY OVER TO SECOND BY HITTING TO THE RIGHT SIDE HOLE, GIVING UP AN OUT TO MOVE RUNNER OVER.
THEN IT'S TIME TO USE BAUTISTA - AND THE VETERAN SINGLES SHARPLY TO CENTER TO SCORE KENNEDY WITH WHAT PROVED TO BE THE WINNING RUN.
SULLIVAN HAS GONE SEVEN TOUGH INNINGS, ALLOWING EIGHT HITS, AND THE SINGLE RUN WHILE STRIKING OUT SIX.
RELIEVERS MATT HAYEK AND MOHAMMED FRY FLIRT WITH DISASTER BUT SIZEMORE PULLS THE RIGHT STRINGS TO KEEP THE PIRATES FROM SCORING. HAYEK ALLOWS A HIT AND A WALK, BUT GETS TWO OUTS WHILE FRY WALKS A BATTER BUT GETS THE THIRD OUT.
IN THE TOP OF THE NINTH, RELIEVER JONATHON KERN GIVES UP A LONG OUT TO PITTSBURGH'S LEADOFF BATTER. SIZEMORE REACHES THE TOP STEP OF THE DUGOUT ON HIS WAY TO REPLACE KERN WITH CLOSER ROBBY MICKLUS - THEN STOPS IN MID-STRIDE.
"I JUST GOT A FEELING KERNIE WOULD GET THE NEXT TWO GUYS,"
HE DOES - COMPLETING SIZEMORE'S "PERFECT" GAME.
NOTES: GAME FOUR IS 7:05 TONIGHT, WITH SULLIVAN (2-0, 1.96 ERA) SCHEULED TO FACE LIONEL SILVA (1-1, 4.50 ERA AND 1.90 WHIP).
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