It's the "save stat's" fault ---it's right here in the NY Times...

The "save stat" slave excuse chiseled into history by baseball opinion leaders today:

• "Although Papelbon was trying for his first two-inning save of the season, he said that did not contribute to his malaise. Papelbon also said that he did not zone out because the Red Sox had a five-run lead after seven innings and it looked like a possible night off for him."

From article by Jack Curry in the NY Times, "Papelbon Was on the Mound, but His Mind Was Somewhere Else," 9/16/07

• I'm pretty sure Terry Francona was trying to win the game. The kid didn't even record one out before he got blasted. The NY Times (and others)* suggest he was worried about a 6 out save coming in with a 3 run lead.

P.S. IN 2006, PAPELBON HAD 7 APPEARANCES OF 2IP OR MORE :

• 3 WERE NO DECISION
• 2 WERE WINS
• 2 WERE BLOWN SAVES

THIS IS THE PRICE PAPELBON WILL PAY DUE TO THE FAKE 'SAVES' STAT GARBAGE BY THE OPINION LEADERS OF BASEBALL. MUCH OF HIS WORK WILL GO DOWN THE TOILET, LIKE THE ABOVE 7 APPEARANCES, DUE TO THE FOCUS ON THE 'SAVE STAT.'

• Baseball-Reference

*Like John Harper in the NY Daily News, 9/15/07, struggling with the demon save stat...

• "It's not as if it's a crime to ask a closer to get six outs. How many times has Rivera done it in crucial games for the Yankees over the years?

• It's just that the Red Sox have made a point of being careful with Papelbon, after he was sidelined late last year with a shoulder injury that nearly turned him into a starter this season.
• They had not asked him to get six outs in a game all year and, who knows, maybe he wasn't comfortable coming into the game with runners at second and third, the game in danger of blowing up on the Sox."

So, 5 outs with 1 or more runners on didn't count in 2007 which he did just fine? It was just the "6 out save?" What if he had thought it would be a 6 out save but it ended up being a 6 out No Decision or a 6 out Win? He had those in 2006, not that long ago.

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