Let's make things clear. I'm not a fan of several traditional statistics (R, RBI, W, L, SV, HLD,...). What irritates me is when the media criticizes managers for doing the unconventional and using a closer earlier in the game. It wasn't that long ago that managers used their ace relievers early in games. It wasn't until the save statistic was created that managers saved their best reliever for the ninth inning. Now that the save statistic is held in such high regard (does fantasy baseball have that great of an effect?), managers have become slaves to the stat. What brought this to my attention today was watching the Milwaukee Brewers/Minnesota Twins game.

In the top of the ninth, Joe Nathan came in up by two runs. He gave up the lead but kept the game tied heading into the bottom of the ninth. When the Brewers were threatening to take the lead, Francisco Cordero was shown warming up in the bullpen. Since the Brewers did not take the lead, he stayed in the bullpen and Chris Spurling remained on the mound. A few pitches later, Justin Morneau homers and the game is over. This isn't just hindsight speaking. Why would you leave your best RP in the pen in favor of an inning-filler like Spurling during a tied game? Are you saving him for that hypothetical save opportunity in the 10th or 11th? If so, why would you wait on a hypothetical when Cordero can help you win (or more accurately, not lose) now? If not Cordero, where's Derrick Turnbow or Carlos Villanueva or even lefty Brian Shouse? You just can't leave your fifth best reliever on the mound in a tied game when you have four better options available in the bullpen.

If you're worried about running out of bullpen arms in an extra inning game, you've still got five guys in the pen, and you can save Villanueva to be your last guy out of the pen. He can throw four or five innings to save you from using a starter.

Ned Yost made a mistake today by saving his ace reliever for a future situation that he had no idea would ever happen. As a consequence of keeping his fifth best option in the game, the Brewers offense didn't get a shot to score in extras and increase their 6.5 game lead in the National League Central.