The World Series of; John Smoltz has three wishes; the freakin’ Yankees man
Was Mike Piazza one of the best defensive catchers ever? How does catcher defense age? What effect do managers have on their pitching staffs, and do former catchers really make the best skippers? And how good was Leo Mazzone, really?
To wrap up our series on the merits of the four-man rotation, let’s look at some of the ancillary benefits of making the switch:
The four-man rotation simplifies a starter’s between-start schedule. Most teams have their starters throw on the side once between starts, but no one really knows whether it’s better to throw on the second day after a start, or the third. It’s not even clear whether starters should throw only once. In Atlanta, Leo Mazzone has had continued success doing things his way: he has his starters throw twice on the side between starts instead of once. (He does this because he feels it gives the starter the same increased sharpness that comes from working on three days’ rest.)