In Search of Perfection: Kershaw and bullpen baseball

Jeffrey May PERFECTION KERSHAW In Search of and bullpen baseball

[{"selector":"#anim-a0626e51-0c9c-457e-8c91-fb58fbe7866a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Seven innings into baseball’s holiest grail, the perfect game, bullpenning caught up with Clayton Kershaw.

[{"selector":"#anim-8df8ce4d-0c88-4a7a-8489-a8da8da27e41","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Bullpenning is a stat-driven management style that sees pitch count determine how long you leave a pitcher on the mound.

[{"selector":"#anim-ee5880ba-904b-4f44-91a2-60f11c1bcd2e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3be6e54e-29b8-48c9-8889-1fc9d36837a9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.9174311926605505)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"forwards"}] One of MLB’s biggest proponents of this controversial style is Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

[{"selector":"#anim-b1a77da2-6786-4933-8905-4c9118752163","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7c95f46c-742a-46c7-8b71-d61882fb06ce [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-43.61306057942517%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] In the last 150 years, there have been nearly 220,000 professional baseball games. Only 23 have been perfect games.

[{"selector":"#anim-01d0678d-fa41-4cee-9e29-b08e620c241d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aff783fa-de0d-493f-902e-5ceadd9f9ad7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.8849557522123894)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"forwards"}] No pitcher has ever managed to throw two perfect games.

[{"selector":"#anim-602ce56b-1d6f-4dce-96cf-2521f399cff5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4908ad94-1155-40e6-89b3-749c698849bc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.9523809523809523)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"forwards"}] At 34 years old, this may end up being the closest that the former Cy Young winner Kershaw ever gets to perfection.

[{"selector":"#anim-a85bd604-e227-4114-91b2-7a3b15d829d8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Since 1901, only two pitchers have been pulled after throwing 7+ perfect innings: Rich Hill in 2016 and Clayton Kershaw.

[{"selector":"#anim-dea1875b-6033-4b35-966e-112dd9ab1aa7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-58cb699e-ac04-4ca1-a583-95c5f136f79d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.9259259259259259)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"forwards"}] Dave Roberts was the manager both times.

[{"selector":"#anim-1315f70e-176f-4e16-ac89-da418d057f7c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e1b96113-1d18-4f14-b6ec-d87754cac044 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(16.4039176923625%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Counting pitches has made the Dodger bullpen one of the most potent in the MLB, but minimizes situational baseball.

[{"selector":"#anim-51543d6b-866a-4185-aca6-5b2040016ca2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3f4e94ce-4810-4186-b950-2a6fa138ba27 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.9009009009009009)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"forwards"}] Roberts’ managerial approach has brought the Dodgers to the World Series 3 times in recent years, winning one.

[{"selector":"#anim-9b9dae7a-bc7e-4db0-aff1-27ddf26e105e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Was pulling Kershaw the right move?

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