Can you manage your way to victory?
Be honest: How many times have you nearly given yourself a coronary while screaming, "A bunt?! Why did you call for a bunt?!" or "You brought in that guy? Are you trying to lose the game?" Yeah, every fan thinks they can be the manager.
So, today, we figured we'd give you the chance to prove your skills. That's right, we have a little choose-your-own-adventure-style game for you to play.
Here's the scenario:
It's the bottom of the ninth inning, your team is leading 3-2 and your starter is still chugging along. Do you leave him in? Do you take him out? The choice is up to you.
Just remember: There's a new rule this year that a reliever has to face a minimum of three batters, so if you make the choice to go to a specialist, you'll need to leave him in for a little while longer.
Play the game below, but if you are someone who is a stickler for knowing exactly who is on the other team and what your potential relief options are, scroll down to find out before starting:
OK, so you really don't need to know anything more to play the game -- baseball is random enough when you do know absolutely everything, but if you want to be fully prepared for all your choices, here is the rundown.
Your team:
- You have your right-handed starting pitcher on the mound. He's been good today, giving up just two runs in eight innings of work, but he's starting to get tired. He's thrown 105 pitches and has one more inning to go. He's done it before and he may do it again -- that's up to you. Think of him as a Justin Verlander-type.
- You have your right-handed closer available and warm in the bullpen. He's a good one, with a blazing fastball and biting slider. Lots of strikeouts, though wildness can be an issue at times. He's better against righties, but really, all batters struggle against him. Think of him as a Kenley Jansen-type with a slightly different arsenal.
- Your left-handed specialist is also available. He throws a little softer, but with a difficult arm angle and good breaking pitches, lefties really struggle against him. However, he can be over-matched when facing right-handed batters. He's similar to the salt-and-peppered Oliver Perez.
As for the team you're going up against? This is who you're facing, starting with the lead-off batter:
1. The lead-off hitter is the prototypical, classic lead-off hitter: He's speedy and makes a lot of contact -- though he'll happily take a walk if you give it to him. He's similar to Adam Eaton.
2. A very patient right-handed batter. He makes good contact and has a little bit of pop, too. Think DJ LeMahieu.
3. Just an all-around star. Power, speed, a patient eye. I'd say this is a Mike Trout-type, but Trout is so good, that's almost too frightening. Right-handed.
4. Patient and extremely powerful left-handed slugger. You can strike this batter out, but if you nibble too much, he'll happily take a walk. And if you make a mistake, it's leaving the park. Similar to Carlos Santana.
5. A right-handed hitter who's pretty similar to our cleanup hitter, but whose contact skills are just a little worse. Think Rhys Hoskins.
6. A solidly average right-handed hitter across the board. A little pop, the ability to lash gaps all across the field. Similar to Jean Segura.
And you don't even need to know the rest of the lineup because by this point you've either closed out the game and you're celebrating in the clubhouse ... or you've blown the game and you have some difficult questions to answer to the media. Good luck.