ARLINGTON, Texas — Only a couple of weeks into Tony Beasley’s new job, we’re getting a clearer picture of what kind of manager he might make if he gets the gig full time.
Basically, it seems a little less like Chris Woodward.
And a lot more like Ron Washington.
Consider his speech before the Rangers’ 5-3 loss to Houston in front of 19,607 at Globe Life Field when he kicked off his media confab by putting his starters on notice that five innings won’t cut it. From there the conversation widened to include the game’s infatuation with numbers and the damage done.
“We’ve micromanaged and we’ve taken the instinctive part away, to a degree,” he said. “I’m all for analytics, but analytics can’t play. There’s a human side.
“What’s in his heart? What’s in his soul?”
Taken with Beasley’s previous establishment of a fixed lineup, or at least the top two-thirds of it, and the echoes of Wash are plain enough. Chances are the comparison goes over well with a fan base harboring fond memories of the only manager to lead the Rangers to a World Series.
But how does it go over with Beasley’s boss?
“Ultimately, we want to balance the objective with the subjective to make the best decision to win games,” general manager Chris Young said. “Not all about numbers, not all about feel. It’s striking the right balance.
“I don’t know if it’s old school or new school. Hopefully it’s the right school.”
The greater part of Beasley’s message Wednesday was intended for the Rangers’ rotation, the organization’s weakest link. Of course, the best way to get better pitching is to get better pitchers. Until then, at least give Beasley credit for trying to squeeze something from what he’s got.
His second day as interim manager two weeks ago, he assembled his pitchers and told them they had to pick up the pace. Attack hitters. Don’t throw “noncompetitive” pitches. A walk is worse than a hit.
And don’t go in thinking five innings is good enough, because, as he put it Wednesday, “that’s not a starter.”
“Starting pitching is the face of the game,” he said. “They make the most money. They get four days off. It’s a different type of lifestyle for relievers.”
A tough-love approach?
“No,” he said, “it’s a realistic approach.”
Speaking of realistic approaches, Beasley cited the eight innings pitched Tuesday by the Astros’ Framber Valdez as evidence. Valdez attacked the zone. Contrast that effort with the five innings Beasley got from Dane Dunning, who needed 40 pitches to get out of the third on Tuesday. Funny thing is, Beasley actually appreciated the fact that Dunning stayed in the game for two more innings.
The problem is that comparing Dunning or nearly anyone in the Rangers’ rotation with Valdez, who recorded his club-record 22nd straight quality start, is, well, a nonstarter.
Beasley wants to “develop and train our starters to be horses,” but, except for Jon Gray and Martín Pérez and maybe Dunning, the rest probably shouldn’t even be in the race.
“You can’t push somebody that’s not ready just because we want them to be,” said Dusty Baker, the Astros’ manager and a Beasley confidante.
Baker is the beneficiary of an organization that has identified exceptional pitching practically from its inception. With Justin Verlander out, all five members of the rotation are homegrown. The Rangers’ rotation is nearly the same, only in their case, that’s the problem.
To Beasley’s point, Baker concedes the proliferation of numbers telling us, among other things, a pitcher is only good two times through a lineup may do more harm than good. Expect someone to perform at a certain level, and that’s what you get.
Asked if one of his pitchers has ever looked over at the dugout after four or five innings, he said, “I remember one time I went out to talk to a guy. He gave me the ball.
“I gave it back.”
The answer, if you want to get on Beasley’s good side: Throw quality strikes. The message failed Wednesday.
Pérez (10-5) gave up five runs in five innings, his most in a home start this season and his second poor outing against the Astros after dominating them his first two times around. They’re sitting on his change-up, his best pitch, and taking pitches on the corners. At his best, Pérez makes those. He wasn’t his best Wednesday.
In the second inning, he gave up two of the Rangers’ seven walks overall, which led to two runs, and another pair of walks in the fourth that led to two more. After five, he’d thrown 94 pitches and was done.
Hard to reconcile that with what Beasley’s preaching.
“You know, sometimes we’re trying to go deep but sometimes we can’t,” Pérez said.
“Sometimes that’s all we’ve got.”
Practically the Rangers’ mantra.
