New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway knows exactly what to say to upset his fan base.
Callaway met with the media before his Mets played the Atlanta Braves on Thursday evening. The night before, his team blew a 2-1 lead and lost 6-4 to the Braves. Callaway pulled starter Steven Matz after six innings even though the pitcher was cruising and brought in Seth Lugo, who allowed five runs in the seventh.
Callaway defended his decision after the game. Then on Thursday, he was asked how much he’s basing his decisions on analytics. The person who asked the question seemed to believe most decisions were guided by the numbers, but Callaway said he guessed most decisions went against the stats.
Mickey Callaway: "I bet 85 percent of our decisions go against the analytics, and that's how it's always going to be, because that is just on paper." pic.twitter.com/ZSN7Tthj6n
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) August 15, 2019
Many Mets fans freaked out after reading that quote.
The analytics revolution has swept through baseball, with many clubs and front offices using it to better inform their decisions across all aspects of building the team. The increased use of data has led teams to employ defensive shifts, make pitching or hitting changes, lineup and roster moves, and suggest pitch types and locations. Despite all that, you have a manager openly saying he probably goes against the data most of the time.
Callaway should be calling things the way he wants to — it’s his team to manage — he just has to be aware of the resulting public perception. Then again, he hasn’t exactly proven that he knows what to say when it comes to talking with the media.
