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I completely see both sides of this discussion - which is what makes it a good discussion, and is why we have two of our best guys here not in agreement on something.
However, I have to chime in with this. Regarding whether the run not being on the board affected the game.
For a guy who has been around this game forever and understands its nuances - to imply that a coach's strategy is identical regardless of score is extremely strange. Your strategy down 3 in the last inning or down 1 in the last inning is completely different. Forget "risky moves" that Dakota alludes to... you would make substitutions (esp pinch run; pinch hit) differently in the last inning of a game that you were down 3 vs down 1. You would sacrifice down 1, but NEVER down 3. It's not about telling the players to play their hardest no matter what - it's about game strategy. If a coach coaches the same way down 1 in the last inning of a playoff game than they do down 3, they are an extremely poor coach.
That said... in this PARTICULAR instance, I don't believe it mattered. I truly do not see a difference in the strategy one would use in a tie game vs being down 1. In either case, you are scratching and clawing for one run - the strategy is identical.
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I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, 'I drank what?'”
West Houston Mike
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