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You probably have to go back to Grady Little in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS to find a manager whose postseason bullpen mismanagement has gotten an avalanche of criticism akin to what Ned Yost received Tuesday night.
Little, as Red Sox fans recall all too well, stuck with a tiring Pedro Martinez for one inning too long despite loads of data showing that the three-time Cy Young Award winner went from dominant to eminently hittable after reaching the 100-pitch plateau.
The result was that the Yankees scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game and eventually won the pennant on Aaron Boone’s 11th-inning homer off of Tim Wakefield.
A World Series bid wasn’t on the line Tuesday, but that’s of little consolation to Royals fans, who waited 29 years for a playoff appearance and saw Kansas City’s chance to advance to the American League Division Series spoiled in part because of questionable bullpen management by Yost.
With Kansas City clinging to a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning of its Wild Card playoff against the Oakland A’s, Yost opted to remove ace James Shields after just 88 pitches in favor of 23-year-old rookie Yordano Ventura, who had made only one previous career relief appearance and who — as CBS’ Dayn Perry points out — had just thrown 73 pitches on Sunday.
Ventura promptly surrendered a 3-run go-ahead homer to Brandon Moss, sending Oakland on its way to a 5-run inning and a 7-3 lead.
Twitter reacted strongly, and the reaction was not kind to Yost. Here’s a sampling:
After 29 years don't Kansas City fans deserve better than Ned Yost?
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) October 1, 2014
Ned Yost is trending worldwide and it's not pretty.
— Kevin Negandhi (@KNegandhiESPN) October 1, 2014
Ned Yost is a witch.
— MLB Jesus (@MLBJesus) October 1, 2014
Ned Yost, um, hearing it from the crowd as he goes out to make another pitching change. Postgame call-in shows could be lively here
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) October 1, 2014
I'm flabbergasted by Ned Yost. You have one of sport's best pens and w/ 2 on and no out you bring in a rookie SP? Are you kidding me?
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 1, 2014
Ned Yost just destroyed the last James Shields start as a Royal. Such an idiotic move
— Brandon H. (@BHIndepMO) October 1, 2014
The reaction was so strong that the term #Yosted was trending on Twitter shortly after the Royals blew the lead, with some fans blaming Yost for the Royals fan featured in these tweets failing to get the puppy she wanted.
Why does Ned Yost hate puppies? #yosted #Royals pic.twitter.com/D16L04fPkL
— amy_rc (@amy_rc) October 1, 2014
I really wanted that girl to get her Puppies #yosted
— Patricio Kansas City (@PaddyKC) October 1, 2014
Has a manager ever been fired in the 6th inning of a #MLBPlayoffs game? I believe the @Royals should test that. #Yosted
— Jon Stephens (@RockhillStrat) October 1, 2014
Why bring a freaking rookie STARTER into a tight playoff game with runners on? You have a STUD bullpen. It's not that hard, Ned. #Yosted
— Brandon Urban (@burban77) October 1, 2014
The Royals, though, bailed Yost out when they rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, then won it on Salvador Perez’s RBI single in the 12th.
Ned Yost, I present you with this: pic.twitter.com/YlwuyBnB4c
— Tommy Garcia (@iamtommyg) October 1, 2014
I do believe Ned Yost will be buying Nori Aoki dinner for getting him off the hook. #ALWildcard
— Victor Rojas (@VictorRojas29) October 1, 2014
