CLEVELAND _ The use of formidable Andrew Miller for multiple innings in the middle of games has helped vault the Cleveland Indians to within one game of their first World Series title since 1948.
It's also caused many observers to take a close look at how bullpens are used and whether Miller's success will cause teams to alter their scripts.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who used Aroldis Chapman for a 2 2/3-inning save Sunday night, said it's possible that this could become more common. But Maddon warned against assuming this was the wave of the future after examining the rosters of other teams.
"Try to pinpoint even one or two relievers out of everybody's bullpen who you think can handle that kind of load with that kind of effectiveness all season long," Maddon said Monday during a conference call. "It's very difficult to do because the point of diminishing returns would set in if you try to push it from day one."
As an example, Maddon cited a team could be tempted to push such a reliever harder during an important series in the middle of the season or in August that eventually could present repercussions.
"In order to get to this point, you have to be able to utilize an entire roster and guys coming up from Triple-A," Maddon said. "Right now, it's being glamorized a bit. This is not fantasy baseball. These guys are human and have only so many abilities to throw a baseball within a year. Right now in a micro-situation, it's possible with these guys, especially like Miller.
"But during the course of the season, you're hard pressed to find maybe a handful, maybe a dozen to carry this out during the regular season."
