The one-and-done wild-card format can make a long offseason even longer for a player who doesn't produce in a big spot for a team that loses. Someone who gives up a late-inning homer, boots a ball or strikes out with the bases loaded.
Managers are ripe to face that kind of infamy, too.
The latest example of that was the Orioles' Buck Showalter, whose well-earned reputation as one of the game's best strategists took a hit when he didn't deploy his best reliever in last year's wild-card loss to the Blue Jays.
Left-hander Zach Britton posted a 0.54 ERA in 69 appearances and allowed one earned run in his last 57 regular-season innings in 2016. But he stayed put in the bullpen in a 5-2 loss in 11 innings. Showalter faced a torrent of questions after that defeat and was still getting them when his club reported to spring training.
"It's the nature of the game today," Joe Girardi said before Tuesday night's American League wild-card game against the Twins. "When you sign up for the job, you sign up for that. The manager who won the World Series last year was scrutinized after the season. It's what our world is today."
That was a reference to the Cubs' Joe Maddon, whose overuse of closer Aroldis Chapman during the 2016 World Series was criticized. Chapman signed a five-year free-agent deal with the Yankees during the offseason.
Barring an early blowout in favor of his heavily favored team, Girardi was sure to face his share of scrutiny Tuesday night. Decisions such as how short a leash to give starter Luis Severino, when to utilize strikeout machine Chad Green and how much to trust Dellin Betances would be among the closely watched calls.
In a shocker, Severino, the Yankees' ace, lasted only one-third of an inning before Girardi took him out trailing 3-0. Chad Green got out of the first inning but gave way to David Robertson with one out in the third.
"It's a gut feeling," Girardi said. "And you try to look at your experiences from the past and what your eyes have told you in the past, what certain numbers tell you, and you do the best you can. A manager or pitching coach who's making suggestions, a bench coach who's making suggestions, a third-base coach who's sending a runner, they don't have the luxury of waiting to see what happens before making the decision or having a crystal ball. So again, you do the best you can with the information that you have at that time, and you live with it."
Before first pitch, Girardi already faced second-guessing about his lineup. He went with Aaron Hicks in center field and Jacoby Ellsbury at designated hitter, which meant Chase Headley, among the offense's most consistent performers since late June, started the game on the bench.
"We had three players for two spots," Girardi said.
Headley slashed .251/.341/.366 the first half of the season and .300/.366/.455 the second half, most of which he spent playing first base after the trade-deadline acquisition of third baseman Todd Frazier. But Ellsbury brought good career numbers in against Twins starter Ervin Santana _ 11-for-37, one homer _ and was coming off a September in which he slashed .337/.436/.477.
"It's tough, it's really tough," Girardi said of his conversation with Headley, whom he told of his decision Monday night. "Sitting there the last week, knowing that I'm going to disappoint someone, and it's really difficult. But his at-bat, maybe later on in the game (as a pinch hitter), could be the biggest at-bat of the game. And that's what we told him."
Girardi's preference, like some other managers, is that the one-game wild-card format be scrapped.
"(I've felt this way) before we were ever in this game, so I don't want to feel like it's crying over spilled milk if something happens," Girardi said of a possible loss. "But I'm not crazy about it. I'd like to see a three-game series. That's what I've said. And the penalty for being the wild card is there is no off day, so you play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then you play Thursday and Friday (in the Division Series). I would rather see a three-game series."
