Piggy Back Rotation

[Mr Southpaw]

A piggyback works if you do not align the openers with the starters.  here it goes, three opener who try to go three innings (12 batters, 9 outs , 45 pitches). The five starters come in hopefully at the start of the 4th inning and go (hopefully) five innings. That cover 8 innings.  The openers will get warn out you say, but no, this is where the swing pitchers come in.  The openers only go through their rotation twice, then these swing pitchers come in for Games 7 and 8 giving the openers 6 innings every 8 days.  Doable.  These swing pitchers are only getting 3 innings every 8 days at the front end of the game, so they can be used at the back end of games at least a couple of time every 8 days. Doable.  that is five pitcher covering the first three inning every 8 days and then a couple of more innings at the end of games

If the starts can cover innings 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 we are golden, only the 9th inning to be covered by 3 closers.  I think everyone would agree that our starts can make it at least 4 to 4+ innings per start.  the closers finish the 8th inning and close the game in the 9th. Remember that we still have the swing pitchers to help out if their is a starter that falters.

Check out the chart below to get an idea of a 25 day rotation.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Game 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Closer 1
Game 2	Opener 2	Opener 2	Opener 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Closer 2
Game 3	Opener 3	Opener 3	Opener 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Swing 1	Closer 1
Game 4	Opener 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Swing 2	Closer 2
Game 5	Opener 2	Opener 2	Opener 2	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Closer 1	Closer 3
Game 6	Opener 3	Opener 3	Opener 3	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1
Game 7	Swing 1	Swing 1	Swing 1	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Closer 3
Game 8	Swing 2	Swing 2	Swing 2	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Closer 1
Game 9	Opener 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Closer 3	Closer 2
Game 10	Opener 2	Opener 2	Opener 2	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Swing 1	Swing 2
Game 11	Opener 3	Opener 3	Opener 3	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Closer 3
Game 12	Opener 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2
Game 13	Opener 2	Opener 2	Opener 2	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Closer 1
Game 14	Opener 3	Opener 3	Opener 3	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Closer 1	Closer 2
Game 15	Swing 1	Swing 1	Swing 1	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Closer 3
Game 16	Swing 2	Swing 2	Swing 2	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Closer 1	Closer 2
Game 17	Opener 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Closer 3
Game 18	Opener 2	Opener 2	Opener 2	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Swing 1	Closer 1
Game 19	Opener 3	Opener 3	Opener 3	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Swing 2	Closer 2
Game 20	Opener 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Closer 3	Closer 1
Game 21	Opener 2	Opener 2	Opener 2	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1	Starter 1
Game 22	Opener 3	Opener 3	Opener 3	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Starter 2	Closer 2
Game 23	Swing 1	Swing 1	Swing 1	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3	Starter 3
Game 24	Swing 2	Swing 2	Swing 2	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Starter 4	Closer 2
Game 25	Opener 1	Opener 1	Opener 1	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Starter 5	Closer 3

 

[Playing Catch]

58 minutes ago, Lathund said:

So if you replace 2-3 starters with 2-3 pitchers who cover 3 innings at a time, the rest of the 'pen will have to cover more innings. So you'd have to have more of those 3 inning relievers there to compensate. Which also means you'd have less room for pitchers who can maximize their effort in shorter stints. 

Correct. I believe all of Ashby, Zerpa, Hall, Gasser, and pick any righty can be used as bulk relievers. Heck, do away with set-up men altogether and have 2 co-closers that take turns pitching every-other game. It would probably be good for both Uribe and Megill to know ahead of time that they'll rarely pitch in back-to-backs.

Now is this idea practical or is it a house of cards plan that falls apart with the first IL stint? I don't know. I just feel like the optimum number of innings for an individual pitcher's health is probably shorter stints with at least one day off in-between outings.

[Mr Southpaw]

I have replace markers with actual pitchers to make it easier on the eyes.  This 25 day rotation does not include Zastryzny, Anderson, Coleman, Dhohan, Peralta, Sproat, or Rodriquez.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Game 1	Ashby	Ashby	Ashby	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Megill
Game 2	Zerpa	Zerpa	Zerpa	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Uribe
Game 3	Harrison	Harrison	Harrison	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Hall	Megill
Game 4	Ashby	Ashby	Ashby	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Gasser	Uribe
Game 5	Zerpa	Zerpa	Zerpa	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Megill	Koenig
Game 6	Harrison	Harrison	Harrison	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff
Game 7	Hall	Hall	Hall	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Koenig
Game 8	Gasser	Gasser	Gasser	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Megill
Game 9	Ashby	Ashby	Ashby	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Koenig	Uribe
Game 10	Zerpa	Zerpa	Zerpa	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Hall	Gasser
Game 11	Harrison	Harrison	Harrison	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Koenig
Game 12	Ashby	Ashby	Ashby	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester
Game 13	Zerpa	Zerpa	Zerpa	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Megill
Game 14	Harrison	Harrison	Harrison	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Megill	Uribe
Game 15	Hall	Hall	Hall	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Koenig
Game 16	Gasser	Gasser	Gasser	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Megill	Uribe
Game 17	Ashby	Ashby	Ashby	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Koenig
Game 18	Zerpa	Zerpa	Zerpa	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Hall	Megill
Game 19	Harrison	Harrison	Harrison	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Gasser	Uribe
Game 20	Ashby	Ashby	Ashby	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Koenig	Megill
Game 21	Zerpa	Zerpa	Zerpa	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff	Woodruff
Game 22	Harrison	Harrison	Harrison	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Priester	Uribe
Game 23	Hall	Hall	Hall	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski	Misiorowski
Game 24	Gasser	Gasser	Gasser	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Patrick	Uribe
Game 25	Ashby	Ashby	Ashby	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Henderson	Koenig