Really now? Cookie is an immense talent but he’s not even a reliever! He’s adjusting to a brand new role, coming back from a months-long absence from a serious life-threatening disease, and Tito immediately throws him into a high-leverage situation after he said he wouldn’t.
Exactly what did Tito say in that regard? The only thing I saw -- and maybe there is something else of which I'm not aware -- is the quote cited above by
@Kevalier .
"We had talked about the first couple outings trying to get him in games where it's not bases loaded or a tie game, because he doesn't have a lot of innings yet."
If that is the quote on which folks are hanging Tito, a couple of things jump out at me:
1) Tito talked specifically about not putting him in "bases loaded" or "a tie game", which he didn't. The "high leverage" (unless there is another specific quote out there) seems to be a characterization of Tito's remarks by fans. But from that quote at least, Tito seemed pretty specific about the situations he wanted to "try" to avoid. But regardless of that....
2) The other issue is Tito's use of the the word "trying". Rather than making a flat promise that Cookie wouldn't be in a bases loaded, or tie-game, or even "high-leverage" situation, Tito just pointed out that it was something he was going to
try to avoid. But ultimately, the goal was to get him into games so he could start getting innings on the mound, and if the only situations that presented themselves were "high-leverage" (or whatever...), then that's what would have to happen.
Putting Cookie in when the Tribe was up by 3 was the least-leverage opportunity available in that game. Tonight might be mostly a tie game, or just a 1-2 runs margin, so he wouldn't be able to pitch Cookie again. Tito probably just figured a 3 run lead was a decent situation to give Cookie a meaningful inning. Maye the "least leverage" situation he could reasonably expect for a given game.
Obviously, people are free to argue whether or not that right was the right call, but I personally don't think it is fair to say that Tito contradicted himself. Even if he did use the phrase "high-leverage" without any other context, a 3 run lead is something about which reasonable people may disagree.
