Jim Leyland is the expert on baseball

So I was sitting all relaxed in myth living room watching the Detroit Tigers play their last game before the 2012 All Star Game.  My brother Dan was watching the game with me, and we were both sipping on ice cold brewskies.  We bantered about quite a bit, and the discussion I wanted to discuss here is about Jim Leyland and whether he's a good or bad manager.

My brother said, "I hate him.  I wish the Tigers would fire him two years ago.  I hate how he puts rookies in games so they can blow it, and how he keeps pitchers in the game too long, especially Valverde.  Valverde sucks and he's still allowed to pitch every day.  And I especially hate how he thinks he needs to give his All Stars days off every day, because they're getting paid millions of dollars a year to play, not take days off."

Wow!  Now that was a lot to chomp on.  So I sat on it, and instead sipped my beer.  This gave my brother a chance to lay down a few more complaints.  I take a few more sips, amazed at my brother who never played a game of organized ball after T-ball is such an expert. 

I can't help but to think of the doctors I work with, who like to prescribe medicine over the phone for patients when I'm sitting right there at the bedside.  I know the patient is breathing fine, but they like to prescribe rescue medicine anyway.  The doctor isn't even with the patient and yet he's the so-called expert in respiratory therapy.

My brother Dan is playing the role of the physician, and he thinks he knows more about managing a baseball team than Jim Leyland, who spends every day with every one of his players.  He knows what aches and pains and ailments these guys have, and he knows if he doesn't rest his players he's not going to be able to use them at the end of the season when it counts.  My brother Dan doesnt' see that. 

And it doesn't matter how much money rich baseball players make, they are still humans. So I say to my brother, "How would you like it if I said you get paid good money, so you should work every day without a day off.  How would you like that?"

"Point made," he said.  I don't know if I really made my point, or if he was simply chumming with me and not wanting to debate the issue.  Regardless, it was a good night, and lots of fun catching up with my bro who's also one of my best friends.