Jamie Nye: Rays manager proves his worth = $0

Baseball analytics ruined what could have been a special pitching performance from Blake Snell in Game 6 of the World Series.

Snell was putting in a Madison Bumgarner-type night Tuesday. Bumgarner, then the San Francisco Giants’ ace, started four World Series games in his career, pitching eight innings, then seven twice and then his remarkable complete-game four-hitter in a Game 5. He then followed that up with a five-inning save in Game 7 three nights later.

Thank goodness Rays manager Kevin Cash wasn’t managing San Francisco in those seasons because it didn’t matter to Bruce Bochy back then about analytics. He knew nobody could hit his ace.

Snell was having the same kind of night Tuesday. He’d allowed two hits with nine strikeouts and no walks … and you take him out in the sixth inning?

What a joke. So instead, Cash went with a reliever who had allowed a run in six straight appearances. Oops, make that seven.

Yes, math has helped the Rays win with a limited budget, but if you’re only going to rely on what the computer says, hire my eight-year-old to manage your baseball team. She’ll charge less than whatever they’re overpaying manager Kevin Cash to blow it in the biggest game.