Do the recent changes in the way the game is managed (shifts, openers, increased bullpen use, etc.) change this?
I mean sure - back when you never shifted, ran your starters (good and bad ones) out there through the lineup 3 times, set & forget lineups, set roles in the bullpen (setup man, closer), etc....but these days it seems like there's a lot more decisions and options.
Maybe because the decisions are so analytical based, all the managers generally do the same things? Maybe you can argue that 'back in the day' they did stuff like call steals and do hit and runs more?
Just curious.