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Baseball Thread

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    • Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Watching some of the Womens Softball National Championship Tourny here and there and saw an interesting at bat.

      The announcer had just said that the batter was fast and one of the ways she got on base was to hit the ball into the ground.

      Two pitches later that is exactly what happened. She hit the ball in to the ground, it took a giant bounce, the 3rd baseman fielded it cleanly and made a perfect throw to first. Safe. She beat it out.

      Something you don't see everyday -- or ever -- in MLB. These games are a nice change of pace.
      Fast pitch softball is a very "fast" game. 60 foot bases also come into play. When I was on our local baseball board we once had a girl playing with the 13-14 year old boys. Reason: baseball is not as "fast" as girls softball.
      I'm watching Olympic softball right now. They are playing on a baseball field, so the bases are placed on the infield grass. The difference (60' vs 90') is striking when they show a view of the field.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      The Field of Dreams was a Nightmare for the closers. Both of em.

      Shame that one of em sucked so bad that he got a win for his efforts.
      I seem to recall that the official scorer has the discretion to assign the win to the starting pitcher in the event a closer comes in and blows a lead, only to "win" when his team scores in the bottom of the ninth. But I guess they pretty much never do it
    • odd man out wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      The Field of Dreams was a Nightmare for the closers. Both of em.

      Shame that one of em sucked so bad that he got a win for his efforts.
      I seem to recall that the official scorer has the discretion to assign the win to the starting pitcher in the event a closer comes in and blows a lead, only to "win" when his team scores in the bottom of the ninth. But I guess they pretty much never do it
      I remember pretty much the same thing (but not necessarily the starting pitcher), but I wasn't motivated to search for the definitive answer. If they didn't take away the win from the White Sox pitcher last night, I can't see them taking it away from anyone in the future.
      2,000 miler
    • Speaking of saves...14 years ago yesterday Wes Littleton "earned" a save by pitching the last 3 scoreless innings "protecting" the Texas Rangers 30-3 lead over the Baltimore Orioles.

      The New York Times noted that "there are the preposterous saves, of which Littleton's now stands out as No. 1". The previous largest run differential whereby a relief pitcher earned a save was 19.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • 32 years ago yesterday Lasorda had Youppi! ejected from the game for the crime of putting on his pajamas and attempting to take a nap on top of the Dodgers dugout when the game went into extra innings. Hey, it was late.

      Youppi! was smart. He didn't have to work thru a 22 inning game that had a grand total of 1 run scored.

      First mascot ejected from a MLB game.

      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • I don't blame them, I'd want to see Ohtani at bat too.

      Still, that must sting when the home fans are booing you because they want to see an opposing player get a hit off you.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • Lot of excitement in San Diego for the fans who stayed all 6 hours for a 16 inning game that ended the next day.

      4 hits! My CPA skillz tells me that's an average of a hit every hour and a half.

      The Dodgers actually threw a 9 inning no hitter that won't go in the record books becasue it happened from the 6th thru the 14th innings.

      But...those who stayed saw a new major league record. The Padres wrangled an amazing 8 intentional walks. Which my CPA skillz tells me is exactly twice as many hits as they got. (Just for fun, the Padres pitchers added 3 intentional walks of their own.)

      Baseball fever -- catch it!
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • max.patch wrote:

      Lot of excitement in San Diego for the fans who stayed all 6 hours for a 16 inning game that ended the next day.

      4 hits! My CPA skillz tells me that's an average of a hit every hour and a half.

      The Dodgers actually threw a 9 inning no hitter that won't go in the record books becasue it happened from the 6th thru the 14th innings.

      But...those who stayed saw a new major league record. The Padres wrangled an amazing 8 intentional walks. Which my CPA skillz tells me is exactly twice as many hits as they got. (Just for fun, the Padres pitchers added 3 intentional walks of their own.)

      Baseball fever -- catch it!
      Astros went the entire 2019 162 games season withOUT giving an intentional walk. :rolleyes:

      usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/…l-walks-in-2019/40242917/
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Astro ().

    • Drifting into the Little League World Series...

      In 2015 my local LL organization (Lewisberry) in Pennsylvania won the U.S. Championship but lost to Japan in the final game.

      This year, my local organization (Hamilton West Side) in Ohio is in the semi finals. It's neat to re-live the excitement from the locals as they cheer on the kids.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • Added a new ballpark to my list, Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Nice park, saw a great 'come from behind' Tigers win.


      Ty Cobb, that mean SOB and one of the all time greats.

      From the nosebleed seats. Still great seats, I I could move around the park and sit anywhere.

      Miguel Cabrera (in the on deck circle) was the star of the night. At the next at bat he hit a HR.
      I did not realize it, but 'Miggy' is very close to joining the 500 HR / 3000 Hit club. Clearly a fan favorite.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • max.patch wrote:

      Baseball Fever -- Catch It!

      (That's former Cy Young winner Steve Bedrosians kid Cam doing the pitching. One of only 3 sons of former Cy Young winners to make the majors.)


      Cam's not making it back to The Show with calls like that. In 9th inning alone Joe West made up for all those Strikes called Balls, by calling a half dozen balls strikes. Yuli walked on 6 balls, and Diaz called for third strike (and third out) on a foot outside on what should have been 2-1 instead of 0-3. Joe West may hold record for most games umped in MLB, but it is probably at least a few hundred (or thousand) too many. Well at least he can sing. :rolleyes:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • lol, baseball now puts a man on second in extra innings. So the pitchers do the next logical thing -- the intentional balk to move em to 3rd.

      Check out the several videos on the webpage for examples of these obvious intentional balks.

      If baseball is going to keep this silly rule (man on second) they oughta let the pitcher just wave the runner to 3rd without going thru the balk nonsense.

      ftw.usatoday.com/lists/mlb-int…DTpl1YUo3aPWwgF9CIXZKrrDU
      2,000 miler
    • With all the countries problems solved, the people who supposedly work for us found time to play the annual Congressional Baseball Game. This of course was covered by all the networks.

      “It was just baseball, no politics, until the Republican catcher went nuts about having to wear a mask” -- Jimmy Fallon

      “It was a real nail-biter. In the eighth inning, I got a text from Pelosi saying, ‘We’re down by one run and only your donation of $26 can turn this around.’” -- Jimmy Kimmel

      “But Pelosi had to work the phone instead of watching what I’m sure was a terrible baseball game. You think regular baseball is slow, imagine what it’s like with these bozos.”-- Seth Myers

      Fallon for the win.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      lol, baseball now puts a man on second in extra innings. So the pitchers do the next logical thing -- the intentional balk to move em to 3rd.

      Check out the several videos on the webpage for examples of these obvious intentional balks.

      If baseball is going to keep this silly rule (man on second) they oughta let the pitcher just wave the runner to 3rd without going thru the balk nonsense.

      ftw.usatoday.com/lists/mlb-int…DTpl1YUo3aPWwgF9CIXZKrrDU
      I'm missing something here. Please explain. I don't see the advantage of moving the runner on third. I could see an intentional walk to get a force at third or double play. But a runner at third can score on a WP/PB. What is that an advantage?
    • odd man out wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      lol, baseball now puts a man on second in extra innings. So the pitchers do the next logical thing -- the intentional balk to move em to 3rd.

      Check out the several videos on the webpage for examples of these obvious intentional balks.

      If baseball is going to keep this silly rule (man on second) they oughta let the pitcher just wave the runner to 3rd without going thru the balk nonsense.

      ftw.usatoday.com/lists/mlb-int…DTpl1YUo3aPWwgF9CIXZKrrDU
      I'm missing something here. Please explain. I don't see the advantage of moving the runner on third. I could see an intentional walk to get a force at third or double play. But a runner at third can score on a WP/PB. What is that an advantage? (or bottom of the 7th for doubleheaders but that's a whole nother discussion) and ahead by 2 or more runs. Doesn't matter if the runner on 2nd scores -- his run means nothing -- so you balk him to 3rd. Why? Because teams are paranoid about sign stealing (thanks, Astros) and it's much easier to steal the catchers signs from 2nd than it is 3rd. So they do it to avoid giving the batter a possible advantage.
      Extra innings and up by 2 or more runs. Doesn't matter if the runner on 2nd scores -- his run means nothing -- so the picher balks him to 3rd. Why? Because teams are paranoid about sign stealing (thanks Astros) and the view from 2nd base is easier for the baserunner to steal the catcher signs than the view from 3rd base. So they balk him over to 3rd to minimize the possiblity of the batter knowing what pitch is coming. And if the baserunner scores no big deal.
      2,000 miler
    • odd man out wrote:

      Ok, so if this is in extra innings, the visiting team must have scored a couple in the top half of the inning. Plus the same situation would come with a lead off double in the bottom of the 9th, before the rule change. So why has this not been a thing before this?.
      Just my opinion, nothing factual that I can link to, but in order (and number 1 is far and away the major reason in my opinion):

      1. You're correct, this has always been possible before, but with MLB now putting a runner on 2nd to start off extra innings if you're the visiting team and you lead by 2 or more runs in extra innings there is now a 100% chance the home team is going to have someone on 2nd. So if something happens 100% of the time it's gonna get attention.
      2. The analytic guys finally figured it out.
      3. Unintended consequence of the Astro's cheating.
      2,000 miler
    • You can blame the Astros all you want, but it just marks you as naive and ignorant (unless you are just going for a cheap punchline).
      Every team in MLB was using video and other electronic techniques in the late "teens". And using technology to steal signs goes back at least to Hank Greenberg's rifle scope and the Giants buzzer at the Polo Grounds that decided the pennant with "the shot heard around the world" against the Brooklyn Dodgers. And don't forget Tony LaRussa using the Gatorade sign his first time with the Whie Sox. Which I guess wasn't effective enough for him, so he moved on to steroids with the A's and Cardinals.

      MLB knew what was going on and only gave minor fines to the Yankees and Red Sox because they didn't want the bad publicity. Carlos Beltran started the Astros version after leaving the Yankees. The reason the Astros were made the scapegoat was Mike Fiers went public after being left off the 2017 playoff roster and not having his contract renewed for 2018. That forced MLB to finally do something significant.

      Now as for sign stealing from runners on second that has been going on for a long time. Most high school and college teams do it, much less professional teams. When I was coaching in the Dixie World Series for 11 and 12 year olds they wanted to make sure no adults were involved with it, because they knew it was common for USAAA (travel ball).

      MLB actually changed its rule after the 2017 World Series limiting a cactcher to 6 mound visits per game. Why? Because of Brian McCann going to the mound to switch up signs because of the concerns of the ("now pious") Dodgers stealing signs.

      Even Joey Votto has gone public with how he is baffled that anyone would think the Astros were the only ones doing it.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:



      ...And using technology to steal signs goes back at least to Hank Greenberg's rifle scope and the Giants buzzer at the Polo Grounds that decided the pennant with "the shot heard around the world" against the Brooklyn Dodgers....
      and don't forget the guy running the manual scoreboard in center field.

      As for runners at second, I always knew about that. But what do the rules say it. Is there a rule against a player on the field stealing signs? How about base coaches at first and third. I would think this is allowed as it doesn't give the he team an advantage.
    • Finally revenge for Bucky Dent's homer in 1978. Great to see Red Sox put Yankees away.

      Gerrit Cole is an overpaid life long underachiever and a jerk, but at least not a suspected criminal like his former UCLA teammate and rival.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Here is a little post I made about being at the Bucky Dent HR game...

      I was at the Bucky Dent wildcard game. Everyone talks about Dent's improbable home run, but what I remember most was the last at bat of the game. If only Captain Carl Yaztremski could get another at-bat, I was sure the Red Sox could still win this. And it happened. A walk and a single in the bottom of the 9th brought Yaz to the plate. His intensity and determination was palpable. We all cheered. We all felt it. This was the magic moment. Every fan was on their feet. And then Yaz popped up. The cameras followed the Yankee players as they stormed the field, our field, and mobbed Yankee pitcher Goose Gossage. But I never took my eyes off of Yaz. I was close enough to see the disappointment wash over his face the moment he took that swing. Whatever the Red Sox fans were feeling, Yaz was feeling it a hundred times over. I will never forgot that moment. Yaz was my boyhood hero, I felt so bad for him. Yaz played for the Sox for another five years, but he never made to another post-season game.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier