2010 MLB Season

[Tim McG]

....great to see yet another blown call (the steal at 2nd) affect the outcome of a game. ...

Yes. Of the three blown calls yesterday (the other two resulting in managers getting tossed in the two ALDS games), that was the only one that really had an impact on the possible outcome of the game. Posey was out. He pretty much admitted it after the game. Without that run, it's 0-0 after 9.

From ESPN....

In Thursday's National League Division Series opener between San Francisco and Atlanta, Giants catcher Buster Posey was credited with a stolen base when replays showed he appeared to be tagged out. Posey later scored the lone run in the Giants' 1-0 win over the Braves.

"I guess it's a good thing we don't have instant replay right now," Posey told reporters after the game.

Yeah, but I don't hear any complaints from the Braves fans about the phantom strike zone which, on at least two occassions, allowed a third strike to be called a ball and runners got on base. Posey was on 2nd and with two out. The Braves didn't close out the inning. E-5.

Giants have been getting screwed by the umps all season long. Finally, we catch a break.

Edited October 8, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[Noj]

Go Braves.

[Matthew]

WTH?? Two errors by Utley in one inning? Won't see that again for a long time....

[Quincy]

I think everyone should umpire a game one time and see what it's like.

I twice worked a tennis match (they were desperate) and it was brutal. Things happen too quickly. I didn't appreciate how much bluffing is needed in a job like that, as often it's better to act like you saw it even if you didn't.

Speaking of charts of the strike zone... The ball call that went right down Broadway was pretty nuts.

I'm surprised someone hasn't suggested that the real reason why baseball doesn't want replay is that it would make it harder for them to rig the games. (You know, since every conspiracy imaginable is on the net somewhere.)

[BERIGAN]

....great to see yet another blown call (the steal at 2nd) affect the outcome of a game. ...

Yes. Of the three blown calls yesterday (the other two resulting in managers getting tossed in the two ALDS games), that was the only one that really had an impact on the possible outcome of the game. Posey was out. He pretty much admitted it after the game. Without that run, it's 0-0 after 9.

From ESPN....

In Thursday's National League Division Series opener between San Francisco and Atlanta, Giants catcher Buster Posey was credited with a stolen base when replays showed he appeared to be tagged out. Posey later scored the lone run in the Giants' 1-0 win over the Braves.

"I guess it's a good thing we don't have instant replay right now," Posey told reporters after the game.

Yeah, but I don't hear any complaints from the Braves fans about the phantom strike zone which, on at least two occassions, allowed a third strike to be called a ball and runners got on base. Posey was on 2nd and with two out. The Braves didn't close out the inning. E-5.

Giants have been getting screwed by the umps all season long. Finally, we catch a break.

I also saw a few phantom strike calls for Lincecum...not that that mattered ultimately.

....great to see yet another blown call (the steal at 2nd) affect the outcome of a game. ...

Yes. Of the three blown calls yesterday (the other two resulting in managers getting tossed in the two ALDS games), that was the only one that really had an impact on the possible outcome of the game. Posey was out. He pretty much admitted it after the game. Without that run, it's 0-0 after 9.

Lincecum was amazing though.

Don't you think the strike 3 call that wasn't called against Lance Berkman (before his double) had at least some impact on the game??? Game was tied at that point....

[vajerzy]

I think everyone should umpire a game one time and see what it's like.

I twice worked a tennis match (they were desperate) and it was brutal. Things happen too quickly. I didn't appreciate how much bluffing is needed in a job like that, as often it's better to act like you saw it even if you didn't.

Speaking of charts of the strike zone... The ball call that went right down Broadway was pretty nuts.

I'm surprised someone hasn't suggested that the real reason why baseball doesn't want replay is that it would make it harder for them to rig the games. (You know, since every conspiracy imaginable is on the net somewhere.)

There's no way I could do tennis- those are tough calls!

Those charts are very revealing! The thing that annoys me most about umpires is how they call the strike zone. Even though it's defined in the rules- everyone calls it differently- some very extreme! I realize there's human factors involved but c'mon...it's so tight as it is....softball strike zone in the rulebook is armpits to top of knees- that's what I call. I may be a little liberal with the outside corner- that's because I set up in the slot between catcher and batter and you don't get a great look on outside- like you do inside.

Anyway- these guys are supposed to be the best- especially for the playoffs- and I've been questioning that sometimes.....

[Chalupa]

Damn. Reds sending the Phillies back to Earth. Halladay's no-no ain't gonna mean shit if the Reds come back and win the series.

[Matthew]

Damn. Reds sending the Phillies back to Earth. Halladay's no-no ain't gonna mean shit if the Reds come back and win the series.

Looks like the Reds are trying their best to blow this game...

[Quincy]

There's no way I could do tennis- those are tough calls!

Fewer parents though.

Yowsa, before dinner the Reds were cruisin'. Advantage Phils now, though Lidge in the 9th has been more interesting this year.

[Matthew]

Damn. Reds sending the Phillies back to Earth. Halladay's no-no ain't gonna mean shit if the Reds come back and win the series.

Looks like the Reds are trying their best to blow this game...

... and they did just that. Ugly game ....

[vajerzy]

I DVR'ed it...I'm in top 8 2 outs....

[Matthew]

Pay Burrell just hit one out. Giants 3-0

[Matthew]

Bobby Cox is a idiot. Getting thrown out of a playoff game in the second inning. What kind of manager does something like that?

[Chalupa]

Damn. Reds sending the Phillies back to Earth. Halladay's no-no ain't gonna mean shit if the Reds come back and win the series.

Looks like the Reds are trying their best to blow this game...

... and they did just that. Ugly game ....

Phew.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

I'll be glad if we get by the Reds. They are a much better team than I thought. Explosive offense, great bullpen(tonight notwithstanding), and pretty decent starting pitching. They remind me a lot of the 2008 Phillies.

[ghost of miles]

Bobby Cox is a idiot. Getting thrown out of a playoff game in the second inning. What kind of manager does something like that?

My reaction as well when I saw that happen, Matthew. And the call he was arguing didn't appear to me to be a blown call--it looked to me like Huff's foot was still on the bag for a split second as the ball arrived in his glove. In any case, such a close, close call that I can't see why Cox came unhinged over it. I think the Reds had a better case for Utley being out on the force play in the bottom of the 7th, which could have radically altered the outcome of that inning (credit to the Phillies, though, for hitting Chapman so well in general). EDIT: Jon Heyman just tweeted the following:

asked where he got hit by chapman's 102-mph fastball, utley said, "it was pretty close.'' oops, another E on the umps.

Was it? I saw it happen live, and it looked like the ball did just barely graze Utley--but Heyman seems to be calling that into doubt based on Utley's quote. (BTW, don't mean to be harshing on the Phillies at all...whatever the rightness or wrongness of those calls, they pounced on Chapman and Reds mistakes and completed a remarkable turnaround in that game.)

As for the infamous Berkman strike/ball that's been talked about from here to Sunday, all I can say is that earlier in that same at-bat he had a pitch that was clearly outside called for a strike--so IMO it evened out. I don't think the controversial pitch was right down Broadway, either--it was a borderline inside pitch.

Edited October 9, 2010 by ghost of miles

[Matthew]

Bobby Cox is a idiot. Getting thrown out of a playoff game in the second inning. What kind of manager does something like that?

My reaction as well when I saw that happen, Matthew. And the call he was arguing didn't appear to me to be a blown call--it looked to me like Huff's foot was still on the bag for a split second as the ball arrived in his glove. In any case, such a close, close call that I can't see why Cox came unhinged over it. I think the Reds had a better case for Utley being out on the force play in the bottom of the 7th, which could have radically altered the outcome of that inning (credit to the Phillies, though, for hitting Chapman so well in general).

As for the infamous Berkman strike/ball that's been talked about from here to Sunday, all I can say is that earlier in that same at-bat he had a pitch that was clearly outside called for a strike--so IMO it evened out. I don't think the controversial pitch was right down Broadway, either--it was a borderline inside pitch.

Umpires are so sick of taking crap from Cox over the years, they'll toss him for any reason, much less throwing his cap to the ground. But hey! He's a genius! It's remarkable (almost said amazing!) if any manager hangs around for fifteen-twenty years, he's must be a "great manager," when that's not even close to the reality. Two prime exhibits to prove this point: Bobby Cox & Tommy Lasorda.

[ghost of miles]

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer seems to be somewhat skeptical as well that Utley was actually hit, and also questions whether he actually touched the bag rounding third base later on that inning. In which case Utley may have gotten lucky three times in a single inning!

J.H.--you want to talk about explosive? Your Phillies seem to have that capacity quite nicely. I still don't see how any other teams, NL or AL, match up against them very well. If the Yankees do somehow back it back to the WS, they'll be facing a team where Halladay=Lee, Hamels 2010 > Hamels 2009, and Oswalt takes the place of an aging Pedro Martinez. The Phillies strike me as a team that got better this year, while NY declined a bit. (Or more than a bit.) Would be ironic, wouldn't it, if Texas takes the AL crown and Lee's back in the WS, except this time he's facing the Phillies?

[Quincy]

Bobby Cox is a idiot. Getting thrown out of a playoff game in the second inning. What kind of manager does something like that?

He's been ejected from playoff games before (World Series if I recall right). Though he's not on the bench he's still managing (a recent SI article said so.) It's not like they blindfold him and keep him away from TV or radio in the clubhouse, though Berigan probably wouldn't mind if they did.

[Quincy]

As for the infamous Berkman strike/ball that's been talked about from here to Sunday, all I can say is that earlier in that same at-bat he had a pitch that was clearly outside called for a strike--so IMO it evened out. I don't think the controversial pitch was right down Broadway, either--it was a borderline inside pitch.

The green dot "down Broadway" in the square was to Jeter, not Berkman. I agree about the earlier called strike to Lance was way outside. Not quite as bad as Eric Gregg's freaky trapezoid strikezone from '97 for Livan (but then what the hell could be?), but a lousy job behind the plate for the ump.

[Chalupa]

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer seems to be somewhat skeptical as well that Utley was actually hit, and also questions whether he actually touched the bag rounding third base later on that inning. In which case Utley may have gotten lucky three times in a single inning!

J.H.--you want to talk about explosive? Your Phillies seem to have that capacity quite nicely. I still don't see how any other teams, NL or AL, match up against them very well. If the Yankees do somehow back it back to the WS, they'll be facing a team where Halladay=Lee, Hamels 2010 > Hamels 2009, and Oswalt takes the place of an aging Pedro Martinez. The Phillies strike me as a team that got better this year, while NY declined a bit. (Or more than a bit.) Would be ironic, wouldn't it, if Texas takes the AL crown and Lee's back in the WS, except this time he's facing the Phillies?

Facing Lee in the WS would be a nightmare come true. But, the Fightin's have their work cut out for them to get there. The Reds aren't going to go away quietly and frankly, the Giants scare me. Lincecum, Cain, and Sanchez are easily on par with H2O. Out of the 3, Sanchez really seems to have our number. Additionally, the Phillies bullpen isn't as strong as it was in 2008. They only have two lefties(Romero & Bastardo), neither of which has been all that consistent this season. So anyway, it's not a done deal for the Phillies.

Edited October 9, 2010 by J.H. Deeley

[ghost of miles]

My bad, Quincy, I thought you meant the Berkman pitch.

In the meantime, the Braves have at least scored a moral victory by putting a run on the board against the Giants.

[BERIGAN]

Bobby Cox is a idiot. Getting thrown out of a playoff game in the second inning. What kind of manager does something like that?

My reaction as well when I saw that happen, Matthew. And the call he was arguing didn't appear to me to be a blown call--it looked to me like Huff's foot was still on the bag for a split second as the ball arrived in his glove. In any case, such a close, close call that I can't see why Cox came unhinged over it. I think the Reds had a better case for Utley being out on the force play in the bottom of the 7th, which could have radically altered the outcome of that inning (credit to the Phillies, though, for hitting Chapman so well in general).

As for the infamous Berkman strike/ball that's been talked about from here to Sunday, all I can say is that earlier in that same at-bat he had a pitch that was clearly outside called for a strike--so IMO it evened out. I don't think the controversial pitch was right down Broadway, either--it was a borderline inside pitch.

Umpires are so sick of taking crap from Cox over the years, they'll toss him for any reason, much less throwing his cap to the ground. But hey! He's a genius! It's remarkable (almost said amazing!) if any manager hangs around for fifteen-twenty years, he's must be a "great manager," when that's not even close to the reality. Two prime exhibits to prove this point: Bobby Cox & Tommy Lasorda.

Lasorda and Cox are good motivators (Lasorda was the best, IMHO) not really good strategists.

What I have to say about Cox though that I didn't know before(ATL paper has had some nice first person tributes ) is that one reason he gets kicked out so much is to protect players, better than he get kicked out than them. Plus, players and coaches love being backed up by him...there...said something nice about him!

[Matthew]

This Kimbrel kid isn't too bad of a pitcher...

[BERIGAN]

This Kimbrel kid isn't too bad of a pitcher...

What's funny, is when he first came up, I couldn't see what the big deal was. I think he must have been really nervous because he wasn't throwing 98, more like 94-95. He has really improved..."we" have tons of arms right now, but no left fielder, or Center fielder...well, we do have Mr. Rich Ankiel tonight!

[Quincy]

What I have to say about Cox though that I didn't know before(ATL paper has had some nice first person tributes ) is that one reason he gets kicked out so much is to protect players, better than he get kicked out than them. Plus, players and coaches love being backed up by him...there...said something nice about him!

Over the past few months SI has had some excellent articles on Cox, Billy Wagner and Jim Thome. I think the last one made me think it could be a Cinderella story for the Twins, or that's what I wanted after reading the article. Holy cow, quite the gutty 6-4-3 in the 10th by your Braves!