The MLB Thread

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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by W »

I didn't say it was more exciting. Just that being a baseball player should entail fielding (and hitting) a ball.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Buscemi »

That was a strange ending.

And yes, obstruction was the correct call. First, Middlebrooks basically blocked Craig's path to home and his legs coming up was the icing on the cake for a call against him. And second, Jim Joyce made the call and outside of a few incidents, the guy is hardly ever wrong (he's not considered the best in the league for nothing).
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Geezer »

Oh yeah, Jim Joyce is a fantastic umpire. Always making calls when his eyes are right on the play:

Image

Give me a fucking break. It's a horse-shit rule and the worst possible way to end a world series game. What do they want Middlebrooks to do? Wiggle his nose and disappear?
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by W »

Doesn't matter what Middlebrooks could/n't do. The runner has the right away and should. If you want to blame something, blame the Sox's lack of knowing how and when to complete a home to third base throw.

No, you don't want to end a game that way. But if you block a runner access to the baseline, you have to give them the base if that caused them to be out.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Buscemi »

Geezer, Jim Joyce is almost universally agreed to be the best there is. He hasn't been voted by the players as the league's best umpire several times for nothing. If he calls it, he's bound to right (outside of the Armando Galarraga game but Galarraga forgave him and they became friends so it's not so bad).

But there was almost no way for Craig to get around Middlebrooks. You could jump over him but that could result in a much worse injury (and Craig was overcoming a foot injury). And the fact that Middlebrooks pulled his feet up was simply a dick move (this was probably worse than David Ross barreling into Alex Avila in Game 5 of the ALCS in that this game was on the line and Craig had just overcome an injury*). It's like he wanted to be called for interference.

Who wants to bet that Middlebrooks gets booed tonight?


* - However, Ross butt-patting Avila afterwards is still hilarious.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Buscemi »

A surprising fact: last night's game was three minutes short of becoming the longest nine-inning game in playoff history at 3 hours and 54 minutes. The longest? Game 1 of this year's ALCS, which also had the Red Sox on the losing end.
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Re: The MLB Thread

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I didn't know Middlebrooks was 12 feet tall. As you can CLEARLY SEE from any angle, there is a whole wide open freaking baseline that Craig could have ran to. Saying there was nowhere for him to go shoes a clear lack of knowlege on the game of baseball. You know you ARE allowed to run outside of the chalk, right? Now, if I were him, I would have done the same damn thing. Why WOULDN'T you intentionally trip over the guy who tried to field the ball, knowing that no matter what he does, it's going to be an obstruction call, because the fielder has no right to make a play for the ball, the runner is always right all the time.

It's a stupid rule, but as W said, it's not the problem. Salty shouldn't have thrown the ball in the first place. It's just sloppy baseball. David Ross should have been in the game, as he calls a better game, plays better defensively and Salty can't hit his weight right now. That is on Farrell for not realizing Ross is the better option, and I've been saying it the entire post-season.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by W »

Not sure if I have the terminology right or not, but: The runner is also allowed to create his own baseline straight towards the bag/plate when he starts running.

Maybe it was Curt Schilling who said that on Baseball Tonight? I can't remember as I was flipping from post coverages. Schilling did say it was the right call and fault was on the Sox for the throw/catch.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Geezer »

No, you are completely right, W. The runner creates his own baseline. It doesn't have anything to do with the actual dirt path. And Craig chose to make his baseline directly toward Middlebrooks in order to draw the obstruction. He could have chosen to go the other direction, running outside of the chalk line rather than inside, but why would he? That wouldn't be smart baserunning.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Geezer »

2 out of 3 in St. Louis, despite that whole pitcher hitting lunacy. David Ortiz hitting over .700. And now returning home to Boston to try and close out the 3rd World Series in the last 10 years, and the first one at home. One more!!!
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Buscemi »

I'm beginning to think this will be the last of the Cardinals playoff teams for a while. For the second year in a row, the bats have shut down at the worst time and there has been almost no run support this time around (the series would probably be over if not for the Red Sox blowing late leads in Games 2 and 3). Also, this postseason has shown all of their shortcomings (lack of a bench, players who can't handle the big stage, etc). I feel that a lot of the problems lay in Matheny's management. Basically still handling LaRussa's teams of the past, it feels like he is making a lot of bad decisions (such as leaving Shelby Miller out of the lineup because of the two not getting along) and I think his inexperience is failing the team. If the management looked really closely at Matheny's managing without the shadow of LaRussa protecting him, I think he could be on the hot seat next season (especially if the thing with Miller isn't settled by spring training).

Also, I'm expecting a lot of overhaul in the off-season. Beltran will likely be gone, Carpenter's albatross of a contract will thankfully be gone (in that contract, he made $7 million a start) and I think Holliday's days will be numbered due to his age (he's 33 now but remember that they let Pujols go due to his declining stats as he got older). Also, it might be a good time to see how David Freese would fare in the trade market. He's shown flashes of brilliance but he's injured a lot (also, he's 30 which means he doesn't have much time left). If they try to see if he can be 100% rather than cutting their losses, it could hurt them in the long run.

As for the Red Sox, even if they still hold on, their classlessness will get to them eventually and make them a risky pick to repeat. First of all, David Ross and Will Middlebrooks should have been suspended for their intent to injure Alex Avila in the ALCS and Allen Craig in Game 3 here (hopefully, there is some new revision on consequences on those two in the off-season). And second, this team reminds me a lot of both the 1986 Mets (who won the Series) and the 1993 Phillies (who lost) in terms of trying to pass dirty play off as hustle and grit (by comparison, the oft-criticized Dodgers of this year look like saints since they didn't try to hurt players). Both the Mets and Phillies of those times fell hard after their brief show of glory.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Geezer »

You are absolutely hilarious. Never fails.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by W »

My thought is the Cards are set up for the future and with or without Beltran and Carpenter next year they'll have a better team. This year they got to the World Series with a $70-75 m roster if you subtract Carp, Furcal, Motte, and anyone else that didn't play this year, but got paid.

We've got probably the best young pitching staff in the league with Wacha, Rosenthal, Miller, Kelly, and I have high hopes for Martinez right now.

Allen Craig is making us forget we even had a top 10 hitter in the history of baseball just a couple of years ago. Matt Carpenter broke out in his second year to become an MVP candidate. The defense is one of the best in baseball normally and Yadi is possibly the best catcher since at least I've been alive. The real problem will be when he retires or has a major decline, which won't be for a few years yet.

If Beltran goes we'll rent an outfielder until Taveras is ready. With all that money leaving in Carp, Beltran, and Furcal and cheap second and third year studs unable to get arbitration yet Mozeliak has the money and a team a veteran outfielder will want to play on.

The Cardinals are rebuilding post-Pujols while playing for championships.
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Geezer »

AND FOR THE 3RD TIME IN 10 YEARS, THE BOSTON RED SOX ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!! FROM WORST TO FIRST!!! BLOOD SWEAT AND BEARDS!!! BOSTON STRONG!!! LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER!!!!
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Re: The MLB Thread

Post by Shrykespeare »

Boston's had a hell of a decade-plus. Just look at all the championships the city has fielded since the turn of the century:

Celtics - NBA Champs in 2008

Bruins - NHL Champs in 2011

Patriots - NFL Champs in 2002, 2004 and 2005

Red Sox - MLB Champs in 2004, 2007 and 2013



There aren't many cities with teams in all four major sports, but damn, I wish Arizona had such a great record. We have one World Series championship, 0-2 in the NBA Finals, 0-1 in the Super Bowl, and that's it.

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