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Back pick by Contreras (on Lobaton); Replay in general


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Again ... full disclosure ... I'm a Cubs fan.

I never saw the angle that gave clear and indisputable proof that Rizzo got him, but Lobaton didn't put up a fight, and Darling and Johnson spoke like it was obvious when they synced two different angles of the play together, so I guess I'm happy to take them all at their word (and eyesight).

What I do find interesting is, it was Joe Girardi who campaigned harder than anyone (about 4 years ago?) to expand replay ... right after he had two incidents in the post season where replay showed he got shafted.  The one I specifically remember is Robbie Cano being called out at 1B (and replay showing he was safe).  Girardi was very fair, very well-spoken, and very compelling.  He said something like, "I'm not saying we would have won the game if Robbie was called safe ... but I like my chances!  Something has to change ... there is just too much at stake."

So ... now we have expanded replay and the first Manager to really goof and NOT use it was Girardi.  Total class act for owning up to it the next day, but the reporter asking Joe Maddon last night why he challenged the Lobaton play ... really???  A challenge in your pocket, an elimination game with a 1-run lead, a close play in the 8th inning, and someone is ignorant enough to ask why he used it? 

Possibly the stupidest question of MLB 2017 post-game press conferences. 

Of course Maddon was polite with his answer, but if anything, I'm surprised that anyone ever leaves a challenge in their pocket anymore.  Whether you like replay or not, it's now part of the game, and to not take full advantage of it is akin to strapping a 25-lb weight to your ankle to leg out an infield hit.

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7 hours ago, hbk314 said:

The only thing I don't like about it, and I have this problem with replay in the NFL too, is that I like replay to fix the obvious miss. Not the split second off the bag cheap out.

Agreed. 

Don Denkinger types of mistakes.  1985 World Series Game 6

Richie Garcia (Jeffrey Maier) types of mistakes.  1996 ALCS Game 6

Jim Joyce types of mistakes.  Armanda Galarraga's near-perfect game

(Interesting that they're all gone from the game now).

Bob Costas is louder than anyone about the "cheap out" that you're talking about ... but even moreso.  It started in the World Series last year when some runners were called out at 2B on a steal where their bellies may have come off the bag for an instant while they clearly beat the throw, had their body sprawled across the bag, and his point was, instant replay's institution and then expansion had nothing whatsoever to do with these types of plays, it was from only border calls, and then from too many incorrect judgment calls on routine plays at 1B, a few catches in the outfield with runners on base that were ruled "traps," and the three infamous examples I mentioned above.

*Interesting note:  Yogi Berra had to stand to catch the full-count pitch that Don Larsen threw in the 1956 World Series Game 5.  Nobody was gonna argue that call ... not even the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

**Interesting note:  The Mets' first No-Hitter was pitched by Johan Santana on June 01, 2012.  If Instant Replay were instituted 5 years ago, he would have thrown a one-hitter.  One of the foul ball calls down the left field line (hit by Carlos Beltran) was later shown to have clearly hit the line. 

 

***Not so interesting note: Steve Bartman was still vilified even though replay showed clearly the ball over the wall, and no fan INT should be called.

At least five other guys were reaching for it and got no grief at all: 

 

It darn near happened to Mookie Betts (by a Boston fan) in RF when he robbed a home run off the bat of Josh Reddick earlier this week.  https://twitter.com/ThePitcherList/status/917108299790766082/video/1    LOOK AT THE GUY in the short sleeved shirt that Mookie bumps.  He's the one that was tracking the ball all the way into his hands ... everyone else knows to get the heck out of the way.

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15 hours ago, hbk314 said:

The only thing I don't like about it, and I have this problem with replay in the NFL too, is that I like replay to fix the obvious miss. Not the split second off the bag cheap out.

Good in theory, but how do you decide what's "obvious" and whatr's "split-second ... cheap?"

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