scrounge
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Everything posted by scrounge
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It's rude and inappropriate and unprofessional, but it's not exactly a scandal or a travesty. It's deserving of a 'dude, knock it off' but since it's the Summer of Umpire Bashing, this is clearly front-page news.
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That's not the Mariners announcers, it's the Sox radio crew, Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson, who in general are FAR better than Hawk. Ed was the one with the....charitably saying, confusion on the obstruction. Maybe he's got FED on the brain. Let's give him credit for at least not calling it interference!
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actually I thought the announcers were pretty measured...imagine if Hawk was on this call
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I always love this type of reasoning. So if a guy catches a can-of-corn pop up in deep centerfield for the final out of an inning, begins trotting towards the infield on his way to the dugout, nears the pitching mound where he's going to leave the ball, stumbles and falls and the ball comes out, this would NOT be a voluntary release and thus not the 3rd out of the inning, at least according to your argument. That's a ridiculous distortion of what Fittske is saying, IMO. Just look directly at what he quoted, secure possession and firm control. The time aspect he then mentions is about continuing action, with I thought was eminently clear from the context of the rest of the post and others. In my judgment, a flailing defender who flips the ball after falling did not have secure and firm control. When did he lose it? Can I definitively say he had possession the micro-second after the tag but it started slipping out just after? Nope. To me, he's safe in this case.
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Potentially Unpopular Opinion: I kinda like FED rules for the most part. Sure, there's some goofiness, but it was the original rule set I trained on and used in the vast majority of games around here. Frankly, I don't get angst over dead ball appeals, like it's some travesty. At the pro level, sure, make them go through it on the field. But for 14 yr olds staring at their coach as they try to comprehend "throw it to 3rd and appeal" and fumbling around for 30 secs? No thanks, just ask me. Isn't the point that they appealed? I'd prefer the pro balk rule but given the population of umpires, with such a wide range of skill and plenty of newcomers, I understand the lowest common denominator aspect of just killing it.
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The issue is indeed to some extent "long enough," since the definition of TAG references "immediately" losing control of the ball. As I understand MLB interp, the concept of "immediately" applies to "during the play." So if the runner slides in and (unintentionally) kicks or knocks the ball out, then you have no tag. In this play, the loss of control occurs after the play, and thus is not "immediately" losing control. I would have an out on any similar force or retouch appeal play at any base. I agree that the "lost it on transition" mechanic doesn't really apply here: the ball popped out due to contact with the ground. Even under this, I think a reasonable disagreement on judgment is still had. In my opinion, he didn't control the ball "through the process" of the play, to borrow a phrase from football. Yes, baseball doesn't have that phrase but I think control through the play is the same thing here. I have it safe.
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I think there's something more this year, and it's taking on a life of its own. This whole "the umpires suck" theme is snowballing and gaining momentum. The Angel replay situation kicked it into overdrive, the Molina ejection put it on turbo (never mind the ump was TOTALLY right), and now every little call that's remotely close or controversial is getting pumped up and blown out of all proportion. I don't know if it's just lemming media following each others' leads or a bubbling campaign to make the case for increased replay or both, but it feels very tangible and awfully convenient to me.
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If a young child is seriously hurt, I'm fine killing the play. Take care of the kid. But that still doesn't mean that rules should be made up to 'fix' a situation that is already addressed in the rules. For FED, there already is a rule about careless throwing of bats and the penalty is clear and specified.
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Looks like F3's leg obscured the quick initial tag and he only saw the 2nd subsequent tag on the leg. And Brenly (I think that's him on color) continues the "every game another bad call" snowball meme. Though this one might be one, this meme is taking over.
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Oh, that's unfortunate. A good example to teach the value of slowing down the timing, though.
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Bud Black's got a beef .... buh-bye Bud ...
scrounge replied to Thunderheads's topic in Professional
Why not? The meme is developing - the umps are out of control, the umps are worse than ever. Deadspin has an article nearly daily on ump meltdowns (see yesterday's diatribe on Mike Aviles' post game ejection - if you want to give them clicks). Look at the announcer reaction to Molina's tirade. "That's not how [the ump] wants to make a name for himself". WTF - he handled it perfectly!!! Heck, look at the MLB's office reaction to Molina's tirade!! It's open season, and it's only going to get worse. Pud is trying to build a case and support for vastly increased replay, and this is one of the tools to get there. -
I think you messed that one up. 7.3.6 states: ART. 6 . . . If the bat breaks and is hit by the ball or hits a runner or a fielder, no interference shall be called. If a whole bat is thrown and interferes with a defensive player attempting a play, interference will be called. PENALTY: The batter is out and runners return. If, in the umpire's judgment, Âinterference prevented a possible double play, two players may be ruled out. Did you judge the catcher to be attempting a play at the time the bat hit him? It doesn't sound like it. Just from my reading, sounds like you interpreted it as a thrown bat preventing the catcher from possibly participating in some future play, but the thrown bat did not interfere with a defensive player attempting a play at the time. I think at worst you have a 3.3.1.c violation, careless throwing of a bat. Delayed dead ball, warn or eject at the end of playing action. I get what you're probably feeling, you saw something that looked like an injustice and stretched something to fit what your gut said was 'right'. But it didn't have rule support.
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Something tells me your partner goes through life with the word "WELCOME" written all over his chest. No, you weren't too quick. Maybe a tad late, but certainly not too quick.
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This is one of the reasons I wear a helmet on anything with a short backstop. Had the same thing happen last year...but had the helmet.
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I respectfully disagree. Judging by how the behavior is getting, I'd say a lesson is definitely being learned. That is, do whatever you want. Nothing is going to happen to you. Bingo. The message is loud and clear.
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Griping is one thing. Continuing to argue past when you know it's not allowed and gesturing is another.
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Is that a Shock FX helmet? I'm not saying it had anything to do with this at all...but I just don't like those things. The only helmet I trust is All-Star.
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Maybe after the all the stories lately and Angel's replay issue, this is an FU call from the MLB office to the union...
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So as long as he doesn't turn around, it's perfectly cool to say any demeaning or insulting thing your heart desires. Never mind that the HOLY GRAIL PITCHTRAK even said that it was a borderline call, more out of the zone than in. Nope, as long as you don't turn around, you're golden. Call the umpire a blind dumb###, keep on yapping all you want despite being warned over and over. It's all good. Amirite?
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I have a couple times, but it was specifically being structured as an umpire clinic as well. We worked an inning or two, then met with our evaluator, then worked another couple and had a final evaluation. I thought it was well worth the time.
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How could you have addressed it post-game? There are a variety of methods, but I'm partial to "Hey, dumb***, didn't you see me 100 feet into right field? Why didn't you take the runner?". Of course, procedures on going out make a fine topic for *pre*-game as well. Same exact thing happened to me last year with a dude - TWICE. First time, I figured maybe he just forgot or hadn't known (we would have covered it pre-game, but he showed 3 mins before game time *sigh*). Second time after discussing nicely and going over it? I was less than charitable. Nearly the exact same scenario - I was way deep into RF, on the line for a ball that fell fair a few feet from the line and in front of a diving F9, who popped back up and immediately threw to 2B. If he hadn't had such a weak arm or had more time to put something on it, it would have been a close play. And there was my partner, not only still stuck at home but deeply engrossed into whatever TV program was playing on his indicator. Later that game, he appealed to me on a check swing he called a strike and other shenanigans, but I'll leave those for a different day.
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"That's not how you want to make a name"...WTF?@#%#% Don't want to make a name for yourself by making the dead-on correct call? Don't want to make a name by staying completely calm in the face of an apoplectic superstar? Don't want to make a name by being everyone's punching bag for being RIGHT?
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Well, yelling it to the entire stadium as he walks away kinda sounds like a scene in my book.
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I'd pay double and get an All-Star MVP2500.
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Had a...special partner last night. Lots of it was just run of the mill stuff....pretty much got every close call exactly wrong (every banger that was barely safe was called out, every close out was called safe). Didn't know any signals, positioning was ok but at times inexplicable (standing IN the 2B/3B baseline when should have been in C). Navy blue undershirt under black (which had numbers on it, which no one does around here, but it did match his "UMPIRE XX" vanity license plates!). But the kicker that made it all unique was....shorts. Not just any shorts. Not referee shorts. But standard heather grey umpire slacks. Cut and hemmed to just above the knee, clearly a homemade job. I was dumbfounded when he walked up to me with them at the car in pre-game. I was kinda rude but I couldn't help laughing and saying "WTH are you wearing???". I think it set the proper tone for what was to come.
