In the words of Bob Uecker ....

[Thunderheads]

Ok, Foster missed a pitch.

 

Tampa Bay batted 2-12 with runners in scoring position, LEFT 21 RUNNERS ON BASE, made one error, allowed five earned runs and had to rely on speedy Jose Molina to steal their only base.

 

Maddon might consider directing his anger elsewhere.

I understand that this one pitch wasn't the deciding call for this game.

 

That said, let me pose this question;

Yes he missed a pitch, ...brutally missed a pitch ...... (no, I'm not perfect, as a matter of fact I'm a self proclaimed hack) ....but.......

That's nowhere near acceptable for a strike call at just about any level, correct?

[Mike Prince]

Ok, Foster missed a pitch.

 

Tampa Bay batted 2-12 with runners in scoring position, LEFT 21 RUNNERS ON BASE, made one error, allowed five earned runs and had to rely on speedy Jose Molina to steal their only base.

 

Maddon might consider directing his anger elsewhere.

I understand that this one pitch wasn't the deciding call for this game.

 

That said, let me pose this question;

Yes he missed a pitch, ...brutally missed a pitch ...... (no, I'm not perfect, as a matter of fact I'm a self proclaimed hack) ....but.......

That's nowhere near acceptable for a strike call at just about any level, correct?

 

I'm getting that strike in the last inning (and probably earlier in the game) of a low-level rec league game for sure (and no I'm not joking)

[Thunderheads]

 

Ok, Foster missed a pitch.

 

Tampa Bay batted 2-12 with runners in scoring position, LEFT 21 RUNNERS ON BASE, made one error, allowed five earned runs and had to rely on speedy Jose Molina to steal their only base.

 

Maddon might consider directing his anger elsewhere.

I understand that this one pitch wasn't the deciding call for this game.

 

That said, let me pose this question;

Yes he missed a pitch, ...brutally missed a pitch ...... (no, I'm not perfect, as a matter of fact I'm a self proclaimed hack) ....but.......

That's nowhere near acceptable for a strike call at just about any level, correct?

 

I'm getting that strike in the last inning (and probably earlier in the game) of a low-level rec league game for sure (and no I'm not joking)

Ok, there may be some situations where that could be seen .....but lets switch rolls .....

Mike, you're coaching your u10 travel team, ....I'm not sure you're going to like that being called on your kids.... just sayin'

[Mike Prince]

Ok, there may be some situations where that could be seen .....but lets switch rolls .....

Mike, you're coaching your u10 travel team, ....I'm not sure you're going to like that being called on your kids.... just sayin'

 

I don't care who likes it or not. All I am saying is that some (lower skill) levels the zone gets wider to get bats moving and manage the flow of the game. The pitch in question is 2 balls off the plate and just below the knee.  Widening the "true" zone by a ball is common practice in less than pro leagues (my HS evaluator encouraged it strongly).

 

Anyway, whoever gets upset in a rec ball game at that pitch completely loses their mind when the batter swings at the next pitch that is a foot over his head...

[Thunderheads]

Ok, there may be some situations where that could be seen .....but lets switch rolls .....

Mike, you're coaching your u10 travel team, ....I'm not sure you're going to like that being called on your kids.... just sayin'

 

I don't care who likes it or not. All I am saying is that some (lower skill) levels the zone gets wider to get bats moving and manage the flow of the game. The pitch in question is 2 balls off the plate and just below the knee.  Widening the "true" zone by a ball is common practice in less than pro leagues (my HS evaluator encouraged it strongly).

 

Anyway, whoever gets upset in a rec ball game at that pitch completely loses their mind when the batter swings at the next pitch that is a foot over his head...

Mike, I think you misread what I said ....

 

YOU ARE THE COACH OF A 10U TRAVEL TEAM .... I don't think you'd like a strike being called on a pitch like that to one of your kids.

[Mike Prince]

No I didn't misread it, I chose to ignore it as my coaching life is over

 

But to acknowledge it, if I am a coach of a under HS-age team of any sort and I see that strike, I am telling my kids if it's close get a bat on it.  If I see it on every AB, yes I don't like it but there's nothing you can do if you want to stay in the game.

 

That pitch in the video isn't that far out if you don't look at it in the context of the 'video game' strike zone that kids see on TV and on xbox and expect to get in a lower level game.

 

I know this is the Professional forum, however you asked the question...

[Trakes2]

_{That Pitch is not a Strike in MLB,MiLB,College,High School,Middle School, USSSA,Pony,8-14u...}

 

_{Thats not a strike...Period!}

 

_{I don't see why people are even trying to make excuses for it...Call it what it is-A BALL!}

 

_{Even MLB guys make mistakes and yes that was a mistake...}

[Richvee]

And how many would have this way low by a mile???, yet look at pitchf/x. Pitch easily gets the knee (not even touching the knee line).

 

Also FWIW, I see this at practically every game, and as i have said before, this is being played out all over the country at all levels every day. Hopefully those pitches that everyone calls are on the first strike and not the third. I wish that for everyone who misses a pitch every day. Kind of keeps ones perspective when we get to see it missed on the big screen, doesn't it. Lends credence to the phrase, nobody's perfect.

 

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/numlocation.php-pitchSel=150274&game=gid_2013_04_08_tbamlb_texmlb_1&batterX=73&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gif

Yes, it was at the hollow of the knee at the front edge of the plate, but it was also 6" off the plate and breaking farther away. By the time it got another foot deep, it was probably a foot and a half outside and 6" off the ground. And for the record, the only level I'm calling this a strike is maybe 10U or lower......in a blowout. 

[mstaylor]

It was a ball, even the umpire said he kicked it. My only point was that was not the only play in the game.

[IABlue]

 

 

However, my point is no nine inning baseball game is ever decided due to one play, one error or one call.

False. Unless it's a play at the plate at the very end of the game that represents either the tying or winning run, you are completely incorrect.

So you simply proved that I was correct.   

In like 0.000000000000000000000001% of cases, and even then it's extremely debatable, i.e. you are honestly contending that an entire game is rendered meaningless by a single call?

 

Either way, it's a pretty dumb argument to make.

[FearNot]

Double Yikes!!!!!!!!!!

[BalkHawk]

Mike- if you see this pitch in a rec ball game, where the best defensive catcher of all time won't be catching, (the one you insist you are calling a strike even though Foster said he would call it a ball next time) it is going to be rolling to the backstop.

MSTaylor- you said

how teams react to a major or controversial call can help decide a game.

Not if its the last call of the game.

[Mike Prince]

Mike- if you see this pitch in a rec ball game, where the best defensive catcher of all time won't be catching, (the one you insist you are calling a strike even though Foster said he would call it a ball next time) it is going to be rolling to the backstop.

MSTaylor- you said

how teams react to a major or controversial call can help decide a game.

Not if its the last call of the game.

 

You're probably right.  It will be a moot point anyway as the batter will swing 

[johnnyg08]

In like 0.000000000000000000000001% of cases, and even then it's extremely debatable, i.e. you are honestly contending that an entire game is rendered meaningless by a single call?

 

Either way, it's a pretty dumb argument to make.

 

No, you're changing the logic.  A game can certainly be decided on one pitch, one play, or one call.

[guitarplaya2007]

Maybe joe maddon will think twice the next time before he "tweets" about an apparent "missed call" a few days before... just saying... 

[Jocko]

In like 0.000000000000000000000001% of cases, and even then it's extremely debatable, i.e. you are honestly contending that an entire game is rendered meaningless by a single call? Either way, it's a pretty dumb argument to make.

A game can certainly be decided on one pitch.I agree. The first pitch of the 1st inning.

[Jocko]

I disagree with the logic that one single call is the deciding factor in any game. How many runners didn't score? How many errors were made? How many opportunities squandered? The SITUATION may be the denoument, but one call never won or lost a game. The culmination of situations and scenarios make the game. The calls are the calls. The opportunities decide the game. I will not accept that an E-6 in the 5th that scores what turns out to be the winning run is less pivotal than a single strike I call in the 9th. YMMV

[Texas Manny]

[mstaylor]

I had forgotten that clip. +POS must have been the supplier. Check the CP and mask.<br /><br />Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2<br /><br />

[Rich Ives]

 

 

 However, my point is no nine inning baseball game is ever decided due to one play, one error or one call.

 

False.  

Unless it's a play at the plate at the very end of the game that represents either the tying or winning run, you are completely incorrect.

 

 

Not even it's a 1-0 game and really not even then. Too many other opportunities to score without success. Can't lay it on one call.

[hbk314]

Especially in this situation. It would have been R1 and R2 with 2 out in a 1-run game. It's not like the bases were loaded and it would have driven in the tying run. There's no saying what might have happened.