2013 MLB Regular Season running thread

Biggest Shills?

Matt1735: Umpires

Bubbler: Ryan Braun

Hondo: Jacksonville Jaguars

YankeeFan: Big Business

 

The pitch that got Gonzalez run was not a strike, and neither was the one --- in the exact same spot --- that Bucknor called strike three on Justin Upton a couple of innings later.

Tossing Wood after he'd been removed anyway was horseshit. As was the warning when Varvaro hit Rendon with a two-strike pitch in a one-run game, when the Braves were in what felt like a "must-win" after the bullpen meltdown on Tuesday.

And that's the point. Bucknor is incompetent. Everyone knows it ... players, managers, broadcasters. And yet he continues to work.

Angel Hernandez and Bob Davidson are thin-skinned jerks, by all accounts. But they're not terrible at their jobs --- determining ball/strike, safe/out, fair/foul.

 

Actually, I don't have nearly enough ejections... I'm a lot nicer on the field than on a message board.

And colossal fuckups? I'm not sure how you get to that. I'd love to have 30 cameras examining every decision you make in your job (generally said, not you specifically) and see what biased commentators have to say.

And I'm a shill for all officials. That being said, if they do make a verifiable mistake, it's not a problem admitting it. In fact, I started out this part of this thread saying Joyce missed the call, so it's not a blind support.

 

First time I saw the Dodgers play, I said, why the hell is that guy making the call at home. Then someone assumed he was out of position to make the call. Then when the replays started, I was surprised to see that Joyce did, indeed, get into a good position to make the call, but he BLEW the call. I'm not sure Montero tagged Young at all, and if he did it was certainly after Young slapped the plate with his left hand.
The other thing is, why the hell did the third base ump need to run into the outfield?? It was a typical gapper, it wasn't going to be caught and it wasn't going to be a home run.

 

Missed call, blown call -- all the same. They're paid to get it right and they didn't.

And I understand how umpires rotate. The third-base umpire is not supposed to run out to outfield on balls to the left-center field gap. That's second-base umpire territory. And on that play, there was never going to be a play at third, so why is the home-plate umpire running there? Basically, you had two umpires running away from their assignment to a place where they had nothing to do, leaving the first-base umpire to have to run 100 feet to blow a call at home. I'd be pissed, too, if I was Gonzalez. Stupid, false hustle is at least as bad as no hustle.

 

Since we're talking umpires, anyone know why the plate umpire set a pick on the Blue Jays' third-base coach coming down the line? It was like Charles Oakley flooring someone.

 

I don't question Joyce's hustle at all. He was in OK position. Not the best possible position, but still OK position for having had to run 100 or so feet. Of course, if the third base umpire doesn't needlessly abandon his position, the home plate umpire has all day to be in the right position to get the call right. And by the way Joyce lost his balance a little bit after his emphatic out call, you could tell he wasn't on balance to watch and make the call -- again, because he had to run 100-120 feet because two other guys needlessly abandoned their posts.

 

Actually, you don't understand, as proven by your statements.

When U2 (second base umpire) is in the inside of the diamond, he has no outfield responsibilities, because he is not permitted to cross the infield for a fly ball possibility. That means it was U3's ball to judge. That ball was to the gap and could have been a diving catch. With two fielders converging and approaching the wall, U3 is expected to go out, triggering the rotation. It's easy to see where the ball lands and say U3 shouldn't have gone out, but if that ball turned into a diving catch and no umpire was there, you'd be just as pissed off.

When U3 goes out, PU must go to third and U1 must come home... No one missed an assignment there; in fact, it was a perfect rotation.

As for Gonzalez being pissed, he was pissed he didn't get an RBI. From second base, he had NO CLUE whether the runner was safe or out. Yet, he still questioned the umpire's integrity.

 

I'd love to see that play, if you have a link to it...

 

And the Dodgers are the first to clinch.

 

Such a turnaround. When I was out in LA over Memorial Day weekend, Mattingly was on Unemployment Watch, and they were begging fans not to boo Kemp.

 

From 30-42 to NL West champs.