Red Sox seem to own the Wildcard as the Twins are tanking. Can't seem to score off left-handed pitchers. Bosox are getting Kotsay from Atlanta for probably nothing--that should take care of Drew.
Tonight it is Ponson VS Byrd--could go either way.
All parks-even Fenway to some degree have that junk. That is why it is fun to go to AA or AAA ball sometimes.
We used to go see the Columbia METS or Durham Bulls--way back in the day. But, the sights--the sounds--the SMELLS--the whole thing--just awesome to see MLB anywhere.
I've said it before... I'll say it again... I love minor league baseball... every aspect of it!
When do the Fishercats play again?
I don't think they are playing until the 1st of September--Portland Sea Dogs. I think we just might go! LOL ooops That is an away game--They are playing the Mets on my birthday--tomorrow--maybe we can go to that.
On the rare occasion when I get back to Connecticut during baseball season, I love going to Bridgeport Bluefish games. The Bluefish are part of an independent league, that I don't quite understand, but am glad it's there. Rickey Henderson played for them for a spell, I think, during one of his comebacks, when he was only 49 or so.
The Bluefish park is a little beauty, built just down the street from where I went to college. At the time, you couldn't go through that part of Bridgeport without taking your life in your hands ( of course, I walked those streets for years in college, without incident). The improvements in the area are impressive. The park overlooks Long Island Sound, and you can see every mode of transportation, trains, cars, ships,(including the LI Ferry) going by just past the outfield wall.
Just musing while I put the final nail in the Yankees coffin, and watch the Dodgers disintegrate. Let's face it, no matter how successful, baseball is easily as much about dealing with losing, as glorying in winning. Just like life.
I'd hate to see an irate batter aguing a "strike three!" call with one of those U-Haul K-zone boxes...Even worse would pe a pitcher like, say, Roger Clemens, early in a playoff game start cussing out the K-zone box and have the machine say in a monotone robot voice "We're sorry Mr. Clemens, but it is my duty to inform you that you are banished from playing in the remainder of this baseball game and are hereby required to vacate immediately to your respective team's clubhouse"...
I'd hate to see an irate batter aguing a "strike three!" call with one of those U-Haul K-zone boxes...Even worse would pe a pitcher like, say, Roger Clemens, early in a playoff game start cussing out the K-zone box and have the machine say in a monotone robot voice "We're sorry Mr. Clemens, but it is my duty to inform you that you are banished from playing in the remainder of this baseball game and are hereby required to vacate immediately to your respective team's clubhouse"...
Simon, they can do a lot better than that on computerized voices these days. Amazing (for example) how the computer voice sounds on our NOAA Weather radio these days. Makes me laugh at that monotone Enterprise computer voice when I watch old Star Trek reruns. Anyway, I bet they could put some real life like emotion in that tossing of Roger Clemens (or anybody). After all, I don't car how objective we are, umpires can't avoid a little "emphasis" here and there when we toss someone! :)
By the way, while I'm here, I havent had much to cheer about this season, but those Indians are finally getting hot..not that it means much this late. And Cliff Lee is now 19-2.
I still say the box is off, of course i dont watch those fancy dan national broadcast that have the slow motion arc and whooshy sound effects very much , but the one on NESN which is pretty much the equivalent of scrawling a box in chalk on the brick schoolhouse wall..
...if they're gonna go this route why not just put a tire or a tomato box back there to throw into and have that be a strike?
then they'd probably have to have 22 instant replay cams to see if it went in the box
Mark Kotsay?
Good ---another guy with a painful bulging disc....just what we need
do we get his wife too? shes in pretty good shape...Id let her play on my team :)
The way those boxes work is that the lasers project a box that is even with the front edge of the plate... heck, they could even probably project a visible box up there... but it ain't gonna happen anyway... so not to worry! uhaul will have to find something else to sponsor...
but I gotta tell ya... these umps gotta get better with their consistency because they're not!
Besides... you can still get Millwood to eat up some innings for you!
I concur--i will enjoy having Jamie Kotsay in town
look
re:the boxes--you can have all the laser driven ultrahigh tech, sccurate to an angstrom NASA gizmos you want for your TV
you're still eventually gonna have to get some real flippin' pitchin'!!!
Theres some kid in Venezuela or the Dominican or ..who knows...China... playing in a field right this moment who could be the next Koufax--but nobody knows where he is.....get your NASA techies on finding him
speaking of our pitching... remember how I told you that sometimes... well, I guess I should say rarely... they act like they know how to pitch?
I know it's against the Royals, but we didn't walk anyone in the series until today in the third inning (of this third game)... and yes, we won the other two...
frustrating...
but the freaking umpires are still inconsistent... and I'm certainly not using that as an excuse for our poor pitching, just stating it.
but there is still time for you to pick up Millwood... oh, and how stRange... Padilla's neck pain has flaired up again so he's been scratched for his start in Disneyland.
I'm referring to the strike zone... and yes, I notice them erring in our favor as well... I'm not using it as an excuse.
I used to think along the lines that it's OK, the pitchers and hitters will adjust their strike zones to what the ump is calling.
But (at least this year) I've noticed in a vast majority of games (if I had to put a number on it I'd say 70% to 80%) there's no consistency at all and frustration on both the hitters and pitchers parts... they're calling the same pitch differently... at least according to the little laser box (which I am assuming to be 'in a fixed position')
The thing is that it doesn't "err in anyone's favor" because the calls are so inconsistent...
Pitcher throws the ball and it's called a ball. So the pitcher throws to the same location again, the batter takes it because it was a ball (and it clearly was a ball) and the ump calls it a strike.
In the reverse situation, the pitcher throws a ball and it's called a strike, he goes back to the same location the next pitch or the one after and it's called a ball.
They're very inconsistent... like I said, I'm familiar with adjustments by hitters and pitchers, but that only works when the calls are consistent.
Most of the time the calls are inconsistent on both sides but there have been games where it sure looks like they're calling them loose for one side and tight for the other.
I know umpires miss calls (sorry Lifted), often at unopportune times and maybe even a certain percentage if someone really examined it, but my argument has been (and as Ive been saying i only have the lo-tech version here) the machines seem to do the same thing.
Pitches just off the corners of the box will be called strikes, and consistantly called strikes throughout an entire game without beef from the batters Others that appear to be in the box (say --low) may be called balls throughout a game but will be consistantly in the box.
After watching it for a few weeks I noticed that ours at least had its own peculair strike zone that was off XX percentage of the time--even though no batters were beefing about it--so I grew to distrust it.
It really only gave me one more thing to complain about because I was believing it too often..
I know umps make mistakes, and once in awhile just like players they can have an off night but they are highly trained and reviewed and generally within accepted margins of error.
I know thats Its too often over the years been an incredibly real Pain in the a$$ when a bad call is made but its also part of the uncontrollable human element of the game, which I think is very important not to loose...humans for all their imperfections play the game ...and umpire them as well.....its not perfect and never will be --thats part of the appeal
I know umpires miss calls (sorry Lifted), often at unopportune times and maybe even a certain percentage if someone really examined it, but my argument has been (and as Ive been saying i only have the lo-tech version here) the machines seem to do the same thing.
Of course at any given level...big leagues down to the kids...each umpire's strike zone is going to be at least a little different. But when you work with kids of varying ages (9 to teens) as I do, your strike zone HAS to be varied depending on which age group you are calling. Otherwise you could have a walking contest with some of the younger kids...like the time over 40 years ago my cousin's team won a game 7-3, despite having a no hitter pitched against them. I have seen much worse. I mean, not all the kids are at the level we just saw in the LLWS recently finished. Do those walking games ddrraaagggg..............
The late Ron Luciano wrote that the best argument a catcher can make to an umpire in the bigs is to threaten him with a long game. Once Luciano called consecutine borderline pitches balls, one low and one high. The cather didn't really argue, but told Luciano, "Listen, you've got to give me either the low strike or the high strike, or we're gonna be here all night."
"Baseball is a game of adjustments." I don't know who said it first, but it's said a lot these days.
Replay is just one more thing to adjust to... and WE have to adjust to it at least as much as the players and coaches and umpires. And we will... eventually.
I get what you all are saying... I've never disputed that... I just want consistency, as much as humanly possible... and it seems worse to me this year...
I don't care if it's a high zone, a low zone or a wide zone... just be consistent with it.
I haven't even started on how sometimes umpires "squeeze" pitchers either... but that happens evey now and then.
(and please don't take all of this personal Lifted... it's not directed at you... unless you've worked some of the stRanger games this year)
HIWAY: ARE YOU GOING TO GO SEE ROY HOBBS THIS WEEKEND while they're in town for the Angels?
Tom, there's nothing I'd rather do this weekend, than be at Angel Stadium. Unfortunately it's not looking good due to other commitments. I'm still holding out a sliver of hope for Saturday, but it's slim.
My next scheduled game is the following Saturday -Dodgers vs Dbacks. Let's see, the Dodgers have lost 7 in a row, and I think are still only 3 games back. It's not the NL Worst for nothing. If they get lucky in AZ this weekend they'll be tied for first.
cool... Hamilton still is putting on a show during BP so if you can get there early for that, do so. He's trailed off a bit which is to be expected I guess. Part of it was when Bradley was out of the lineup for so long and he lost his protection (which did wonders for Marlon Byrd's at bats)... and part of it is that he's never played more than around 90 games in one season before... but he's still a joy to watch... as are a few others on the team.
We almost had ya last night... on the upside, that's two good starts in two outings for McCarthy since coming up (and after his little tutoring session with El Presidente)
starMan: should we be expecting a call from Theo re: Millwood? I just saw where Beckett is headed to Alabama to see the doc and made some rumblings about "his career" being on the line... at least Millwood might buy you guys some time for Beckett to heal...
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kimberly
I missed the LLWS. The boy had baseball practice 4-7. Playing in a USSSA tournament this coming weekend. The new season has just started. Can ya'll believe we are in September of the ML baseball s
mstar1
Dont scare me like that Bolsh--the way you posted I wasnt sure if it was a done deal--I had to go check....Im on the fence whether to go for Halliday or not---I'd love to have him but I'd hate to give
hiway29
I love those fan trades where players you don't care about, plus a 'prospect', are offered up for a major player. Yeah, the Jays will jump at that deal.
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Tom Strange
starman... padilla.... millwood... you are getting sleepy... you must call theo...
they can work in September and give Beckett and the others a rest...
NEXT: the little box thingie for balls and strikes!
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mstar1
nonono no more graphics -no more noise- no more things that go whoosh whoosh swish or beep beep zow, boop boop zing
grass,
blue sky,
a little breeze ,
*crack* of the bat---
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geisha779
Red Sox seem to own the Wildcard as the Twins are tanking. Can't seem to score off left-handed pitchers. Bosox are getting Kotsay from Atlanta for probably nothing--that should take care of Drew.
Tonight it is Ponson VS Byrd--could go either way.
All parks-even Fenway to some degree have that junk. That is why it is fun to go to AA or AAA ball sometimes.
We used to go see the Columbia METS or Durham Bulls--way back in the day. But, the sights--the sounds--the SMELLS--the whole thing--just awesome to see MLB anywhere.
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Tom Strange
I've said it before... I'll say it again... I love minor league baseball... every aspect of it!
When do the Fishercats play again?
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geisha779
I don't think they are playing until the 1st of September--Portland Sea Dogs. I think we just might go! LOL ooops That is an away game--They are playing the Mets on my birthday--tomorrow--maybe we can go to that.
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hiway29
On the rare occasion when I get back to Connecticut during baseball season, I love going to Bridgeport Bluefish games. The Bluefish are part of an independent league, that I don't quite understand, but am glad it's there. Rickey Henderson played for them for a spell, I think, during one of his comebacks, when he was only 49 or so.
The Bluefish park is a little beauty, built just down the street from where I went to college. At the time, you couldn't go through that part of Bridgeport without taking your life in your hands ( of course, I walked those streets for years in college, without incident). The improvements in the area are impressive. The park overlooks Long Island Sound, and you can see every mode of transportation, trains, cars, ships,(including the LI Ferry) going by just past the outfield wall.
Just musing while I put the final nail in the Yankees coffin, and watch the Dodgers disintegrate. Let's face it, no matter how successful, baseball is easily as much about dealing with losing, as glorying in winning. Just like life.
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simonzelotes
I'd hate to see an irate batter aguing a "strike three!" call with one of those U-Haul K-zone boxes...Even worse would pe a pitcher like, say, Roger Clemens, early in a playoff game start cussing out the K-zone box and have the machine say in a monotone robot voice "We're sorry Mr. Clemens, but it is my duty to inform you that you are banished from playing in the remainder of this baseball game and are hereby required to vacate immediately to your respective team's clubhouse"...
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Lifted Up
Simon, they can do a lot better than that on computerized voices these days. Amazing (for example) how the computer voice sounds on our NOAA Weather radio these days. Makes me laugh at that monotone Enterprise computer voice when I watch old Star Trek reruns. Anyway, I bet they could put some real life like emotion in that tossing of Roger Clemens (or anybody). After all, I don't car how objective we are, umpires can't avoid a little "emphasis" here and there when we toss someone! :)
By the way, while I'm here, I havent had much to cheer about this season, but those Indians are finally getting hot..not that it means much this late. And Cliff Lee is now 19-2.
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Tom Strange
well they could argue all they want to... but the box don't lie!
maybe a polygraph company could sponser them?
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mstar1
I still say the box is off, of course i dont watch those fancy dan national broadcast that have the slow motion arc and whooshy sound effects very much , but the one on NESN which is pretty much the equivalent of scrawling a box in chalk on the brick schoolhouse wall..
...if they're gonna go this route why not just put a tire or a tomato box back there to throw into and have that be a strike?
then they'd probably have to have 22 instant replay cams to see if it went in the box
Mark Kotsay?
Good ---another guy with a painful bulging disc....just what we need
do we get his wife too? shes in pretty good shape...Id let her play on my team :)
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Tom Strange
I think I'm in love with her starman...
The way those boxes work is that the lasers project a box that is even with the front edge of the plate... heck, they could even probably project a visible box up there... but it ain't gonna happen anyway... so not to worry! uhaul will have to find something else to sponsor...
but I gotta tell ya... these umps gotta get better with their consistency because they're not!
Besides... you can still get Millwood to eat up some innings for you!
(last two outings: 2 complete games, 1 run each)
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mstar1
I concur--i will enjoy having Jamie Kotsay in town
look
re:the boxes--you can have all the laser driven ultrahigh tech, sccurate to an angstrom NASA gizmos you want for your TV
you're still eventually gonna have to get some real flippin' pitchin'!!!
Theres some kid in Venezuela or the Dominican or ..who knows...China... playing in a field right this moment who could be the next Koufax--but nobody knows where he is.....get your NASA techies on finding him
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Tom Strange
speaking of our pitching... remember how I told you that sometimes... well, I guess I should say rarely... they act like they know how to pitch?
I know it's against the Royals, but we didn't walk anyone in the series until today in the third inning (of this third game)... and yes, we won the other two...
frustrating...
but the freaking umpires are still inconsistent... and I'm certainly not using that as an excuse for our poor pitching, just stating it.
but there is still time for you to pick up Millwood... oh, and how stRange... Padilla's neck pain has flaired up again so he's been scratched for his start in Disneyland.
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Lifted Up
Are you referring just to the strike zone, or to calls in general?
And, either way, do you ever notice the umps erring in your favor?
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Tom Strange
I'm referring to the strike zone... and yes, I notice them erring in our favor as well... I'm not using it as an excuse.
I used to think along the lines that it's OK, the pitchers and hitters will adjust their strike zones to what the ump is calling.
But (at least this year) I've noticed in a vast majority of games (if I had to put a number on it I'd say 70% to 80%) there's no consistency at all and frustration on both the hitters and pitchers parts... they're calling the same pitch differently... at least according to the little laser box (which I am assuming to be 'in a fixed position')
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Tom Strange
The thing is that it doesn't "err in anyone's favor" because the calls are so inconsistent...
Pitcher throws the ball and it's called a ball. So the pitcher throws to the same location again, the batter takes it because it was a ball (and it clearly was a ball) and the ump calls it a strike.
In the reverse situation, the pitcher throws a ball and it's called a strike, he goes back to the same location the next pitch or the one after and it's called a ball.
They're very inconsistent... like I said, I'm familiar with adjustments by hitters and pitchers, but that only works when the calls are consistent.
Most of the time the calls are inconsistent on both sides but there have been games where it sure looks like they're calling them loose for one side and tight for the other.
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mstar1
I know umpires miss calls (sorry Lifted), often at unopportune times and maybe even a certain percentage if someone really examined it, but my argument has been (and as Ive been saying i only have the lo-tech version here) the machines seem to do the same thing.
Pitches just off the corners of the box will be called strikes, and consistantly called strikes throughout an entire game without beef from the batters Others that appear to be in the box (say --low) may be called balls throughout a game but will be consistantly in the box.
After watching it for a few weeks I noticed that ours at least had its own peculair strike zone that was off XX percentage of the time--even though no batters were beefing about it--so I grew to distrust it.
It really only gave me one more thing to complain about because I was believing it too often..
I know umps make mistakes, and once in awhile just like players they can have an off night but they are highly trained and reviewed and generally within accepted margins of error.
I know thats Its too often over the years been an incredibly real Pain in the a$$ when a bad call is made but its also part of the uncontrollable human element of the game, which I think is very important not to loose...humans for all their imperfections play the game ...and umpire them as well.....its not perfect and never will be --thats part of the appeal
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Lifted Up
Of course at any given level...big leagues down to the kids...each umpire's strike zone is going to be at least a little different. But when you work with kids of varying ages (9 to teens) as I do, your strike zone HAS to be varied depending on which age group you are calling. Otherwise you could have a walking contest with some of the younger kids...like the time over 40 years ago my cousin's team won a game 7-3, despite having a no hitter pitched against them. I have seen much worse. I mean, not all the kids are at the level we just saw in the LLWS recently finished. Do those walking games ddrraaagggg..............
The late Ron Luciano wrote that the best argument a catcher can make to an umpire in the bigs is to threaten him with a long game. Once Luciano called consecutine borderline pitches balls, one low and one high. The cather didn't really argue, but told Luciano, "Listen, you've got to give me either the low strike or the high strike, or we're gonna be here all night."
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mstar1
as i was saying--the human element---
IMO It has to stay part of the game
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Rocky
"Baseball is a game of adjustments." I don't know who said it first, but it's said a lot these days.
Replay is just one more thing to adjust to... and WE have to adjust to it at least as much as the players and coaches and umpires. And we will... eventually.
But I understand the need to vent about it.
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Tom Strange
I get what you all are saying... I've never disputed that... I just want consistency, as much as humanly possible... and it seems worse to me this year...
I don't care if it's a high zone, a low zone or a wide zone... just be consistent with it.
I haven't even started on how sometimes umpires "squeeze" pitchers either... but that happens evey now and then.
(and please don't take all of this personal Lifted... it's not directed at you... unless you've worked some of the stRanger games this year)
HIWAY: ARE YOU GOING TO GO SEE ROY HOBBS THIS WEEKEND while they're in town for the Angels?
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Tom Strange
tough day at the park for this kid:
http://view.break.com/562764 - Watch more free videos
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hiway29
Tom, there's nothing I'd rather do this weekend, than be at Angel Stadium. Unfortunately it's not looking good due to other commitments. I'm still holding out a sliver of hope for Saturday, but it's slim.
My next scheduled game is the following Saturday -Dodgers vs Dbacks. Let's see, the Dodgers have lost 7 in a row, and I think are still only 3 games back. It's not the NL Worst for nothing. If they get lucky in AZ this weekend they'll be tied for first.
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Tom Strange
cool... Hamilton still is putting on a show during BP so if you can get there early for that, do so. He's trailed off a bit which is to be expected I guess. Part of it was when Bradley was out of the lineup for so long and he lost his protection (which did wonders for Marlon Byrd's at bats)... and part of it is that he's never played more than around 90 games in one season before... but he's still a joy to watch... as are a few others on the team.
We almost had ya last night... on the upside, that's two good starts in two outings for McCarthy since coming up (and after his little tutoring session with El Presidente)
starMan: should we be expecting a call from Theo re: Millwood? I just saw where Beckett is headed to Alabama to see the doc and made some rumblings about "his career" being on the line... at least Millwood might buy you guys some time for Beckett to heal...
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