tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86438559494361228532024-02-18T19:13:17.557-08:00Baseball is MagicCelebrating the unique moments and events in the most unpredictable sport.CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-3930036130513426642014-09-01T19:59:00.002-07:002014-09-01T20:08:05.846-07:00Clayton Kershaw: Rolling To Award SeasonBy Special Guest Contributor Sam Wallace<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Could
Kershaw Win Another Cy Young AND MVP?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://sports-kings.com/readingbetweentheseams/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Clayton-Kershaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://sports-kings.com/readingbetweentheseams/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Clayton-Kershaw.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
Clayton Kershaw started the year with some nagging injuries, there were some
who were worried about how his 2014 season would play out. People in <a href="https://www.fanduel.com/fantasy-baseball" name="_GoBack"><span style="color: red;">fantasy baseball</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></a>decided to
wait a little while longer to draft him, and all of a sudden the playoff hopes
of the Los Angeles Dodgers were a little bit up in the air. However, since
returning to the rotation, he has been as dominant as ever. He has been so
dominant, there is actually a decent chance of him winning both the Cy Young
Award and MVP in the National League in 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Truth
be told, it has not been a particularly great year for individuals in the
National League so far. There seems to be 3 other legitimate candidates out
there to compete with Kershaw, and they all have their flaws. Giancarlo Stanton
is as good of a hitter as you can find, but he is playing for a team that is
not in contention for the playoffs. Andrew McCutchen has missed playing time
recently due to injury, and Jonathan Lucroy at the end of the day is a catcher
with somewhat limited offensive production. That leaves Kershaw, the best
pitcher by far on the best team in the National League at this point in time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Consistency
has always been huge for Kershaw, and 2014 is certainly not an exception. In
fact, he is somehow lowering his ERA after having a 1.83 in 2013. He is also at
16 wins already this year, and there is a legitimate chance he gets to 20 wins
for the 2nd time in his career. However, most rewarding fact for him is that he
is going to have a chance to win his 1st ever World Series title thanks to
being on a solid team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
it comes to being the most valuable player in the National League, there are
going to be plenty of voters who are hesitant to give it to someone who only
plays in 20% of their team’s games. Justin Verlander pulled it off in the
American League in 2011, but it has not been done in the National League since
Bob Gibson in 1968. With a strong September, Kershaw could once again stand out
amongst his peers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-83823495734725478172014-01-20T15:00:00.001-08:002014-01-21T08:46:56.014-08:00Exit SandmanThe calendar has turned over to 2014, and the New York Yankees are trying to piece together a contender for this upcoming season. Things still feel a little different around the squad, as Marino Rivera has officially retired and can therefore no longer be counted on to close games. <a href="https://www.fanduel.com/fantasy-baseball"> Fantasy baseball </a> owners will definitely miss his production, but what baseball will miss more is one of the best individuals in the history of the game.<br />
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Baseball certainly has suffered from its fair share of controversy in the past, but that never seemed to be anywhere near Rivera. It is rare that such a dominant pitcher is also so universally liked by not only his teammates, but also his opponents. In movies, closers are often depicted as the villains who are a little crazy. In fact, there are quite a few closers who are not exactly all there. However, during Rivera’s farewell tour, fans around the United States got to see one of the most graceful yet overpowering pitchers take the mound in the 9th inning and close out a victory.<br />
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After converting from an infielder to a pitcher, Rivera basically got away with throwing one pitch his entire career. It just so happens that that one pitch might be the most unhittable pitch of all time. His cutter was dominant against right-handed and left-handed hitters during his entire career. Even when his velocity started to go down a little bit, he was still able to place the ball where he needed to in order to have success. In an age where most closers have multiple pitches and even throw harder than him, Rivera kept it pretty simple while being very dominant.<br />
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Fittingly, Rivera will be the last player in baseball history to where the number 42. It has been officially retired throughout baseball because of Jackie Robinson, but the Yankees will probably do something to make sure that they honor Rivera as well. New York will be forced to find a new closer this season, and fantasy baseball owners will have to finally targets somebody else. The New York Yankees might be trying to move on, but replacing Rivera will be easier said than done in 2014 and beyond.CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-49612565936132225742013-05-26T19:12:00.000-07:002013-05-26T19:13:39.971-07:005-4, 1 Out, Bottom of the 9th<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Baseball is a sport that is filled with the ebb and flow of potential. In each inning, the number of baserunners is balanced against the number of outs, and as the bases fill up, the potential for runs builds. If a strikeout is recorded, or a double play turned, the run potential is turned down a few notches. The informed fan starts thinking about each runner: How fast are they? Could they score from second on a single? From first on a double? We wonder which outfielder has the best arm to make a play at home plate. All of this up and down, possibilities being turned over and around with each pitch, yet nothing has really happened. Often a pitcher in a bases loaded situation calls upon skill and luck and a rally is washed away with no damage done on the scoreboard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I watch hockey or soccer, that's what I miss. I can't seem to get excited about the time spent pushing back and forth in the neutral territory between goals, scrambling to get control of the puck or the ball. Then, snap, with no change in strategy, one second later, there's a point on the board. Then the game resets to neutral. I just can't see where things came together for the scoring team, or fell apart for the one that was scored upon. In baseball, there's time for my heart to start pounding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The real pressure situations in baseball, where the tension is ratcheted up with every pitch, occur in the bottom of the 9th in a close game, and then in the bottom of every tied inning in an extra inning game. Often, each batter comes up with the potential to lengthen the game (by tying it with a home run), or to win it (with runners scoring ahead of him). The best part of these situations is that they always occur at home, so there are no quiet rallies in the bottom of the 9th or later - the crowd is always on the edge of their seat. Victory will be assured right away, falling behind only means a tougher turn at the plate when they try to mount a comeback. When successful, there is a sense of elation, of turning a difficult, against the odds situation, into a victory. The home team is free to walk off the field and back into the clubhouse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Baseball has a term for these things. They are 'walkoff wins'. Before I continue talking about the thrill of a walkoff, I will note the lone exception. With the bases loaded, and the score tied, there is always a possibility that the pitcher will be unable to find the strike zone. This level of pitching ineptness results in a walk that forces in the winning run. All the runners trot to the next base, and the game is over. There is no play to be made, and mobbing and backslapping the batter who took the walk seems... odd. This is the dreaded Walkoff Walk. A<a href="http://www.walkoffwalk.com/2011/01/an-exhaustive-history-of-walko.html" target="_blank"> quick overview of the oddly aniclimactic</a> play (<a href="http://www.walkoffwalk.com/2008/04/phillies-win-on-walkoff-walk11.html" target="_blank">and the internet's weird ritual surrounding it</a>), is certainly worth a read. There was a<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TBA/TBA201305090.shtml" target="_blank"> walkoff walk in Tampa Bay </a>earlier this month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's the exception, most every other time it happens, the walkoff is a jubilant moment. There are, of course, degrees of jubilation. The walkoff single with nobody out and the bases loaded? That's just hastening the inevitable. Everybody is happy, but bases loaded and nobody out, there's an expectation of scoring a run, and when one run will win the ball game... well, lets just reflect on the disappointment that you might feel if your team came out of that situation without scoring. Yeah, I'd be a bit frustrated too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From that point of view, I can assume that the better walkoff, in terms of excitement, is the come from behind sort. Down a run or two, runners on base. In those situations, the announcers love to remind us, the clueless fan, where the winning run is. 'The Rockies bring the winning run to the plate,' they say. or 'The winning run is on second for the Yankees.' I'm pretty good at counting bases and such, myself, but if it make them feel better, let them spell it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the 1993 World series, the winning run was on first base when Joe Carter came to the plate. History remembers this walkoff with more intensity than any other. I can't blame history here. It is an immensely satisfying result. Why? In childhood dreams, we often find ourselves imaging the last at bat of the World Series with our selves at the plate. Carter got to live out the fantasy. Taking a 2 out, 2 strike pitch over the outfield wall. He did three things with one swing of the bat every kid dreams of doing. He brought his team from behind to ahead, he won the game, and<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F5HwiGm7lg" target="_blank"> he ended the World Series</a>. Carter's walkoff had the biggest impact of any in baseball history. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To be exicting, a walkoff hit doesn't need to happen in the World Series. Often, the more unlikely the hero, the more jubilant the celebration. On May 26th, 2013, the Toronto Blue Jays started the bottom of the 9th down by 3 runs. The Orioles closer, Jim Johnson, was trying to protect a large lead and save the game, which would have been the third win in a row for his team.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Interestingly enough, the Blue Jays had loaded the bases in both the 7th and 8th innings, and had only scratched out one run. The 9th inning went like this: Double, Single, Single (Run Scored), Flyout, Walk, Fielder's choice( 1 runner out, run scores) . That's 2 outs, and 2 runs in. Runners still on first and third. The Jays are down to their last out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next man up is Munenori Kawasaki. I've written about Kawasaki before<a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-long-season.html" target="_blank"> at this site</a>, and may well write about him again. He is a character, and a wonderful person by all accounts, but he is merely a replacement for the injured Jose Reyes. The word 'antics' comes up following his name often, certainly much more often than the word 'heroics'. Jim Johnson surely knew he was facing a slap hitting, backup infielder. Mune's batting average was .217. Most Jays fans were probably hoping he could work a walk. Instead, on Jim Johnson's 37 pitch of the inning, he did this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="224" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=27464069&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">iframes</span>.</iframe></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That is a walkoff which is only multiplied by the enthusiasm of the player who got the hit. From behind to victorious on one swing, it put a charge into the Rogers Centre crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To add one last note to Kawa-walk-off-a-saki's story, you should <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/cutfour/?tcid=tw_share#contentId=48697010" target="_blank">probably go watch his unforgettable post game interview</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And you thought I was done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nope, because, even though you get a lot of credit for magic with 20 year old World Series moments, and come from behind doubles, that's not the topper of all walkoffs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The ultimate walkoff is, in my humble opinion, the come-from-behind-inside-the-park-walkoff-home-run. That's a lot of hyphens, I know, but that's how it sounds in my head.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the only ballpark that this makes any sense in whatsoever, AT&T Park in San Fransisco. Angel Pagan has a man on second, and his team is down by one.... it's the last of the 9th. And there's a deep, deep alley in right centre field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="224" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=27433597&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">iframes</span>.</iframe></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or, if you'd prefer the radio call, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/carmen-kiew/angel-pagan-inside-the-park" target="_blank">click here.</a> Never underestimate the decision of Tim Flannery, the third base coach, who would have been second guessed for a week if Pagan had been thrown out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now that's baseball. And it is Magic. It is the wonder of childhood, it is the thrill of victory, it is the sense of awe at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have any doubts, take a look at the faces of these men in the pictures below, no these <i>boys</i> in the pictures below, and tell me they don't feel the magic.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MjjcBXaPyR6xEB3wXesIeSdLsL6iXq4VKIugQXpauDPyo9TVPWsae9W3ph01EPct8T6O2DusZzEosGS6jZ35V6d4d53OYgT9h-5gPioVUiw4duHHK7ObQh9LgnD8erPs85RnWWHjvRw0/s1600/james+mune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MjjcBXaPyR6xEB3wXesIeSdLsL6iXq4VKIugQXpauDPyo9TVPWsae9W3ph01EPct8T6O2DusZzEosGS6jZ35V6d4d53OYgT9h-5gPioVUiw4duHHK7ObQh9LgnD8erPs85RnWWHjvRw0/s640/james+mune.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kawasaki pic from @james_in_to</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rFGKzn-fRZbErRYOR6I5twI8tB-_EeknIs5oSc3hwp63nDLHXlDnf44RLcnQMWBvTUDocDWTW-W2vIk3y_CKLnSCCssx2Nh_VR-IAWrGiY1eHjTV7kXO2vng5f-JvaqmCo6TjgEY61TA/s1600/carter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rFGKzn-fRZbErRYOR6I5twI8tB-_EeknIs5oSc3hwp63nDLHXlDnf44RLcnQMWBvTUDocDWTW-W2vIk3y_CKLnSCCssx2Nh_VR-IAWrGiY1eHjTV7kXO2vng5f-JvaqmCo6TjgEY61TA/s1600/carter.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumpin' Joe Carter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXTj5YRPaSpLqGHhb5gaGrITsbGk6zoDl9Q3SyKTtHz33POVUWgIWEL7GmSQebi0OPIl3VhNfVlHCs-hM2P45Mb_iazJ-Jfckf3_g2AcGrapICDgtD3eEZSHTEJ4qW79fS7w8pZcRjK8g/s1600/la-sp-sn-giants-angel-pagan-home-run-20130525-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXTj5YRPaSpLqGHhb5gaGrITsbGk6zoDl9Q3SyKTtHz33POVUWgIWEL7GmSQebi0OPIl3VhNfVlHCs-hM2P45Mb_iazJ-Jfckf3_g2AcGrapICDgtD3eEZSHTEJ4qW79fS7w8pZcRjK8g/s640/la-sp-sn-giants-angel-pagan-home-run-20130525-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exuberant Angel</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-35350026428780431392013-04-21T11:41:00.002-07:002013-04-21T11:42:22.253-07:00Testing the Old Adage<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can't steal first base.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's an old baseball truism. That saying is usually pulled out of the cliche drawer, and plugged into the conversation when a speedy young rookie comes up, swinging at everything. We hear about how fast he is, but when a player is batting under .200, he never gets a chance to show off his wheels? Why- because you can't steal first base. Once you're on first, stealing second is easiest, it's the longest throw for the catcher. Stealing third is all in the timing of the jump. Stealing home is as difficult as it is rare. Speed in baseball is a conditional threat. Unless you reach, you cannot run.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, that's it: You can't steal first base.*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yeah, I put that asterisk there. What fun would life be without exceptions to the rule? Even with an old axiom so obviously cut and dried, there's a way to steal first base. Not to any particular advantage, mind you, but it can still be done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jean Segura started this play on second, broke for third, and found himself picked off, and in a rundown. Then, he found himself standing face to face with Ryan Braun, who had also taken the opportunity to reach second base.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then the fielder with the ball did what you should always do in this situation. Tag everybody you can, and let the umpire figure it out.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx678aaRSLA0vVtvQIPyFinA1IbXKJduK7LnC0cbqyTuuoTedtmpTscAZqhggMgC4-dsPGEKjzUYiPBX1JFvYH89ZZZzHgBFBDLnT4IyHLdXX5bTaxXbWC4gNIdlz7mxeVMrL2yqsFmJG/s1600/segura+full.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx678aaRSLA0vVtvQIPyFinA1IbXKJduK7LnC0cbqyTuuoTedtmpTscAZqhggMgC4-dsPGEKjzUYiPBX1JFvYH89ZZZzHgBFBDLnT4IyHLdXX5bTaxXbWC4gNIdlz7mxeVMrL2yqsFmJG/s640/segura+full.gif" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hat tip to @gidget on Twitter</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The umpire rules that Braun is out, as per the following rule:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7.03</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(a) Two runners may not occupy a base, but if, while the ball is
alive, two runners are touching a base, the following runner shall be
out when tagged and the preceding runner is entitled to the base,
unless Rule 7.03(b) applies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(b) If a runner is forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming
a runner and two runners are touching a base to which the following
runner is forced, the following runner is entitled to the base and the
preceding runner shall be out when tagged or when a fielder possesses
the ball and touches the base to which such preceding runner is
forced.</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since Braun is not being forced to second on the pickoff, he's out by virtue of being the tailing runner. Now the funny thing is, the ball is live the whole time. If Segura is tagged while off the base, he is also out. I'm pretty sure the second glove slap from the infielder happens after he takes a step towards first, but it's a tough call. The umpire is trying to think about rule 7.03 (a), and he might not have been watching real closely for the tag there. I'm not sure I would want a replay here, because it would suck all the fun out of Segura heading back towards his dugout, then being told he should stop at first - because he's still a baserunner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The story has more to it, of course. Courtesy of <a href="http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/4/20/4245592/jean-segura-brewers-baserunning-germany-schaefer" target="_blank">this recap from Rob Neyer</a>. Go read it, there's another backwards base stealing tale from 1911 in there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The topper to the Jean Segura mix up is that he tried to steal his way back to second in the same inning, but was thrown out. Hope you were scoring at home! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What Mr. Neyer did not include in his recap was the immortal baserunning of Lloyd 'Shaker' Moseby. Captured here via YouTube clip. Shout out to @minor_leaguer and @truebluela for remembering this one.</span><br />
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<br /><iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BMZ2wvIDB2s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I understand why Moseby is safe at both ends of this play. What I don't understand is why he goes back to first. The only thing I can conceive, is that he thinks the play is a fly ball, not a throw to second. Boggles the mind. In a good way, because just when you think you've seen it all.... baseball has another trick up it's sleeve. </span><br />
<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-13453164183405218022013-04-14T20:11:00.006-07:002013-04-14T20:11:42.194-07:004-6-5-6-5-3-4 Triple Play<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Baltimore Orioles, 2012 edition, were the <b>Team Of Destiny</b>. They had a late inning mojo that carried them into the postseason. What do I mean when I say mojo? Well, Jayson Stark breaks down all the extra inning accomplishments in a <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/blog/_/name/stark_jayson/id/8407262/baltimore-orioles-roll-extra-inning-games" target="_blank">post from last September (Bullet point 2</a>). Adding to the extra innings accomplishments, when leading after 7 innings, they were 74-0. You could bank on the Orioles last year, when the chips were down, they came through. Those records have a lot to do with factors that are really not in the player's control. You can't really be so good you have invincible pitchers for the last 2 innings of every game, if they really existed, they wouldn't give up runs in any other innings either. Some of that run to the playoffs was built on luck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If luck plays a part in creating favourable circumstances, it can certainly play a part in creating unfavourable ones too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the 2012 Orioles were blessed. Their magic made they fans believe they were destined to win it all. As it turns out, they were destined to reach the playoffs. They were destined to win the Wild Card Playoff game. Then they were destined to lose to the Yankees in 5 games, and go home for the winter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not the destiny that had been mapped out, but hey, playoffs! Anything can happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the team of destiny withered on the vine, and here we are, in 2013. The general consensus in baseball circles is that there is little reason to believe that the Orioles have any ability to keep the Team Of Destiny moniker valid for two years running.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, on April 12th, visiting Yankee stadium, Baltimore is locked in a 2-2 tie in 7th inning. After loading the bases with 2 walks and a hit-by-pitch, Tommy hunter has been replaced by Pedro Strop. There are 2 outs. Vernon Wells, facing Strop, drives a fly ball deep to centre, but Adam Jones has a bead on it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-cLoV_j9JMg62v8CmitfWuT2mjUEBtnv0PaNk7o8O51HceqJ6x0YwqBe9hPXUWF6NsUWmRxxvMl3UMcoasE1w85MrFhjRwzCKsclttIXnKnFWjThvyaF4tNPUMPAHW-_NR5RhXkbwHZH/s1600/ajonesbubbledrop.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-cLoV_j9JMg62v8CmitfWuT2mjUEBtnv0PaNk7o8O51HceqJ6x0YwqBe9hPXUWF6NsUWmRxxvMl3UMcoasE1w85MrFhjRwzCKsclttIXnKnFWjThvyaF4tNPUMPAHW-_NR5RhXkbwHZH/s1600/ajonesbubbledrop.gif" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://paulsporer.com/2013/04/12/adam-jones-cant-outfield-chew-gum-at-the-same-time/" target="_blank">From Paul Sporer</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Man, lady luck is a cruel mistress. Three runs score on the play, and I'm sure his gum doesn't taste right anymore, either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, the title of this post has nothing to do with a 3-run, 2-base error, does it, now?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The title clearly references a triple play. The triple play is, in my experience, always infused with a certain amount of magic. The transformation from potential runs, directly into everybody running off the field is always a moment infused with drama and excitement. I've written about one <a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.com/2012/04/2-on-nobody-out-line-drive.html" target="_blank">other triple play</a>, from last year. That one had a lot in common with others I have witnessed. The baserunners were more or less victims of circumstance, and one infielder made the right play to finish them all off. The most rapid triple play often takes just a few seconds, as a line drive with the runners going, when hit at the shortstop or second baseman, can result in an unassisted three outs. The three outs can <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19995921&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_19995921&v=3" target="_blank">occur in less than 2 seconds</a>. If the triple play the Yankees pulled off was anything like that, I might be writing about it anyway, but to me, this is much, much more enjoyable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first two batters of the 8th reach against C.C. Sabathia, and it looks like the Orioles late inning mojo might be rearing its ugly head once again. But then, then a ground ball to Robinson Cano and everything goes into motion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="224" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=26222161&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">iframes</span>.</iframe></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OK, so, to coin a phrase, 'How'd they do that?' </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cano fields the grounder, and the runners are forced into motion. He makes the natural move to shovel to his shortstop so he can make the turn at second. Jayson Nix is the shortstop, and has only been in the game since the 3rd inning, replacing Eduardo Nunez, who was hit by a pitch. First, Nix steps on second to make the out on Markakis, then he turns to third, (not the natural play at first), and throws. Why? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alexi Casilla is a quick runner, but Nix thinks he can get him at third. On the replay, you can see Casilla breaks back to second on contact. He's guessing that Cano might catch the ball and try to double him up before he tags the bag. Nix sees that mistake right in front of him as he heads to the bag. He knows Casilla is in big trouble, provided Youkilis is manning third where he should be. Casilla could have tried to slide back in behind Nix, with the runner forcing him over to third having been eliminated, but might have been tagged then, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As he gets into a rundown, it's the batter-runner, Machado, who makes the triple play possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the eighth inning, down 3 runs, the difference between a runner on first and a runner on second is not very much. The game has tipped heavily in the Yankees favour with the first two outs. For some reason Machado thinks it is both 1) Important, and 2) Fairly probable, that he can get safely to second base. It is neither case 1 or case 2, as the play comes to it's merciful and spectacular conclusion. Most runners would have stayed at first and cursed their bad luck. If he had, there would be a mildly unusual 4-6-5-6-5 double play to talk about, and nothing more. If you like the triple play better, you owe Manny Machado a big, big pat on the back. Which is probably much higher up than where his manager kicked him after his overly aggressive baserunning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This play is scored a 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play. This play has never been recorded in an MLB boxscore before tonight. The fact that something unique can still happen in a game with over 100 years of history is, to me, quite magical.</span><br />
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<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-49963188441023523672013-04-07T19:29:00.004-07:002013-04-08T21:18:59.083-07:00Double to CF<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you've read anything else I've written here, a couple of things should be obvious. 1) I enjoy watching a lot of baseball. 2) I value anything unexpected, anything that breaks up the rhythm of the game. It reminds me that sport, like life, can be a learning experience. The rules in baseball don't change much, but with fields, players, and field conditions changing all the time, the action on the field is always in a state of flux.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Emilio Bonifacio is new. Well, he's new to my eyes, and that's more than enough in this case. He's been playing second base in Toronto for less than a week, mostly because Brett Lawrie is injured. From the World Baseball Classic, I learned that he's a high energy player. His above average baseball tool: speed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When he grounded a ball up the middle, he had every intention of making it to second base. Here are 2 GIF's of the play, courtesy of Matt at House of the Bluebird, showing him sprinting out of the box and then getting into second base without even being tagged.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXKc-1vHvJ1JFOxmLITq9Pw_Jp6W5ybTH1j9yKPRdb2Ny16zPmoBy4nCEz2R0IFopo5f4PSyHMc-jg9CC_hxmzryP9HC7-CfQbKJTlHxAbgiXm5JHelKKJTOkGmbbEp8TcPMuj_3VezBc/s1600/EmilioBonifacioRoundingFirst.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXKc-1vHvJ1JFOxmLITq9Pw_Jp6W5ybTH1j9yKPRdb2Ny16zPmoBy4nCEz2R0IFopo5f4PSyHMc-jg9CC_hxmzryP9HC7-CfQbKJTlHxAbgiXm5JHelKKJTOkGmbbEp8TcPMuj_3VezBc/s1600/EmilioBonifacioRoundingFirst.gif" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZih7pnENN7o3HA8uT5qk62v-WE88dit6kj5KfD063HugyvPXqUIebcwtSTN10NKd6T6GVNpEJhsJpSNoXaO6m3gQpWdNzVvuQrzBGY1z0opk0KW00WmxNcLqivUB6PTopkLFxrbNjnpQ5/s1600/BonifacioSingleTurnedIntoDouble.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZih7pnENN7o3HA8uT5qk62v-WE88dit6kj5KfD063HugyvPXqUIebcwtSTN10NKd6T6GVNpEJhsJpSNoXaO6m3gQpWdNzVvuQrzBGY1z0opk0KW00WmxNcLqivUB6PTopkLFxrbNjnpQ5/s1600/BonifacioSingleTurnedIntoDouble.gif" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, on a scale of fast to FAST, Bonifacio appears to register as <span style="font-size: large;">FAST</span> in this real-life example.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As usual with baseball, there's another game tomorrow, and that game adds a little wrinkle to the story. The game I'm referring to doesn't even feature Emilio Bonifacio. Cleveland left Toronto, and continue their road trip in Tampa Bay. Baseball reference has play by play for every play of every game, and this one line came to my attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHpbSagZaI04LZT_FTsBnsQ25oK_QZdrZaPpnv2eMi0n6ej02ocneFFa2Iv2swTv_YiROi1iqc3SLe8S6lRJjJiTFP9Co4xvUxfR1VzoL8OEz69EAjz5VdhUJnKruVscE9Aou8Hc2TuuK/s1600/yescobar+double.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="24" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHpbSagZaI04LZT_FTsBnsQ25oK_QZdrZaPpnv2eMi0n6ej02ocneFFa2Iv2swTv_YiROi1iqc3SLe8S6lRJjJiTFP9Co4xvUxfR1VzoL8OEz69EAjz5VdhUJnKruVscE9Aou8Hc2TuuK/s640/yescobar+double.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's Yunel Escobar, who is probably only Fast on my scale of fastness. So what are the odds of another ground ball to centre field resulting in a double? I don't have a video highlight to help me out. I do, however, have twitter.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yunel Escobar (and CB Bucknor) just Bonifacio'd Michael Bourn.<br />
— Drew FFF (@DrewGROF) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewGROF/status/320706121067286528">April 7, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-g5aG22mdT1Q53u_RWcEFK42roZIaq5fGPa5Or_OjbTuSfu1X-ld6Iyfeh7NhrTGu_vKeSz2-9zfnHNsO-_Fa6QWcvU_v3dgzMyiLNpfpDk89VX4rWH4Ki9ovdDGm9bROg46_JONCLFnk/s1600/bonifaciod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-g5aG22mdT1Q53u_RWcEFK42roZIaq5fGPa5Or_OjbTuSfu1X-ld6Iyfeh7NhrTGu_vKeSz2-9zfnHNsO-_Fa6QWcvU_v3dgzMyiLNpfpDk89VX4rWH4Ki9ovdDGm9bROg46_JONCLFnk/s640/bonifaciod.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So Bourn was challenged again, and this time, he made the play. Only he didn't get credit for making the play. Why would Escobar even try to hustle a double? Hmmm, curious. Escobar, Bonifacio, and Bourn have all faced one another in the NL East in the past. When transplanting players to the AL East, did a little bit of knowledge come with them about Mr. Bourn?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I suppose only time will tell but maybe, this play it isn't about what we thought it was about.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75qn845Z3XZqajudzJD1Hlm3_fAOw6KHxqkz8Tgt1Z1NgrErUe93wi8ySW7VlFX7s9IDjzWlEfOSNBECKKUGrrL_Tz4hhoFjjYnHdkf3B7wMT0fF-90aAYDx4dTFvso547NAirN6mdU29/s1600/michaelbourngoldensombrero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75qn845Z3XZqajudzJD1Hlm3_fAOw6KHxqkz8Tgt1Z1NgrErUe93wi8ySW7VlFX7s9IDjzWlEfOSNBECKKUGrrL_Tz4hhoFjjYnHdkf3B7wMT0fF-90aAYDx4dTFvso547NAirN6mdU29/s320/michaelbourngoldensombrero.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is not relevant, but I found it on Google. Only photo I am ever using of Micheal Bourn. Ever.</span></td></tr>
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CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-53243769982714706882013-04-06T21:06:00.000-07:002013-04-06T21:06:14.931-07:00Joining the Club<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHqVuF6J-VfunGUUza2a_259DKYwyre_3_9YNaSUApIBpJwHQoneeOEjGvl_Z7lYgVxwmCCtgfHU2ghS2i5eMSlfwTQR1b7l8a6PZZFHfIF6efEnidVvBLLu4QPqK6we-CEnAMdCrwFzh/s1600/darvish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHqVuF6J-VfunGUUza2a_259DKYwyre_3_9YNaSUApIBpJwHQoneeOEjGvl_Z7lYgVxwmCCtgfHU2ghS2i5eMSlfwTQR1b7l8a6PZZFHfIF6efEnidVvBLLu4QPqK6we-CEnAMdCrwFzh/s400/darvish.jpg" width="400" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yu Darvish stands over the rubber, tired, sweating. It is the bottom of the ninth inning, at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The bases are empty. Marwin Gonzalez is at the plate. A.J. Pierzynski is squatting behind the plate, dropping down fingers as Yu looks for a pitch he wants. He is pitching this game in enemy territory, and his Rangers have scored seven runs. The crowd, resigned to a home team loss, is, strangely, on its feet in anticipation.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Darvish is trying to join a baseball fraternity. He is very, very close to being perfect. One more batter retired, and Yu Darvish will have thrown a Perfect Game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Briefly, if you are unfamiliar with Perfect Games, they occur when a pitcher retires every batter before they can reach first base. If he does it twenty seven times, he has recorded a full games worth of outs. As long as his team has scored, the game is over, and for one night, the pitcher is perfect. Any pitcher can be perfect for one night, it has been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_perfect_games" target="_blank">done 23 times before.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Baseball is one big fraternity, in a way. All former major league players share a level of skill and accomplishment, and should be rightly proud of having played at the most elite level. Within the 'big brotherhood', however, are ever smaller and more exclusive clubs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is the All-Star club, the MVP club, Cy Young alumni, and, of course men who can all themselves <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame" target="_blank">Hall Of Famers</a>. Because baseball has been keeping records almost since it's birth, and since the leagues have been uninterrupted for over 110 years, there are a lot of odd little accomplishments, each with their eclectic membership lists. Throwing a no-hitter, hitting for the cycle, getting six hits in a game, striking out 20 batters in one game, striking out 4 in one inning, each accomplishment comes with a list of those who came before. It is very, very difficult, after hundreds of thousands of games, to do something unique in baseball. There's always another member of the brotherhood, sometimes nearby to congratulate you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Jeff Frye hit for the cycle while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, he was surprised to find <a href="http://mopupduty.com/epic-games-in-blue-jays-history-kelly-gruber-hits-for-the-cycle/" target="_blank">Kelly Gruber suddenly at his side</a>. Gruber was the last Blue Jay to cycle, and he felt the need to congratulate the man with whom he suddenly had something in common.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yu Darvish takes a deep breath and placed his back foot on the rubber. He begins his windup.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Out in the Houston Astros bullpen, the remaining relievers are watching to see if their team is about to be a victim of history. Watching with them is their bullpen coach. In 1991, Dennis Martinez was standing on the mound in Dodger stadium, having retired the first twenty six batters he faced. When he readied himself for his last pitch of the game, he looked in at the signs given by his catcher, Ron Hassey. When he went into his final windup and let the ball go, it was launched into the outfield... and caught. He had thrown the thirteenth perfect game in history, and was part of one of baseball's most exclusive clubs. Now many years, and thousands of games later, he waits to see if Darvish and he will suddenly have something in common.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Darvish rocks back on the rubber and lets a fastball fly over the inner third... </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the pitch is on its way, we should consider another player in the game. A.J. Pierzynski is holding the target out to receive Yu's next pitch, and he has, in fact seen this all before. He was the man setting the target for <a href="http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/mlb/news/humber_perfectgame/index.jsp" target="_blank">Philip Humber's perfect game</a>, less than one year ago. Considering that only 11 perfect games have been thrown since Dennis Martinez authored his over 20 years ago, and only 24 have been thrown in total, it would be a long shot for any catcher to have caught two. Pierzynski would, also find that there was already someone with whom he had <a href="http://wp.me/przPV-v8" target="_blank">something suddenly in common</a>.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then, Marwin Gonzalaez swings and makes all of the possibilities vanish into thin air.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Through the wickets', as I, and possibly thousands of others said on Twitter, in the stands, and at their televisions all over North America.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The magic moment that could have been, suddenly is not. Darvish does not get to join the fraternity of perfect game winners. A.J. Pierzynski remains on the receiving end of only one perfecto. Dennis Martinez doesn't have to think about finding a Spanish-to-Japanese translator. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the other hand, in some imaginary clubhouse,<span style="font-size: small;"> Hooks Wiltse, Tommy Bridges, Billy Pierce, Milt Pappas, Ron Robinson, Dave Stieb, Brian Holman, Mike Mussina, and Armando Galarraga, are all waiting to welcome Yu Darvish into <span style="font-size: small;">their</span> club, for they all <a href="http://mlb.si.com/2013/04/03/darvish-joins-short-list-of-pitchers-to-lose-a-perfect-game-with-two-outs-in-the-ninth/" target="_blank">have something suddenly in common.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baseball is Magic, even, sometimes, when it doesn't quite happen the way you might expect.. </span></span></div>
<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-26803977305803759292013-03-17T17:33:00.002-07:002013-03-17T17:33:49.614-07:00Just One Silly Question<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXyVIzVSXCu75Fy81jLPTAzwjlnBnTuJzDgwnLUev4sxfvbg_5ovvyfauik0MTwzuRrMAlSKXgVV2jiUGmtEEMHp1ocCg3kN0zAcQRuQFdA28nAzzkiYM7BBp28bjMTLYbhqyTDxmRLNK/s1600/tim+collins.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXyVIzVSXCu75Fy81jLPTAzwjlnBnTuJzDgwnLUev4sxfvbg_5ovvyfauik0MTwzuRrMAlSKXgVV2jiUGmtEEMHp1ocCg3kN0zAcQRuQFdA28nAzzkiYM7BBp28bjMTLYbhqyTDxmRLNK/s320/tim+collins.png" width="320" /></a>This all started with a question about the player pictured on the right. A player who I could not identify if I were to run into him on the street. He is Tim Collins. He plays baseball for the Kansas City Royals.<br />
I became aware of the existence of Tim Collins a couple of years ago, when he was a minor leaguer in the Toronto Blue Jays system. I learned only two things about Tim while he was property of the Blue Jays. 1: He's short. 2: He throws baseballs very hard.<br />
Since he left the Blue Jays system via a trade to the Braves, then a trade to the Royals, I've retained those two facts in my head. And nothing else about him.<br />
The other night, in the World Baseball Classic, Tim Collins made a relief appearance for team U.S.A., just after Dan Brooks (who I follow <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball" target="_blank">@brooksbaseball </a>on Twitter) had confirmed a winner in a pitch f/x trivia quiz.<br />
Now, I will digress here to explain what Pitch f/x is, and what it has to do with a trivia quiz. Dan and Harry Pavlidis run <a href="http://brooksbaseball.net/">BrooksBaseball.net</a>, which is a free, online database of information gathered by Major League Baseball's Pitch f/x system. The database contains information on the characteristics of every pitch thrown in MLB since 2008. Pitch speed/spin and movement is tracked by a specialised camera system set up in each ballpark. Dan will, when he's in the mood, dig into the database, and ask questions from the gathered data. An example might be: Which pitcher has the largest difference between his fastball and changeup? Or what pitcher is most willing to throw a curveball in a 3-2 count? Odd facts, but things that make me think about the game on a different level. I enjoy these little side trips away from the action in a dull game, and I like to see other follower's guesses.<br />
So, during 'Tiny' Tim Collins appearance, I put the only two things I knew about Tim Collins together and asked the following question.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
@<a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball">brooksbaseball</a> So, does Tim Collins get the most MPH/inch of hieght in the majors?<br />
— Greg Wisniewski (@coolhead2010) <a href="https://twitter.com/coolhead2010/status/312376524940668928">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>So Dan liked the question, and he put it out to his followers.<br />
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Weird question! Which Pitcher in MLB last year (min 200pitches) gets the most fourseam fastball velo PER INCH OF HEIGHT.<br />
— Dan Brooks (@brooksbaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball/status/312378335504252928">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
Which I thought was excellent. Tim Collins, though only 5'7", only managed to get second on the list. It took very little time to find the correct answer.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
@<a href="https://twitter.com/rsaggiadi">rsaggiadi</a> Well, fuck, that was easier than I thought.<br />
— Dan Brooks (@brooksbaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball/status/312378586025840640">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
Which led to the following response from the person with the correct answer.<br />
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@<a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball">brooksbaseball</a> dude, he just pitched in this game!<br />
— Renè Saggiadi (@rsaggiadi) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsaggiadi/status/312378654376222723">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
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At this point, I assume that @rsaggiadi was so quick to guess because he was assuming the Mr. Brooks had posted the question, only after having seen the two players already appear in the game. In fact, Dan only noticed after it was pointed out to him. <br />
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@<a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball">brooksbaseball</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/rsaggiadi">rsaggiadi</a> And are teammates in MLB. Secret Royals strategy?<br />
— Daniel Moroz (@CamdenCrazies) <a href="https://twitter.com/CamdenCrazies/status/312379019712684033">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>So, that is the end of the trivia quiz. Kelvin Hererra is 5'9", and throw 97.4 mph on average. But Dan is still looking at his list of pitchers who bring the heat from their below average height, and there's a funny thing about the list.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Oddly enough there's a good chance #3 on this list ALSO gets in this game.<br />
— Dan Brooks (@brooksbaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball/status/312379124322820096">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Holy crap this game is now weird.<br />
— Dan Brooks (@brooksbaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball/status/312379219160215552">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kimbrel is #4 on the list.<br />
— Dan Brooks (@brooksbaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball/status/312379364606107648">March 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
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And so it came to pass that Craig Kimbrel, pitcher number four in velocity/height entered the game. He gave up two runs, setting up a save situation for the Dominican team. Off of the bullpen mound steps Fernando Rodney. Rodney is 5'11" and throws 96.2 mph. He is the third faster pitcher by height in the majors right now.<br />
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Now, is this significant? No. It was sure fun for me though! I picked a question to ask based on the following "There's that short guy who throws hard. I wonder if that's really that different." I was rewarded with an incredibly odd coincidence, as the top four pitchers, from a pool of almost 500 who appeared in the big leagues in 2012, also appeared in the game, like a Bleacher Report slideshow.<br />
It also makes me speculate: Do the guys who have less physical tools, or have been told they are below average, have a bigger reason to say yes to the WBC when it comes calling? Are some of them willing to go, just to prove that they are worth being representatives of their country?<br />
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The final topper for all of this came a little bit later, when I got this tweet from Dan Brooks.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
@<a href="https://twitter.com/coolhead2010">coolhead2010</a> btw, sent your "velo/height" question to @<a href="https://twitter.com/msimonespn">msimonespn</a>, who forwarded it to @<a href="https://twitter.com/kurkjian_espn">kurkjian_espn</a><br />
— Dan Brooks (@brooksbaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball/status/312739916079575040">March 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
I was, once again, very pleased that one silly question had such a good run.<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
@<a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbaseball">brooksbaseball</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/coolhead2010">coolhead2010</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/kurkjian_espn">kurkjian_espn</a> He thought it was awesome<br />
— Mark Simon (@msimonespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/msimonespn/status/312741863062925312">March 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
Now, to all of you who say that statistics make the game less fun, I must disagree. Without the numbers to tell the tale, I never get to enjoy the magic of discovering any of this weirdness. We don't have to learn anything earth shattering to find that we love the game in a different way, we just have to ask the right questions at the right time, no matter how silly they are.<br />
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CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-24630066457296627782013-02-08T15:34:00.000-08:002013-02-08T15:34:38.752-08:00Guest Post: King of PerfectionOne of the stories I never quite got around to writing about in 2012 was the perfect game thrown by Felix Hernandez of the Mariners. Today's guest poster has been nice enough to correct that oversight:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s1600/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s640/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even With Perfection, Felix Hernandez Was Overlooked<br />
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Despite another lost season for the Seattle Mariners, in August of 2012 the team experienced their ace reach true perfection. Felix Hernandez threw the 23rd perfect game in baseball history last year, and the 2nd of 2012 when he faced the Tampa Bay Rays.<br />
From the very beginning, Hernandez was looking even better than the Cy Young Award winner has in the past. He began the game by inducing a ton of weakly hit ground balls and fly outs. Striking out two the first time through the order was impressive, but it was not until the sixth inning that things got interesting.<br />
In the top of the sixth, Hernandez began to turn it up a notch, and the crowd took notice. He struck out the 7-8-9 hitters for the Rays to complete the second time through the order. When he came out for the seventh, he got outfielder Sam Fuld to roll over a ball, but then BJ Upton came up for the most controversial part of the perfect game.<br />
Upton grounded out to Sean Rodriguez at third base, but Rays manager Joel Madden would come out and actually be ejected for arguing the call. After a delay, some wondered if Hernandez would cool down. He responded by striking out five of the last six batters he faced, putting his stamp on baseball history.<br />
With so many perfect games and no hitters thrown in recent memory, Hernandez never really received the attention he deserved, even in <a href="http://www.fanduel.com/fantasy-baseball" target="_blank">fantasy baseball</a> circles. In fact, that has sort of been his problem his entire career. Even during his Cy Young award season, many looked at his 13-12 record as though it was his fault.<br />
Ironically, the Mariners only offered him one run of support during that August game. He was one swing away from getting a no-decision in that game for the ages. Even by Hernandez’s standards, he was simply dominant in every way manageable in that game.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrbjqQ3yeaE_ZifD70GBMDfp1-HOhLqczaYCno2D-SMelag676Og3jZ7UyE7O4WRAaOo_oq2mGzmMBhCr3KjSAt6eGgYFe_bqwMns_9eWBNjSFUu8Vfb_iBa1vkg8rLn1IITlJbj4xMxI/s1600/felixperfect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrbjqQ3yeaE_ZifD70GBMDfp1-HOhLqczaYCno2D-SMelag676Og3jZ7UyE7O4WRAaOo_oq2mGzmMBhCr3KjSAt6eGgYFe_bqwMns_9eWBNjSFUu8Vfb_iBa1vkg8rLn1IITlJbj4xMxI/s1600/felixperfect.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-909042847384776632012-12-29T17:53:00.000-08:002012-12-30T04:23:22.620-08:00Guest Post: Blockbuster<br />
A look back at magical moments from:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s1600/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s640/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Special guest author Minor Leaguer from <a href="http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" target="_blank">Bluebird Banter</a></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“MAR-CO SCU-TA-RO! *clap clap clap clap clap*” There’s something magical about such a chantable name, isn’t there? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">San Francisco Giants fans had little reason to chant Marco Scutaro’s name when he was acquired from the Colorado Rockies for AAA prospect Charlie Culberson. They were in first place and just acquired a 36-year old infielder who was batting .271/.324/.361 in the thin air of Denver. The Giants needed someone to fill at the hot corner after Kung Fu Panda tried to do splits, and when Pablo Sandoval was to return, the team needed someone to replace either Brandon Crawford or Ryan Theriot afterwards—two players who barely scraped above .300 OBP. They could’ve done better—they could’ve tried to acquire someone with a bigger name to catch up with the haul that the Los Angeles Dodgers got from the Boston Red Sox.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it turned out to be the best deadline trade of 2012. His teammates grew to love Marco so much they actually started calling him “Blockbuster,” and after the Giants won the NLCS, ace Matt Cain called the trade “the best thing that’s ever happened so far.” Better than his wedding day, better than the day his daughter was born. What did Marco do to deserve all the praise? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the two remaining months of the regular season after Marco first put on a Giants uniform he hit .362/.385/.473—he went from creating 25% fewer runs than the league in Colorado (75 wRC+) to being 37% above average in San Francisco (137 wRC+). His strikeout rate dropped from an 8.4% before the trade to 5.2% afterwards. (For comparison, the 2012 Toronto Blue Jays’ second baseman Kelly Johnson had a 27.4% strikeout rate.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was on a red-hot streak entering the playoffs, but then the magic started: he somehow just stopped missing baseballs. He played all five games of the NLDS and did not strikeout once, and only recorded one K in the seven NLCS games. Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan looked through <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/marco-scutaro-is-still-a-game-of-pepper/" target="_blank">every single Marco Scutaro at bat during the NLCS</a>. and found that, out of the 78 swings he took, he only missed the ball twice. In that magical seven-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit .500/.533/.607, he didn’t go 0-for in any game and managed to record six multi-hit games, collecting 14 hits in 28 at bats. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the magic could have easily ended in the top of the first in game 2 of the NLCS. Marco, the 5’10”/185-pound second baseman, was trying to turn a double play when he was crushed by Cardinals’ 6’4”/235-pound runner Matt Holliday’s hard slide over second base. AT&T Park was showering boos as Marco rolled around the infield dirt in pain. Watching on TV, I thought his season was over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="224" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=25415817&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">iframes</span>.</iframe> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But as you can see in the video, after a few minutes, the diminutive Venezuelan stood right up, dusted himself off and continued playing for his team. Two batters later and it was his turn to come up to bat and what did he do? Slam a line drive single up the middle against Chris Carpenter. Later in the game, he loosened a tight 2-1 Giants lead by lining another single with the bases loaded, scoring three (with the help of an error). He continued his success against Carpenter in Game 6, hitting a two-run double in the second inning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marco contributed 3 hits and took a walk in the final game of the NLCS, which was decided early on when the Giants took a 7-0 lead by the end of the 3rd inning. But of course, the players had to complete the requisite 9 innings of play, despite the skies opening up to a pouring rain by the top of the 9th. Very appropriately, the NLCS ended when Matt Holliday, the man sacked Marco game 1, popped a ball straight up to the skies where it mixed with the rain to drop into the glove of the Giants’ magical second baseman. Did he think that the moment was pure magic? Judge for yourself. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1606429/scoots.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1606429/scoots.gif" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Image courtesy of SBNation</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, describing Marco Scutaro’s NLCS as “magical” doesn’t mean his success was mana granted from the heavens. As Blue Jays fans may remember, Marco had a knack of creating magic: remember when he took second base on a walk when he caught the Phillies’ infielders napping? It is his natural talent, hard work, and intellect that gave him that magic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Marco was awarded the NLCS MVP trophy, and later with a $20-million contract to allow Giants fans to chant “MAR-CO SCU-TA-RO! *clap clap clap clap clap*” every home game he plays in for the next 3 years. Looks like they’ll have more magic in store.</span>CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-51826971372490389582012-12-17T19:26:00.001-08:002012-12-17T19:26:22.203-08:00Guest Post: Elimination GameA look back at magical moments from:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s1600/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s640/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Special guest author Ruhee from <a href="http://www.doubleswitching.com/" target="_blank">Doubleswitching</a></i>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"And Carlos Beltran takes a strike from Zito to start the seventh."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In my sports-fan life, one thing I've learned above all others is not
to be too optimistic--or, sometimes, not to be optimistic at all. It's
hard to do -- I'm guilty of getting my hopes up in every situation,
realistic or otherwise, but sometimes you have to prepare yourself for
the absolute worst. There are times when nothing appears to be possible
and you want to be ready, if only to cushion yourself from potential
heartbreak.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Game 5 of the NLCS between the Giants and the Cardinals was just such
a moment. The Giants were once again on the brink of elimination, a
now-familiar refrain. Down three games to one, they were trotting out a
starter who had posted 2.2 innings in his last outing (Game 4 of the
NLDS, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks). Barry Zito's first inning
in that game had gone out, out, single, walk, walk, walk (run).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I trust you'll forgive me for being pessimistic.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The reaction to Bochy naming Zito as his Game 5 starter went exactly
as you'd expect. Woe is us, all is lost, good luck to the Cards in the
Series. Bets were placed on Zito's total innings--I took 3, which after
the Division Series debacle felt generous. All I could hope for was a
gentle loss, a well-fought one which would at least allow the Giants to
retain some dignity. The NLCS felt like borrowed time to begin with, and
I was steeling myself for the disappointing end.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The bottom of the first was relatively uneventful, a one-out single
to Beltran and nothing more. The second, though, started off with a
Yadier Molina single followed immediately by David Freese's double to
right, and suddenly there we were on the brink of disaster. I assumed,
holding my breath, that there was no way Zito would get out of two on/no
out without allowing a basket full of runs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Strikeout. Intentional walk. Double play.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, <i>that</i> was something, wasn't it? <br />(I was alone, but I'm not above talking to my television when sports are involved.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Zito made it through the third clean, too: twelve batters, four baserunners, no runs. Luck, surely?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Giants scored four runs on Lance Lynn the next inning, knocking
him right out of the game. Zito had everything he needed, and gave
nothing back. Leadoff double in the fourth--stranded. Clean fifth. Clean
sixth. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And there he was, in the seventh inning, and there was Carlos
Beltran, taking a strike. None of it made sense and it was wonderful.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Zito was finally pulled at 115 pitches, two down in the eighth and a
man on. Six hits, one (INTENTIONAL) walk, six strikeouts, no runs, 64%
strikes. The game of his life. One of mine, too. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was the defining game of the playoffs for me, right beside Game 5
of the NLDS with the tying run at the plate in four consecutive innings.
Seven and two-thirds innings of absolute disbelief every time Zito
walked back to the mound. It's always easier to be prepared for
anything, but the real magic happens when you're not. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants: 2012 World Series Champions. It was all downhill from there. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Editor's
note: there were a lot of people hoping for this kind of miracle, and
evidence of that hope still litters the internet with their hashtag from
that night: #rallyzito</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfJf6GIe2Fxmx_lon875WaJN9GLc6naVuziqtEdjM2Z8SDpgHfc7aCgbmPIJl-29bky0RjRPOzia8xDIi2Xo8uB3v_SPAI6zZoUXcr3ox9utkJkJBcBpAXQB4tBjgOJKjWgQHe_fJ3VCX/s1600/rallyztio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfJf6GIe2Fxmx_lon875WaJN9GLc6naVuziqtEdjM2Z8SDpgHfc7aCgbmPIJl-29bky0RjRPOzia8xDIi2Xo8uB3v_SPAI6zZoUXcr3ox9utkJkJBcBpAXQB4tBjgOJKjWgQHe_fJ3VCX/s320/rallyztio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-15867545372505476302012-12-17T18:11:00.000-08:002012-12-29T17:54:31.786-08:002012 Looking Back from Different Angles<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we approach the end of 2012, baseball fans, without any actual baseball to evaluate, are either looking forward to 2013, or looking back on the events of 2012.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s1600/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s640/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mayans approved of this logo.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Funny thing is, I don't enjoy making predictions very much. I have no problem reading them, but they really aren't my cup of tea. Something about looking back and realising how frequently you were wrong, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who needs a bad taste in the mouth? Not I! And, as a result, not you either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking back, then, seemed to be the more enjoyable thing to do. Surely I couldn't have covered every magic moment in 2012 in just a few posts? Of course not. I decided to enlist the help of a few of my Internet friends with this retrospective, and a few of them agreed to give me a Magical Moment that stood out for them in 2012.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first post in our Magical Moments review comes to us from Matt at <a href="http://www.houseofthebluebird.com/" target="_blank">House of the Bluebird</a>, a fellow who you can also find on twitter at @Matt_HBB. Naturally, I encourage you to give him a follow, as he's both thoughtful and engaging with his tweets and his website.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Matt wrote a piece about one of the season's more absurd looking occurrences, which grew out of a disputed home run call. We call it <a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.com/2012/12/guest-post-pantomime-home-run.html" target="_blank">The Pantomime Home Run</a>. Enjoy!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The second article in our looking back series comes from Ruhee Dewji, who first came to my attention when she guest posted at Infield Fly about <a href="http://infieldfly.ca/2012/05/23/new-fan-week-baseball-is-boring-baseball-is-not-boring/" target="_blank">how a new fan sees baseball</a>. She has her own thoughts about baseball at <a href="http://www.doubleswitching.com/">www.doubleswitching.com</a>. Like all my guest posters, she is on twitter, and worth a follow @ruhee_. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ruhee's 'other team', when the Blue Jays aren't playing, is the San Francisco Giants, and her magic moment is a reminder that uncertainty in baseball can cause both pain and joy, especially in the playoffs. Check out Barry Zito in <a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.com/2012/12/guest-post-elimination-game.html" target="_blank">Elimination Game</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The third, and likely final article in our series was penned (typed?) by Minor Leaguer, who has been a big booster for this very blog, since the day he first found out about it. He follow rule #1 of the internet without fail. I would like to return said support, you should follow him on twitter @Minor_Leaguer and check out the work of he and his compatriots at <a href="http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" target="_blank">Bluebird Banter</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Minor Leaguer also found magic in the playoffs, and entertains us with the tail of one time Blue Jay Marco Scutaro's journey into playoff immortality in <a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.com/2012/12/blockbuster.html" target="_blank">Blockbuster</a>.</span>CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-75101345331753963562012-12-12T18:11:00.003-08:002012-12-17T19:18:45.153-08:00Guest Post: The Pantomime Home Run<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> A look back at Magical moments in.....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s1600/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw90cMKLisFfhmyfsKJ0XXh2MlsxrAbqTBtH8BL_-KxqiDZ7LC26Lpk5VlzzAqW9UKYZrvBGdZlZPMBz_HkB3KVhzxXKWIeb3mhj3JioZnRSOoF_CJaOqhawLITzpcc751CQ1v3PMMO07/s640/2012logo_edited-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Special guest author Matt from <a href="https://www.google.ca/search?q=house+of+the+bluebird&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a" target="_blank">House of the Bluebird</a></i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> With each and every season of baseball comes new moments for us to cherish and remember. There's the no-hitters, the cycles, the ridiculously difficult defensive plays, and of course the walk off home runs. Those moments in baseball are exciting, they're wondrous and some might even say they are magical.
However baseball is more than historically significant events, there's a whole other side to the game. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> That other side being baseball's extensive quirkiness and general wealth of oddities. This other side produces such moments as Giancarlo Stanton's <a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.ca/2012/05/bases-loaded-bottom-4-2-out.html" target="_blank">breaking of a panel on the scoreboard</a> at Marlins Park or the Praying Mantis delay that occurred at Nationals Park earlier this year. The moments aren't always memorable nor are they necessarily historical, but they added to my enjoyment of baseball in 2012.
Of all the interesting oddities that occurred during the 2012 MLB season, the one moment that particularly piqued my interest was the "The Pantomime Home Run". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Pantomime is <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pantomime" target="_blank">defined by</a> the Merriam Webster dictionary as "[the] conveyance of a story by bodily or facial movements especially in drama or dance". You might be wondering how exactly this ties into a game of baseball, and you probably aren't alone in that regard.
The specific moment that I'm referring to is one that occurred during a game between the Cardinals and Nationals at Busch Stadium on September 29th.
In this instance Michael Morse hit a ball off of Kyle Lohse that went just over the wall at Busch Stadium. The ball bounced off the Energizer sign, then bounced back on the wall before coming onto the field of play and into Carlos Beltran's possession. Beltran then threw the ball to the infield where Michael Morse was thrown out.
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.houseofthebluebird.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/MorseHomer.png"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-1209" height="241" src="http://www.houseofthebluebird.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/MorseHomer.png" title="MorseHomer" width="425" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The initial call by the umpires was a single, which would have resulted in an out and just one run for the Nationals. However one of the umpires disagreed with the call that was made and being that the ball was hit to a spot where it could be considered a borderline home run it was able to be reviewed through use of instant replay. Up until that point everything that had occurred was relatively procedural, but that would soon change</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> After the umpires reviewed the play and made a decision, they explained the situation to Davey Johnson and then to all the players on the base paths, including Michael Morse. They then went on to instruct Morse to not only rerun the base paths, but go back into the batter's box and redo/mime his home run swing as seen in the .GIF below.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://nats.dcsportsnexus.com/2012/09/michael-morse-hits-invisible-phantom.html"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="216" src="http://gifninja.com/animatedgifs/316703/dc-sports-nexus.gif" width="384" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Morse didn't complain, he didn't question the umpire, he just went to the batter's box and swung as he would at any other pitch...it was wonderful. The "Phantom Grand Slam" swing was full of finesse and and Morse's strides were impeccable as he ran around the base paths while being both booed and cheered on by the Cardinals fans at Busch Stadium. An event, as simple as this, at times seems trivial, but it's another contributor to the variety of beloved oddities that are present and prevalent among the online baseball community today (See Graphs, Not).
It isn't flashy, it isn't mind-blowing, but it's funny, it's quirky and it's part of what sets baseball apart from the rest of the world of sports.
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make us smile.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The video of the play in it's entirety is embedded below, if that does not work here's a </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25190649&c_id=mlb" target="_blank">link</a> </span> that can be used instead.</span><br />
<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-12076635167518262862012-11-24T14:11:00.002-08:002012-11-24T14:11:54.152-08:00Pence the Unusual<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Since he came to the San Francisco Giants, in a a trade on July 31st of 2012, I gradually became aware of Hunter Pence, baseball player. The unusual way Pence moves, swings, and also, looks, came across clearly from all the Giants fans I follow on twitter. There is this facial expression:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvZ5czPBrj-t_9jtPkOcx2PwdTiTKAs-__X8u7_JlrTfGgSvggg0YUn90V6uSmNKeCUaqNZbokTVl0u3o2Fycg9pwdQyivp-4iHUEt-F6Af4T8I1y2xXdTkjswnqcG1SbtJ-kliagFMoU/s1600/hunter+pence+clubhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvZ5czPBrj-t_9jtPkOcx2PwdTiTKAs-__X8u7_JlrTfGgSvggg0YUn90V6uSmNKeCUaqNZbokTVl0u3o2Fycg9pwdQyivp-4iHUEt-F6Af4T8I1y2xXdTkjswnqcG1SbtJ-kliagFMoU/s400/hunter+pence+clubhouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Which, while not all that creepy, per se, becomes more so when you realise that this is just his regular, calm face. There is a kind of, shall we say, intensity there that never goes away. It gives way, instead, to his actual intense expression:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_w1z6KbHbI_Jk3qjtrcL-JXLKKViAalD2QHjJ2nB9vu32g7dfHdn_BEEYnGB-PkqZBCcRL2x2MdnuKcvMeGKNIukApZgKkJX2AkIW60DCQRd6hgSdsLo5f_VV7O6a22tY8dwXP9U7n6W/s1600/hunter+pence+intense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_w1z6KbHbI_Jk3qjtrcL-JXLKKViAalD2QHjJ2nB9vu32g7dfHdn_BEEYnGB-PkqZBCcRL2x2MdnuKcvMeGKNIukApZgKkJX2AkIW60DCQRd6hgSdsLo5f_VV7O6a22tY8dwXP9U7n6W/s1600/hunter+pence+intense.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Which, is more attention grabbing than I can manage in the mirror, even on my best mornings. So, there is a certain aura about Pence which follows him around the baseball diamond. That kind of thing is destined to stir up a little bit of magic with it.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Imagine, if you will, two trains, one coming with Hunter Pence on board, leaving San Fransisco at 8 am. The other train is leaving Improbability station on the same track, with Physics on board, headed towards The Playoffs at 8am. Earlier I <a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.com/2012/05/two-things-i-would-have-bet-were.html" target="_blank">wrote a post about</a> a couple of things that showed up via the Improbability train.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Eventually, the two trains are bound to collide, and Hunter Pence will add an extra dimension to the unlikely. Now kids, if you are trying to learn the game at home, please look away, this is a professional player at work. You'll want to do this differently.</span><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="254" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?width=400&height=254&content_id=25432869&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, to summarise, he used his empty hand to deflect the ball onto the heel of his glove. Because that works all the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have, of course, not showed you the main act yet. That catch was the encore. It was a little mint of flamboyance after the main meal of Hunterish Penceness. In the second inning, Pence was on deck, and took this practice swing.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yzIURC0szuo" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now I watched Gregg Zaun and Jamie Campbell discuss the way in which this swing simply does not look like a useful warm-up of any kind. Zaun noted that the swing was about Hunter doing that "With a thought in his mind, something he's trying to remind himself."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"I don't want that thought," was Campbell's glib response.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the third inning, with the bases loaded, Pence was batting. We got to see the results of that unusual practice swing. Hunter's real swing netted him a broken bat double and three RBI. Not just any broken bat, however, and not just any double, either. If you are a fan, you've probably seen this before, in my opinion, there's no reason not to see it again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBsb_BJgK7z9QMqQ-X0CF2MYRP-rIoWYXil9RK3azt6SBrPBwY3Ubj14ExYWPZ3wHkI38z_xBlUwYuH5N6160PkteIkoo28bOKnNYIJ4vfB6wGMV_aqMVnkAcWt5F8-buNsGuD-PAB7Nv/s1600/HunterPenceTripleHit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBsb_BJgK7z9QMqQ-X0CF2MYRP-rIoWYXil9RK3azt6SBrPBwY3Ubj14ExYWPZ3wHkI38z_xBlUwYuH5N6160PkteIkoo28bOKnNYIJ4vfB6wGMV_aqMVnkAcWt5F8-buNsGuD-PAB7Nv/s640/HunterPenceTripleHit.gif" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The patented TripleHitDouble. This is some next level stuff, really. The DoubleDouble is two grades below, the NoHandsMaHomeer is one grade below, and then there's this. At 1500 frames per second, its clear as day that there are three instances of contact. On a ball that stayed fair, and drove in three runs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">To paraphrase a quote from <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/pondering-the-fans-wardrobe/" target="_blank">Dayn Perry</a>. "I traffic in words, but for this I have none."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Because Hunter Pence, because the Playoffs, and because 1500 frames per second. This is the moment that I feel best captures the Baseball Magic for all of 2012.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you have a different feeling about what was most magical about 2012, let me know in the comments. </span><br />
<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-16579984307944503412012-10-15T20:54:00.001-07:002012-10-15T20:54:23.011-07:00Now pinch hitting for number 13....After the end of the regular season, in all major sports, come the playoffs. In the playoffs, we are often given the impression that there is more pressure to perform. Certainly, the eyes of baseball fan everywhere focus more closely on the teams that graduated from the regular season into the exclusive playoff level. Every few days, another team is weeded out, forced to make plans for next year, and there are more baseball watching eyeballs focused on fewer and fewer teams.<br />
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Players must know this. They must see the crowds arriving earlier to their seats, filling in every last row in the stadium. More reporters hang around the clubhouse, more cameras and microphones shadow them in their daily routine. Friends and family who may have been indifferent to their occupation, suddenly want tickets. All those kids from AAA teams who were suited up in big league colours for the last month, eager and bright eyed? Those kids are gone, watching at home. Only the real big leaguers remain. They playoffs aren't any more complicated when the umpire shouts 'Play ball!' every night, but the feeling has to be different. There is something at stake every night. There is an awareness of all these little changes, turning up the pressure one more notch.<br />
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People remember what you do in October. That's the way of the baseball world. Dave Winfield waited 11 years to shake the label 'Mr. May'. Bill Buckner only exists in the casual fan's mind for one fateful October moment. Joe Carter hit 396 home runs in the regular season. You can only find one picture of him running the bases in your memory bank. Fisk waving one fair in game six, 1975. Bucky effing Dent. October remembers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdc9hyfn5GzBalPmNR6zskDqsmv16uxApkGGHGNCZQBFtFF07pf5t1Tid0JXnVAV2pKqi4ZCPZ7iML9NBhCd3Ylnnj5THktU_z_S3Ad8V4c69rzw6lGFquHZXuzx0GrwpKFTyQeWgYpQc4/s1600/arod+batwrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdc9hyfn5GzBalPmNR6zskDqsmv16uxApkGGHGNCZQBFtFF07pf5t1Tid0JXnVAV2pKqi4ZCPZ7iML9NBhCd3Ylnnj5THktU_z_S3Ad8V4c69rzw6lGFquHZXuzx0GrwpKFTyQeWgYpQc4/s1600/arod+batwrong.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe I know why he's having trouble.</td></tr>
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This story has a great, and a goat. Both of them know what October can do to you. Alex Rodriguez has seen baseball in October 11 different years. He knows how it feels to be the great, in 2009 he hit 6 home runs in the post-season. He batted .365/.500/.808 for the month of October, and he got his World Series ring. He is 37 years old, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contracts" target="_blank">very well paid</a>. This year, in October, he has not been great. He has been beyond bad. Joe Girardi has batted him third four times. His best efforts have resulted in a line of .125/.222/.125 so far. There is to be no twist in his fate. A-Rod is our goat.<br />
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Which means Raul Ibanez is our somewhat unlikely great. He's been to the post-season 5 times himself. In fact, he was in the opposite dugout in 2009 when A-Rod had his big coming out party in New York. He has no ring with the World Series logo on it. Yet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYdox8jYSHrE-IUOR9ApkMgr-1X9DHQ18Xf26JiWDQspb-XSc9JgUqaw1zSXpOq731pcOsnOxoUZ2fBZ6w8k1AOtYrFaAg9BhOzg_9hd2LTViruNkoA19HpchoHE1GZ3PBtVkzOCNFzPv/s1600/Raul-Ibanez1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYdox8jYSHrE-IUOR9ApkMgr-1X9DHQ18Xf26JiWDQspb-XSc9JgUqaw1zSXpOq731pcOsnOxoUZ2fBZ6w8k1AOtYrFaAg9BhOzg_9hd2LTViruNkoA19HpchoHE1GZ3PBtVkzOCNFzPv/s200/Raul-Ibanez1.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
Ibanez is 40 years old, and is well traveled. His stock has been on the decline, his performance has eroded with age, and the Phillies paid him 12 million dollars in 2011 to OPS .707, which is only about 91% of the production they would have received from a league average player. This winter the Yankees picked him up as free agent. He signed for 1.1 million dollars. A lot of Yankee fans didn't see the use in a guy like Ibanez. Thinking he was a waste of a roster spot. The Yankees kept him around. They wanted him because he bats left handed, and if you've seen the new Yankee Stadium, you know that a lefty batter only needs a medium depth fly ball and a favourable breeze to clear the right field fence.Over the course of the season he managed and .812 OPS facing righties, about 12% better than the league average hitter.<br />
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In the ninth inning on October 10th 2012, Joe Girardi had a decision to make. In his tenure as a Yankees manager, it's not the kind of thing he's asked himself very often. "Should I pinch hit for Alex Rodriguez?" His team was down by one run. The Orioles had Jim Johnson on the mound, who is right handed. Alex had been abysmal so far in the series, without so much as an extra-base hit in three games. There are egos and minds to manage over the course of 162 games, and letting a player try to prove his skill and worth happens, even when it doesn't help the team. This was about keeping the Yankees from having their backs right against the wall. In that moment, Girardi looked at his number three hitter, and at his bench, and did something nobody had ever done to Alex Rodriguez in a playoff game. He sat him down for a pinch hitter.<br />
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In the movies, maybe, there would have been some kind of slow motion pan up and down the dugout while Raul went to get his bat and helmet. Maybe Alex would have thrown a fit and stormed into the clubhouse. In real life, sometimes, the script is better than anything you could write yourself. Ibanez was ready to take his cuts in just a few short moments. We found out post game that Rodriguez didn't plead for his chance, and let his skipper take him out. Then he went to watch with the injured, but in uniform, Mariano Rivera.<br />
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After the game, Rivera told the media what he said to Alex “I told Alex not to worry, that Raul was going to hit a home run.”<br />
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And after taking a pitch inside, that's exactly what Raul Ibanez did. From the good f<a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/10/10/3487034/raul-ibanez-yankees-homer-gif-orioles-playoffs-alds" target="_blank">olks at SBnation</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFZD-0B8VTnLVq33vgMJMKLkXHWmI7SyTU6J5q7OEHNpsX1sJsaHG8SYphpH-pkTJHt0aOp2IP99pKEXYRmeZpFZz1UWJpuHcTIB8pkLelT2GTHUJ1JzBcCkXJn0tdR9MUXMvD2dUGB71/s1600/ibanez+sbnation+tying.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFZD-0B8VTnLVq33vgMJMKLkXHWmI7SyTU6J5q7OEHNpsX1sJsaHG8SYphpH-pkTJHt0aOp2IP99pKEXYRmeZpFZz1UWJpuHcTIB8pkLelT2GTHUJ1JzBcCkXJn0tdR9MUXMvD2dUGB71/s1600/ibanez+sbnation+tying.gif" /></a></div>
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After watching that, I was honestly sitting there, laptop and TV on in front of me thinking "Really? Did that just happen?" And, of course, it did just happen. Ibanez wasn't really done, however, because that homer tied the game. There were extra innings to play.<br />
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Raul watched the rest of the ninth, the tenth, and the 11th while his team batted. He watched all 8 of his teammates make an out. Was he fed up with the whole process by the 12th inning? I don't know. I don't think he came up as the first batter in the 12th looking to 'get something started'. I'm pretty sure he watched 8 guys go down without any hint of progress, and came up looking to hit the snot out of the ball. Now, in confrontations with major league pitchers, batters lose out about seventy percent of the time, on average. When being super aggressive, trying to swing for the fences, it's generally believed that batters are even more vulnerable. Sometimes, though, if you swing hard, you just might hit it. Brian Matusz found that out on the very first pitch he threw to Ibanez to start the 12th.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_7vmsDVeiYvD87CNUFiacMe97ZTAnnNOLDJIzjodI2PHoDXrDS2j_aAmL8lG-SvgXkttKWyZ-p6r7_-IQ6tkKRIT6rPHGnq3aa9CvUS8Ow6JRYx3BLQGDb0KCEEPzM8ViApYYtWemBab/s1600/ibanez+sbnation+winning.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_7vmsDVeiYvD87CNUFiacMe97ZTAnnNOLDJIzjodI2PHoDXrDS2j_aAmL8lG-SvgXkttKWyZ-p6r7_-IQ6tkKRIT6rPHGnq3aa9CvUS8Ow6JRYx3BLQGDb0KCEEPzM8ViApYYtWemBab/s1600/ibanez+sbnation+winning.gif" /></a></div>
Yes, home runs on consecutive pitches. The first tied the game and sent it to extra innings. The second one won the game. You can graph the probability of a team winning, given the number of outs, baserunners, and the score. That game graph looks like this.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3tcR4DedEor-xkpRyZB059aYJq5L99KI4iNYfltIew9zQ4ZrVj7iECIt9ugd9lqVQH5H9QJ8Bttfv5uHrY9ZwwhMbsn6FyyDmyjwJhD_NlhoJGARhRV7XpJxZZPoZCdPxLEL_tdYkEa-/s1600/ibanez+2+homers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3tcR4DedEor-xkpRyZB059aYJq5L99KI4iNYfltIew9zQ4ZrVj7iECIt9ugd9lqVQH5H9QJ8Bttfv5uHrY9ZwwhMbsn6FyyDmyjwJhD_NlhoJGARhRV7XpJxZZPoZCdPxLEL_tdYkEa-/s1600/ibanez+2+homers.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Fangraphs, of course.</td></tr>
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Ibanez Single-handedly contributed 82.7% of the win for the Yankees in this game. He didn't enter the game until the bottom of the 9th. He only saw three pitches. If that isn't magic, I don't know what is.<br />
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Now, that's enough for a Baseball is Magic post. Everything he contributed, in one game alone, while pinch hitting for one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game would be enough. The fact that that superior hitter is three years his junior is probably the subject of a whole different analysis. Shockingly, this isn't the end of the post. Raul Ibanez will not quit with the 9th inning heroics.<br />
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On October 13th, the Yankees were down in the 9th inning again. Four runs down, and Raul Ibanez was due to bat 6th against Jose Valverde. The odds of the Yankees winning the game at the start of the 9th were 1.9%.<br />
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Now, I'm going to talk about Jose Valverde for a minute here. He's not been very good lately. Specifically, he's been one of the worst arms in the Detroit bullpen, but that's not to take away from what Ibanez is about to do, it merely explains how the game got to the point that he had the opportunity to do anything at all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMsY0R0akSIGu0BQz6IVmVk3OVT1oXkac_YuOlD-VA4rhv5Fk5ya4kuhbyS3JMb-Tda04KbooJjjS1hrUu9f-842Icreif1Zkfce7Xm5gA8H_aIUT3q_dLz2ADNvcl95V1PVHhrx1-oVI/s1600/plays+for+ichiro+9th.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMsY0R0akSIGu0BQz6IVmVk3OVT1oXkac_YuOlD-VA4rhv5Fk5ya4kuhbyS3JMb-Tda04KbooJjjS1hrUu9f-842Icreif1Zkfce7Xm5gA8H_aIUT3q_dLz2ADNvcl95V1PVHhrx1-oVI/s640/plays+for+ichiro+9th.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can see there, that 4.9% in the lower right? That was the chance of the Yankees winning the game given all of the possible outcomes of the following at-bats. Even with an Ichiro homer and the ticking time bomb named Valverde out chucking fastballs, the game was still well in hand. If Ibanez makes an out, that number drops to zero, and the game is over. If he reaches base, the number climbs a little bit, as the light at the end of the tunnel gets a little bit brighter.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40fpxhL2nv1Xv6Az_o6B87K6duJVGTtmAchrS6UVSnXt4IYP1Wl9TEEfnpucc1rgCIs0DEAiB7KbuCnXlShsCv5jdOZ6b7jEm7vh0I47-v5Sw3UrHkReO0qSgHkE63TCYFtO7I9wiBpjU/s1600/ibanez+tying+homer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40fpxhL2nv1Xv6Az_o6B87K6duJVGTtmAchrS6UVSnXt4IYP1Wl9TEEfnpucc1rgCIs0DEAiB7KbuCnXlShsCv5jdOZ6b7jEm7vh0I47-v5Sw3UrHkReO0qSgHkE63TCYFtO7I9wiBpjU/s320/ibanez+tying+homer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2012/10/13/raul-ibanez-does-it-again-homers-to-tie-the-game-in-bottom-of-the-ninth-against-detroit/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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So, of course, Raul skips the whole 'getting on base' thing and hits another home run. Raising, in one more incredible heartbeat, his team's chances of winning by <span style="font-size: large;">48.7%</span>. Right place, right time, right result.<br />
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That's a one man wrecking crew. Sadly, he's literally the only man on the crew, and the Yankees would not figure out how to score the last run in that game. The Tigers would silence the magic wand Raul was carrying, and defeat the Yankees.<br />
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Three home runs in two nights, all to either tie or win a ballgame. All in the 9th inning or later. Or, as someone on twitter put it much more succinctly.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
My Name is Raul Ibanez...Prepare to die.<br />
— Jonathan Jacoby (@jacobyjon) <a data-datetime="2012-10-11T03:12:27+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/jacobyjon/status/256230757213810688">October 11, 2012</a></blockquote>
And that, right there, is why baseball is magic... and always will be.<br />
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-78300689466116051412012-09-28T18:50:00.000-07:002012-09-28T22:08:27.864-07:002 out, Lineout to the pitcher<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
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With one hundred and sixty two games played by 30 teams, there's a lot of baseball to watch. After a certain date, let's say September first, there are certain teams who play just as much baseball as they did in the other months, but there isn't much of a reason to watch it. When the words 'mathematically eliminated' come up all the time after the name of your favourite team, it isn't easy to know why you are watching. The twilight of the season makes us look for justifications to keep watching the also-rans.<br />
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The first reason I often hear to compel me to watch a late season game of a poor team is that they can play 'spoiler'. 'Spoiler' resembles baseball, but with the emphasis on helping out a team that isn't even in the building by beating up on their competition for them. Which is all well and good, but I don't often enjoy it. Why? Well, often the only reason my team gets to wear the coveted 'spoiler' hat and jacket, is because their lack of success has led to them having to take off their 'contender' hat and jacket and put them in the closet for next year. 'Contender' is just so much more fashionable than 'Spoiler' brand. The other thing that strikes me is that the teams that don't play well are not likely to spoil anything with any regularity. Often they get schooled by the better teams as to why they weren't on the list of better teams earlier in the year. Bad teams do not improve because the leaves change colour.<br />
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Now another reason to watch late in the season is because "You never know." Not every perfect game or 3 homer night was part of a championship season, and this could be the night. You also never know when you are going to see something you're never seen before. Like this.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR198w37NekXgjeN_PKjCB220_ueBLK62tttVNbwMeIpfQ0vgIrlSGlRQbivpBH-3iXumgvFRwotJpJgBWRkiam7fBnluStFcGW8tG_2Q9mLvEsTWIndbKC3TjZ2YOCWsnE42n-_umCu_i/s1600/jenkinspopoff.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR198w37NekXgjeN_PKjCB220_ueBLK62tttVNbwMeIpfQ0vgIrlSGlRQbivpBH-3iXumgvFRwotJpJgBWRkiam7fBnluStFcGW8tG_2Q9mLvEsTWIndbKC3TjZ2YOCWsnE42n-_umCu_i/s1600/jenkinspopoff.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.gif courtesy of my own computer</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Chad Jenkins is not having a great start to his night. Curtis Granderson is looking for a two out hit up the middle. And would you look at that? Up goes the glove! And the ball! Now what? Well, I guess you could catch it and show everybody how well broken in your glove is. Possibly give a couple umpires a good, long look at the ball.<br />
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Then go re-lace the old wrist strap.<br />
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Or, if you would prefer to hear about the incident in his own words, Chad had this quote in the <a href="http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/mlb/article/1264328--blue-jays-death-spiral-picking-up-speed" target="_blank">Toronto Star</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I let go of it and I was like, ‘Ah, that’s not going to be good.’ Then
sure enough he smoked it back at me. I got a glove on it and then as
soon as I felt it hit my glove I was like, ‘Uh, I don’t know where my
glove is.’ I looked up and sure enough it was spinning. I don’t know
how, but somehow I ended up with my glove and the baseball.”</blockquote>
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What did twitter say?<br />
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First it said:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Wow!<br />
— James G (@james_in_to) <a data-datetime="2012-09-28T23:16:56+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/james_in_to/status/251822831732670464">September 28, 2012</a></blockquote>
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Then, upon deeper reflection, it said:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
Well... that was the strangest catch I've seen all year <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23BlueJays">#BlueJays</a><br />
— Ryan Downer (@rdowner21) <a data-datetime="2012-09-28T23:17:01+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/rdowner21/status/251822853262028801">September 28, 2012</a></blockquote>
Yeah, that's about where I was at, with it too.<br />
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So, yes, you never know when you're going to see something for the first time, even in late September, it might be a brand new thing.<br />
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For all the little bits of crazy I've noticed, hit the <a href="http://baseballismagic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">homepage</a> of the blog.... I've tried to keep the magic going all year. CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-11298685874978277522012-09-24T17:59:00.001-07:002012-09-24T18:00:21.160-07:00Totally AstrotiousIt has been a rough four years for the Houston baseball fan. Four losing years, and then the announcement that the team would be changing leagues, which will remove all of the team's traditional rivals from its schedule. That can't help to sell tickets, can it?<br />
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I was hanging around at <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/" target="_blank">NotGraphs</a> the other day and the Astros were the subject of a recent post. If you are a baseball fan, and haven't hung out at NotGraphs, you are definitely missing out. If you are in the mood for a little baseball related bric-a-brac, it is a one stop shop. It's also a free shop, where you can take home the memory of a <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/gif-ode-to-terrible-cubs-fans/">.gif</a> or <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/completely-authentic-tweet-max-scherzer-vs-ennui/" target="_blank">unedited tweet</a>, or even enjoy a little<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/inserting-dick-allens-name-into-works-of-literature-9/" target="_blank"> Dick Allen in great works of literature</a>, for no initiation or membership fees.<br />
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The Astro's post in question <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/houston-astros-fined-by-major-league-baseball/" target="_blank">was this one</a>. And someone in the comments thought it might be helpful, perhaps even enlightening, to find all the other instances of the Astro's that were .gif-able, and to put them in one spot. I don't thing this was suggested with the Houston Astros fanbase in mind, because I would have to believe that putting all of the Astro's moments together like this, is a form of torture any real fan. Especially one who is watching and hoping that they suddenly turn it around. If you are one of those fans, this is your chance to avoid the train wreck. The rest of you can join me after the jump.<br />
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Now, if you are not a fan of the Houston Astros, per se, I can see the absolute value of having all of these .gif-able events in one place. I would call them 'plays' but they really don't resemble anything you see a team of professional players usually do when playing baseball. Part of me thinks of them as a sort of performance art, a way of breaking baseball convention in order to open up the viewers mind and soul. Another part of me thinks that somebody on the team works for the "Punk'd" tv show, or is delusional, and thinks that they do. I have not seen anyone on the field take off a wig and point to the camera bay and laugh about how the other guy had such a 'crazy look on his face', but hey, the season isn't over yet. Anything could happen. Stuff just like what follows.<br />
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The first gif comes to us fron SB Nation and one of their '<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/9/7/3283213/this-week-in-gifs-terrestrial-locomotion-is-very-difficult" target="_blank">This Week in GIFs'</a> features.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXp40cqo2YXqs0fmOsN91dQcBIic1TR8KCqkr0WOQ3SLcqeXqmAOw1CfDeBE2VCNJ2muh3_zejOmE46Tk9aORcFfCMEn4Y4k5-qnV4Qr1LiyXGIQCcJj0Bfp-5mMHCEzgYAZCr3yGLUtlJ/s1600/astro+running.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXp40cqo2YXqs0fmOsN91dQcBIic1TR8KCqkr0WOQ3SLcqeXqmAOw1CfDeBE2VCNJ2muh3_zejOmE46Tk9aORcFfCMEn4Y4k5-qnV4Qr1LiyXGIQCcJj0Bfp-5mMHCEzgYAZCr3yGLUtlJ/s1600/astro+running.gif" /></a></div>
Yeah, just a little sprint down to first base. This effort is notable, because as we proceed, we'll see it usually takes more than one Houston player to make stuff happen. It takes special skill to turn a routine groundout into something with this much interest. And, again, absolutely nobody interferes with this guy at all. He made it beautiful on his own.<br />
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The second play was enough to result in an appearance at <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/8/31/3280249/this-week-in-gifs-mothers-referees-and-infielders-will-fail-you" target="_blank">SB Nation</a>, and a post at <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/gif-astros-assault-each-other-physically-again/" target="_blank">NotGraphs</a>. NotGraphs even has another angle of the play. This is unprecedented in .GIF land.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Fq6eJttKmtmsT20YVotrCa6DdwFgu-B5azkbheu814IHi73uigaUV-qxggVpiv3_AyrQRwh6gc8kSjfVQ6lljX4ns_anbOSddCVHGeQkwjdsPyITxHElZci_noRKs9u3hOX86F5ahtLH/s1600/astrosderp2_medium.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Fq6eJttKmtmsT20YVotrCa6DdwFgu-B5azkbheu814IHi73uigaUV-qxggVpiv3_AyrQRwh6gc8kSjfVQ6lljX4ns_anbOSddCVHGeQkwjdsPyITxHElZci_noRKs9u3hOX86F5ahtLH/s1600/astrosderp2_medium.gif" /></a></div>
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R.A. Dickey manages to do the very best thing he can when batting against the Astros. He puts the ball where two fielders have a good chance of making a play on it. The result is, predictably, that neither fielder gives up on that possibility, and no play is made. This might have something to do with the fact that both men are thinking the same thing. It's something like "That guy plays for the Astros, if I let him get it, he's not going to know how to make the play properly!" And then Irony steps in, and laughs her little laugh, and .GIFs are made. As an aside, I have to deduct points from the first baseman, as he catches what should be an errant throw, and denies us any further entertainment.<br />
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Of course, the Astros have more for us. This one comes to us from<a href="http://www.jest.com/article/185845/the-houston-astros-fail-at-everything" target="_blank"> a post at Jest.com</a> and is nothing short of an epic written to the muse of failure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52vhR2XRjcqJ5THuX76Trt1ksbfKUtFh3C2e_jWx2ufexdDJGh9r0FrpG3i01IUofjXFEir_aOBCqQHHDPiuzaH6H37W5bBVTCk36hsXWoqQ5KkXexWSlA6VnwnDNcMSNIAmuNDjeT-j-/s1600/astros+extrafail.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52vhR2XRjcqJ5THuX76Trt1ksbfKUtFh3C2e_jWx2ufexdDJGh9r0FrpG3i01IUofjXFEir_aOBCqQHHDPiuzaH6H37W5bBVTCk36hsXWoqQ5KkXexWSlA6VnwnDNcMSNIAmuNDjeT-j-/s640/astros+extrafail.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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The video and associated comments are also available via the good <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/video-your-2012-houston-astros/" target="_blank">folks at NotGraphs</a>. and, over at twinkie Town, I found a description of exactly <a href="http://www.twinkietown.com/2012/8/11/3232286/saturday-morning-breakfast-baseball-bad-news-bears-astros-edition" target="_blank">who did what to whom</a> here. <br />
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This whole thing is caused by the exact same factors as the last disaster. Two players can get to the ball and make a play. Neither one trusts the other to do so. Cue either the sound of bowling pins going down, or the Benny Hill yakkety sax music. This time, the first baseman does it just like in rehearsal, and doesn't make the catch. That really opens up the final opportunity for the right fielder, and the throw is exactly how far offline you would expect it to be, if you were reading a post about Houston's defensive miscues. Bravo, gentlemen. The highlight for me, personally, is when the the third baseman shows us how he would look if he were going to take a bullet intended for an important public official.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBrNuF-6eVyG9ouhOl-YQparqOar9QFwzx2ofluqu8rpPnRIdua8H89qxhcV2iQ2cSxzpnkKFluD92WXnkQc5McUnacB67EkpP82d9GZLR-bNYpDifd-GArQnsygVNtG-orYrBNlsCVBv/s1600/astro+sacrifice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBrNuF-6eVyG9ouhOl-YQparqOar9QFwzx2ofluqu8rpPnRIdua8H89qxhcV2iQ2cSxzpnkKFluD92WXnkQc5McUnacB67EkpP82d9GZLR-bNYpDifd-GArQnsygVNtG-orYrBNlsCVBv/s320/astro+sacrifice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used that as my twitter avatar for a couple of weeks. I'm sure it confused a few people looking at my profile. <br />
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The last one I have in the collection is from the <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/houston-astros-fined-by-major-league-baseball/" target="_blank">post that inspired m</a>e to put this gallery together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw6yuY-4zf74ac0rHZpgxPBSNoddn-0u4Dj32ZKAjw8SdvKy7VQoeWom0ZFwcPY6OCLA-OKMF5-9eNi8LmlALeEEBqXj4FCd-9vBICIzugSdl5xFqIfO123ibVbwOsGWCcj7bgJ2jLm6F/s1600/astro+short.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw6yuY-4zf74ac0rHZpgxPBSNoddn-0u4Dj32ZKAjw8SdvKy7VQoeWom0ZFwcPY6OCLA-OKMF5-9eNi8LmlALeEEBqXj4FCd-9vBICIzugSdl5xFqIfO123ibVbwOsGWCcj7bgJ2jLm6F/s1600/astro+short.gif" /></a></div>
Now, this .gif only adds layers to what is already a tasty cake of fielding blunders, but I'm trying to be as inclusive as I can here. Two things to note, firstly, the throw from the left fielder was perfect, which obviously confused the cut-off man. Second, by spiking the ball like this, you remove the possibility of another player making a miraculous catch to save the play. If you chase after you own throw, who knows what you can manage when you pick it up the second time, right?<br />
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If you are aware of more instances of the 2012 Houston Astros cementing their place in fielding error history, please let me know, and I'll try to add it in. We aim to please. And don't feel too bad about embarassing the Astros, it turns out, <a href="http://deadspin.com/5942306/1100-households-watched-the-astros-game-on-sunday-the-teams-worst-tv-rating-ever" target="_blank">nobody's been watching them anyway</a>. <br />
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<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-26038606936645889582012-08-31T19:20:00.001-07:002012-08-31T19:20:36.604-07:00A Living InstitutionVin Scully is not a legendary base ball broadcaster, he is <em>the</em> legend of baseball broadcasting itself. If you want to know what it sounded like to hear the Don Larsen perfect game call in the 1956 World Series, one of the voices that broadcasted that game was Vin Scully's. If you want to hear one of the smoothest, most information packed modern broadcasts, listen to a Dodger home game, called by Vin Scully and only Vin Scully. <br />
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Now, I could probably point out that Vin has been baseball's great constant voice, and that he has been a Dodger employee longer than they have been the Los Angeles Dodgers. That, all by itself, is magical. Like Vin Scully, and his legacy, there's still more magic to come. Vin Scully remains <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/mlb/2012/08/27/url-weaver-the-everything-is-turning-up-dodgers-edition/" target="_blank">happily unretired</a>.<br />
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Vin is hardly phoning it in, either. In this season alone, he came up with a more <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/mlb/2012/04/26/from-gods-lips-to-your-ears/" target="_blank">descriptive term for the outfield shift</a>, he <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/mlb/2012/08/01/the-dodgers-received-a-twitter/" target="_blank">learned about twitter,</a> still thinks fast enough on his feet to <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/mlb/2012/08/07/that-is-blinking-fertilizer/" target="_blank">lip read and edit a manager's profanity on the fly</a>. He took a <a href="http://lockerz.com/s/238719037" target="_blank">picture with Giancarlo Stanton</a>. The young Mr. Stanton noted that meeting Vin was on his 'bucket list'. Are you an item on someone's bucket list? I didn't think so.<br />
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The baseball gods, (who control all that is uncertain in the game I love), can be fickle, but one would assume that they are pleased with having Mr. Scully as their standard bearer. Since he is not a player, the baseball gods cannot offer up a spectacular catch, or a walkoff win to Mr. Scully. They have given him the chance to call some of the <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3364800" target="_blank">greatest moments in the game</a>. Perhaps not knowing what to get Vin this year, the baseball gods got him a bobblehead. <br />
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<a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1145988/vin-scully-bobblehead-alt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="306" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1145988/vin-scully-bobblehead-alt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, that's really nice, but these aren't the baseball grandmas or baseball cousins working the magic here. Anybody can get a bobblehead made, but only the baseball gods can work the magic as you are coming down on the field to get the bobblehead.<br />
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From twitter:<br />
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<a href="http://thebiglead.fantasysportsven.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Vin-Scully-summons-rainbow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="422" src="http://thebiglead.fantasysportsven.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Vin-Scully-summons-rainbow.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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And from the <a href="http://instagram.com/p/O-Ybb7LEFn/" target="_blank">Dodgers Instagram account</a>.<br />
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Yes, everything went exactly as <a href="http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2012/08/31/vin-scully-bobblehead-night-featured-a-rainbow-because-it-was-vin-scully-bobblehead-night/" target="_blank">well as you would expect for Vin Scully in Dodger Stadium</a>. Plus a rainbow. <br />
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CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-46144970387823299402012-08-18T20:16:00.002-07:002012-08-18T20:16:51.079-07:00Top of the 7th: Flyout, LF (Deep Left)<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<h2>
A great catch is like watching girls go by; the last one you see is always the prettiest. - Bob Gibson</h2>
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I'm going to go back in time a little bit here, but only about a week, to <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TOR/TOR201208120.shtml" target="_blank">August 12th, 2012</a>. (This blog is a labour of love, and other labours have not allowed me the time to come to this earlier.) It was in the 7th inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays held a comfortable 6 run lead over the visiting New York Yankees. Casey McGehee was the second batter in the inning, Curtis Granderson having reached base on an infield single.<br />
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McGehee launched a 2-0 pitch from Brad Lincoln over the head of Rajai Davis in left field.<br />
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To really understand what happened next, we have to add a little bit of context to Rajai Davis and his playing style. Two days earlier, Davis lost a <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/jays-option-carpenter-to-triple-a-recall-mccoy-after-rasmus-injury/article4476299/?cmpid=rss1" target="_blank">ball in the lights</a> at his home park, which is not unheard of, but certainly unusual. He often takes a wrong first step on fly balls, but uses his blazing running speed to overcome most of his mistakes. His throwing arm is unremarkable, which is why he is in left field, as Colby Rasmus represents a superior option in centre. Davis often appears just a bit indecisive in the outfield. He's certainly a step up from Eric Thames, and worlds apart from Adam Lind, but how he will play the bounce on a ball over his head is always a lingering question.<br />
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So, confronted with a ball that was clearly over his head, he did this:<br />
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Now, that's just amazing. No hoping for the bounce, just a flat out go-get-the-homer-and-bring-it-back. Really. At the former Skydome. Now, at first glance, you might think this is a lot like Mike Trout, Rookie of the Decade, and his home run robbing catch.<br />
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I wouldn't blame you for that assumption. It would be less than accurate, however. These are two different fences entirely. Rogers Centre has walls that are very high, due to the high bounces off a springy turf. Bigger bounces means more ground rule doubles. The outfield walls are so high that Josh Reddick fielded a flyball <i>holding onto the chain link fence</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9529957@N06/7649757264/" title="Josh Reddick: "Spiderman" Catch by S.R. Breitenstein, on Flickr"><img alt="Josh Reddick: "Spiderman" Catch" height="321" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7275/7649757264_7b8cdd242a_o.jpg" width="401" /></a>
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Reddick climbed the wall, and he still isn't in homer-stealing territory. How much height did Davis need to get to steal a home run? Let me show you.<br />
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<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8nydte7wg1qzniimo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8nydte7wg1qzniimo1_500.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWYpAvApmtq5wqXzj7ayVWlObEEztCoB7Xcp0oE9s_cZS3zwoICwxxL3FP4Wrs0RY48jOuv-8djeFlcFHbu0Kb9z1eDzqH2kQB7BDlU9OVR6ClU8ivSn4W6QbGKbUirYDPQYAK6uhrpoL/s1600/trout+robber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWYpAvApmtq5wqXzj7ayVWlObEEztCoB7Xcp0oE9s_cZS3zwoICwxxL3FP4Wrs0RY48jOuv-8djeFlcFHbu0Kb9z1eDzqH2kQB7BDlU9OVR6ClU8ivSn4W6QbGKbUirYDPQYAK6uhrpoL/s200/trout+robber.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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Still not sure what I'm talking about? Here is a screengrab of Trout overlaid on top of Davis, scaled with the bottom of each fence at the same location. Trout is the 'ghost' in the image.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMYZJ0Dhyp3mvXV92B9chGzKCju_hwghrY4M8bCOfxPH_eXa1Al-bCYOXrxT9AgifPc-deEw0b6zD6lgBWZtr1StKkOwKIQ8TvL7DQtfiJzaeNHo9CaQnvhEn-msLJQWCHYXHACnpBI5S/s1600/trout+davis+overlay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMYZJ0Dhyp3mvXV92B9chGzKCju_hwghrY4M8bCOfxPH_eXa1Al-bCYOXrxT9AgifPc-deEw0b6zD6lgBWZtr1StKkOwKIQ8TvL7DQtfiJzaeNHo9CaQnvhEn-msLJQWCHYXHACnpBI5S/s400/trout+davis+overlay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, go back and watch again, and you'll see Rajai slow right down to time the jump. There is a method to this madness, and I am in awe of his ability to think out and execute this extremely difficult move. It stands a step above in every way.<br />
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Which is why I think in this one shining moment, Rajai Davis deserves every comment like this:<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RT “<a href="https://twitter.com/buster_espn"><s>@</s><b>buster_espn</b></a>: I'd vote for this catch as the play of the year, so far. <a href="http://t.co/627eZ6C6" title="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23858931&partnerId=aw-7495138606610113106-996">mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp…</a> Rajai Davis, as Spiderman.”<br />
— frank catalanotto (@fcat27) <a data-datetime="2012-08-13T00:53:46+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/fcat27/status/234814973195476993">August 13, 2012</a></blockquote>
And, especially, this:<br />
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LF wall at Rogers Centre is about 10-feet tall, which qualifies this Rajai Davis grab as possibly catch of the year: <a href="http://t.co/O78ZR1du" title="http://atmlb.com/REnGFY">atmlb.com/REnGFY</a><br />
— MLB (@MLB) <a data-datetime="2012-08-12T19:23:30+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/234731859089711104">August 12, 2012</a></blockquote>
You can read another take on this from the <a href="http://www.bluejayhunter.com/2012/08/rajai-davis-redemption-catch-20.html" target="_blank">Blue Jay Hunter</a>. And there's also a catch-related poll at the bottom of <a href="http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2012/8/13/3238760/monday-morning-media-mashup-the-catch-edition" target="_blank">this Media Mashup</a> on Bluebird Banter.<br />
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If levitation like that isn't magical enough for you, I don't know what is.<br />
CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-85558521850663226922012-08-07T18:01:00.001-07:002012-08-07T18:20:18.455-07:00A Long SeasonIt is a long season.<br />
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You have probably heard that more times than you can count, if you are a baseball fan. It is, mathematically, the longest season of any professional sport. 162 games in 6 months, each lasting 3-4 hours, give or take an hour here and there. That's the most time spent on the field of any sport. So, we hear, quite often, about the long season.<br />
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The length of the season, just by adding up days, doesn't really approach the problem of the Long Season, though. Those 162 games are played six or seven days in a row, on a regular basis. The limit on the number of consecutive games played? Let me give you the official wording:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(12) No Club shall be scheduled, or rescheduled if practicable, to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">play more than 20 consecutive dates without an open day. A rainedout</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">game may be rescheduled to an open date in the same series, or</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">to an open date at the end of the same series, if (a) the open date is</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">a road off-day for the visiting Club, and (b) the rescheduling does</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">not result in the home team playing more than 24 consecutive dates</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">without an open day.</span></blockquote>
Yes, twenty day in a row are possible in the regular conduct of business in the MLB. Have you ever worked twenty days in a row at your job? Even if your job isn't the most demanding in the world, how would you think of your job at the end of a twenty day stretch. I would call it a grind. I might include a few curse words before the word 'grind', but 'grind' would be my general feeling.<br />
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Baseball is a long grind.<br />
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To keep it from wearing them down, sometimes, players step out of the grind into something a little more absurd. If something makes a moment jump out from all the other moments in a 162 game run, that's kind of a little victory inside a particular game.<br />
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Munenori Kawasaki is playing his own game against the monotony in the following clip. I'm sure he's winning. He's scoring points in my book, anyway.<br />
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Now, first of all, I hope you had the volume up, because the reaction of the announcer only adds to the effect here. Second, I have to think that the first base coach told him to 'bluff to second'. Maybe he told him something else entirely, but he sure didn't give him the sign to 'run in place for two seconds' like that. I will choose to think he was told to bluff to second, and took only the loosest possible interpretation of that instruction.<br />
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There are so many things that his 'move' brings to mind. Like, perhaps, it's the dress rehearsal for a play about baseball, and the director says "OK, Mr. Actor Guy, at this point in the script you bluff to second base." And the actor has never seen a baseball game in his life, but he decides to do his best fake-run-across-the-stage of his life.<br />
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Third, (did you forget I had two other points? They're up there, just below the video.), I hope that you watched the very last part of this clip as well, because, although it appears the tape is being rewound, it isn't. Kawasaki is reverse jogging back to second base as well, demonstrating an almost revolutionary set of techniques for getting around the bases. Derek Jeter is astounded. He is not easy to astound, he has five World Series rings, he's seen a lot of things happen on the field. He has never before seen the things that Munenori Kawasaki is doing.<br />
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I do not know what he has in his mind to accomplish next. I do not even know what he accomplished last time. I am sure, though, that even if the Mariners are losing, Munenori Kawasaki is winning.<br />
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<a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/photo_images/7488771/20120617_lbm_ab9_049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/photo_images/7488771/20120617_lbm_ab9_049.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
With a big thanks to <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/8/6/3223244/the-genius-of-munenori-kawasaki" target="_blank">Baseball Nation</a> for bringing this video to my attention.CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-15738964672287762742012-07-26T18:04:00.002-07:002012-07-26T18:41:33.625-07:00On The Flip Side<br />
In baseball, sometimes the uniform becomes part of the player. It isn't something that announces itself. Often, it is the sort of thing that comes to light at the end of a long career. The first one that springs to mind is Babe Ruth.<br />
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In your mind, there he is, in pinstripes, with the overlapping NY on his chest. I can't imagine any more lasting image of the Babe. It's like he was a Yankee through and through. Born at home plate in New York. After all, Yankee Stadium was The House That Ruth Built. Of course, that picture is not really reflective of Ruth's career at all.<br />
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Six years in Boston at the beginning of his career, a dominant lefthander on the mound. Funny, but we rarely picture him that way. Maybe it makes sense, because Ruth rewrote the rules of hitting in those pinstripes. Odd, though, that the Red Sox spent almost a century breaking a 'curse' of a man rarely pictured in their uniform.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflopflyball/art-2011mlbuniforms.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflopflyball/art-2011mlbuniforms.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is from <a href="http://flipflopflyball.com/">flipflopflyball.com</a>, which you, being a baseball fan, should have visited many times already.</td></tr>
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The players of the past, through the late 1960's, became one with their uniforms by virtue of the way baseball conducted its business. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_clause" target="_blank">reserve clause</a> dictated that players could be retained indefinitely by one team, and cheaply too! Great players were destined for long careers in one colour.<br />
Musial in Cardinal Red, Koufax in Dodger Blue. It is natural to us now, but maybe it would have been different in an era where changing teams came naturally when the highest bidder came calling.
When baseball moved through the 1970, 80s and 90s, into collective bargaining and free agency, the thought of a player in one uniform and only one uniform became much, much rarer. Many players now seem to change teams like it's a contest to collect the most different shirts. Matt Stairs, Eric Hinske, Jim Thome, Octavio Dotel, I have no lasting impression of any logo or number on their backs.<br />
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To my way of thinking, there are two reasons why I picture a player in one uniform over all the others. The first reason is the old school one, the player played so often for one team, that there is no other logo worth associating them with.<br />
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Mike Schmidt, Phillie.<br />
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Tom Glavine, Brave. <br />
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Don Mattingly, Yankee.<br />
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Dave Stieb, Blue Jay.<br />
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Allan Trammel and Lou Whitaker, Tigers.<br />
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The second reason to remember a player is because of some significant achievement in a particular uniform.<br />
Rickey Henderson, 939th steal, Oakland A.<br />
Roberto Alomar, ALCS Home Run off of Eckersley, Blue Jay.<br />
David Ortiz, 2004 ALCS Hero, Boston Red Sock (Sox?).<br />
Carlton Fisk, 1975 Game 6 waving his home run fair, Red Sock (Sox?).<br />
Roy Halladay.<br />
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Hmmmm. Roy Halladay.<br />
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Halladay is a very tough one for me. I watched him perfect his craft in the trappings of a Toronto Blue Jay. I think, though, that history will remember him throwing a perfect game, and a playoff no-hitter, and they will see him wearing number 34 in Phillies colours. That's OK with me.<br />
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This season, back on June 24th, a player did the same thing Carlton Fisk once did. He went through a huge amount of effort, got on a plane, and changed his socks. Or his Sox, to be more precise. Kevin Youkilis was traded from Boston to Chicago, and donned the White Sox uniform, after seven years only wearing socks of red. (If you were wondering how often a player has worn only those 2 uniforms, do I have <a href="http://www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflopflyball/info-chibosox.html">a chart for you!</a>) Youk is still an everyday player, and it made me wonder how quickly we would get used to seeing him in only black, white, and gray. I also wondered, if the White Sox win it all with Youkilis at third base, what uniform will he wear in the popular imagination?<br />
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Youkilis changing his socks was not what inspired me to write this post. It was a trade, and it did happen this season. And it did happen to a player who became and icon in one uniform.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/baseball/files/library/IchiroStance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://blog.seattlepi.com/baseball/files/library/IchiroStance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That sleeve has been bugging him for 12 years.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ichiro will always be a Mariner.<br />
In my mind he will always be standing, bat held high, tugging at a teal coloured sleeve. All time single season hits record. Ichiro, Mariner. Ten seasons with 200 hits, Icicro, Mariner. 1150 hits in a 5 year span, Ichiro, Mariner. That is the Ichiro in my mind.<br />
The other night, my mind diverged from reality. Ichiro would appear on the televsion in the wrong uniform. In a bizarre twist, and in the blink of an eye, Ichiro Suzuki was a New York Yankee.<br />
And a funny thing about that trade is what got me writing about uniforms and trades. This particular moment got me thinking about what changing uniforms really meant. It meant saying goodbye. Most often, players say their goodbyes in the off-season. There is a podium, and some logo splashed backdrop. There is a statement from the team. Sometimes there is a full page newspaper ad. Less often, there is a long wait for a player, after being traded to another team, or another league, to come back 'home'. There is much expectation. Sometimes he is still beloved, like Roy Halladay in Toronto. Sometimes he is not, like Nick Swisher in Oakland. This time though, something, through a convergence of schedule and circumstance, this time, something magical happened.<br />
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Mere hours after being traded,, Ichiro found himself right at home. He was in Seattle, in Safeco Field, and in the visitors dugout, wearing a Yankee road grey uniform, and number 31. He had the unusual opportunity to say hello and goodbye in the same breath. When he stepped out for his first plate appearance as one of the enemy, this was the result.<br />
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If you would like to see the video of the moment where Ichiro and the fans acknowledge that they were very special to one another, you can do that too.<br />
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And then, the moment had passed, and a new chapter in Ichiro's career and Mariner history had begun. Ichiro singled in that first at-bat against Kevin Millwood, and completed a perfect kind of circle. That hit meant that Ichiro Suzuki had recorded a hit against every major league club. Officially, he was an adversary, though still one beloved by his former home city.<br />
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Baseball players, they come to us young, and leave us only when age forces them too. Uniforms and their styles are always changing. Memories, though, are woven out of players talents, mannerisms, and accomplishments. They come bundled with names and numbers and team colours. In our recollection of our favourite baseball moments, the sounds, smells and sights of the game all become details we hold close, and the way the boys of summer wear their uniforms is an integral part of that.<br />
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<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-15803462098097504352012-07-15T19:14:00.002-07:002012-07-15T19:22:12.048-07:001-3-6-2 Double Play, and Go Ahead Run- SB, E1The New York Yankees are...<br />
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If I start a sentence with those words, and you are a baseball fan, there is some automatic filler you will end it with. It depends what kind of fan you are. If you are a Yankee fan, it likely ends with "...baseball's greatest team.", or something else overly self congratulatory. Even if you are not a Yankee fan, there is still, I am sure, a way you end that sentence, almost automatically. Why? Because the Yankees are an indelible part of baseball history. You can't be a baseball fan and not have thought about the Yankees, a lot. You have surely imagined your team beating them, because, except for a couple of seemingly brief periods in their history, they have always been the team to beat. If you have ever imagined your team winning it all, at some point, the New York Yankees were the team they had to go through to get there.<br />
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I am not a Yankee fan, not by a long shot, but I, too, have an automatic ending to that sentence. When I hear "The New York Yankees are...." my brain finishes "too good at baseball." That's all, if they were just like other teams, we could all laugh off the 200 million dollar payroll and the pinstripes. Sadly, we can't laugh at them, not in the long run, because they win.<br />
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They don't win every game, though. Baseball is a game a failure, and because of that that Yankees lose dozens of games every year. In the course of losing some of those, they make mistakes that we can all laugh at. Here is a clip of the Los Angeles Angels defense, making the Yankees pay for having runners on base.<br />
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<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23047819&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_23047819&v=3" target="_blank">I cannot embed this, so please click to see it at MLB.com.</a><br />
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A few observations. First, with runners on the corners, Weaver does the old fake-to-third-turn to first pickoff play. This may be the least successful pickoff move in the history of the game. It's so annoying that the rules committee <a href="http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/mlb-could-move-eliminate-third-first-pickoff-trickery-185106859.html" target="_blank">voted to outlaw it</a>. Weaver uses this move, this useless pump fake and spin, and it works.<br />
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He fools Robinson Cano, a man with 1140 regular season games under his belt. He has seen the first-to-third move before. I'm sure it did not impress him as a deceptive move. This time, though, he is deceived. While Cano is in the rundown, Alex Rodriguez is debating about coming home from third. After 2486 games, and 315 stolen bases, A-Rod hesitates. Aybar turns to charge the runner, and then does a huge pump-fake of his own. The pump fake buys A-Rod another half second to decide what to do. A-Rod still hasn't committed in time, as the subsequent throw home nails him at the plate.<br />
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First and third, one out is turns into a big zero by one of the best teams in baseball, before even one pitch is thrown.<br />
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So, there, on the one hand, we have a little laugh at the Yankee's expense. <br />
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Now, on the other hand, we have the San Diego Padres. I have trouble remembering anybody who played for the Padres in the last five years. I'm sorry, that's just the way the Padres are fixed in my brain. They used to wear a lot of brown and yellow, the colour of excitement. Or excrement, whichever. I can name a lot of <i>former</i> Padres, they always seem to end up doing wonderful things for other teams. <br />
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The Padres are not any good this year either, making them even less memorable. They have won 35 games and lost 54. Their best home run hitter is <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/headlch01.shtml" target="_blank">Chase Headley</a>. He has 9 dingers this year. The all star break is over, and Headley leads his tema with 9 home runs. I cannot emphasize this enough. None of the five starting pitchers has a better than league average ERA.<br />
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Which, is naturally why the New York Yankees need to learn a lesson from the San Diego Padres. This is a game of failure, and when one team fails, another succeeds. below is a clip from the 9th inning of the Dodgers-Padres game on July 14th. Note the very, very aggressive baserunning by <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabreev01.shtml" target="_blank">Everth Cabrera</a>, no hesitation at all.<br />
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Now, that's how you make the trip from third to home! (As an aside, Everth Cabrera has been in the majors on and off since 2009. I have never heard his name before. Ever.) A few things to note: The umpire. Clearly, same umpire as the A-Rod play. Why? Because he calls the runner out. He does so in the absence of the ball, it is bouncing around near the backstop. It was a good, enthusiastic call anyway, Mr. Umpire, take a bow!<br />
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Second, Cabrera is a leader. You can see how he leads his teammates in this clip. Even though he has only a .650 career OPS in part time play, he has the team following his every move. Specifically, Will Venable follows him all the way around the bases into the dugout. You can't put a price on that kind of leadership. That play puts the Padres up 7-6 in the top of the ninth, and is perfectly executed with two outs.<br />
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Just the way they drew it up in practice.<br />
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So, there you have it, the New York Yankees, who are (insert praise or curse here), take a lesson from the sad sack Padres.<br />
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Proof that in any moment, baseball can make us forget the big picture, and be swept up by the magic of the unusual and amazing.CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-67511752657010957742012-07-03T19:46:00.000-07:002012-07-03T19:46:28.754-07:00Bottom of the 1st, June 28th 2012.Stupid tricks, as a rule, do not work. That's what makes them stupid. In grade three, when the schoolyard clown pointed to your shirt, got you to look down, and flicked your nose on the way up, that was a stupid trick at work. You, (and I to be honest), tried to spot that trick as quickly as possible. It lacks sophistication, and when frequently attempted, it is easily thwarted.<br />
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There are lots of places in baseball to try a stupid trick. The middle infielders, as they make plays around the bag, make motions and noises to indicate they are going to be part of the play, when, in fact, the ball is traveling elsewhere. The catcher will pump-fake to second with runners on first and third, trying to trick the runner on third into a mistake. The pitcher has an entire section of the rulebook defining the limits of his trickery. If he gets too tricky, he is the only player with penalties outlined for his tricking transgressions. The <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/pitcher_8.jsp" target="_blank">balk rules</a> are more nebulous than the trick plays they prevent.<br />
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But, like a dime-store magic trick, when applied properly, stupid tricks can pay off.<br />
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The pump fake is a great starting point to deceive another baseball player. If you have ever played fetch with an enthusiastic dog, you have likely used the pump fake to break up the monotony. I can remember being ten years old and launching my arm through a vicious throwing motion at point blank range, all while holding tight to the ball in my hand. The reaction was most satisfying, at least for the first time or two.<br />
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I'm sure you are wondering what, indeed, the pump faking of a ten year old has to do with a game played in the National League on June 28th, 2012. Coming into third base, Carlos Gonzalez. On the left of your GIF, Ryan Zimmerman, or Captain Pumpfakery, for our purposes here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That stretch will not save you Carlos!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Those are two highly paid, professional athletes. They are making millions of dollars, and are dedicated to their craft. They are also playing at schoolyard level fakery that would make and 10 year old T-ball player proud.<br />
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The crack research team at Baseball is Magic has determined that this nifty little sleight of hand was performed in the bottom of the first inning, with the score 1-0. Zimmerman has Marco Scutaro in front of him, just about to cross home plate. Gonzalez then makes the critical error everyone fooled by a magician always makes, he looks where Zimmerman<i> wants</i> him to look, which is the opposite of where he should be looking.Instantly, he pays for taking his eye off the ball, being tagged out after rounding third.<br />
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This play saved a run, erasing a baserunner that would have scored on Tyler Colvin's home run in the at-bat that immediately followed the play. The play may have garnered more notice, but the game turned into an <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/COL/COL201206280.shtml" target="_blank">11 inning romp</a>, with the Rockies prevailing 11-10. Which means that CarGo is probably happy that everybody forgot about his falling victim to a stupid trick.<br />
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Well, everybody but you and I, that is.<br />
<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-89844095701531110412012-07-02T10:45:00.000-07:002012-07-02T10:45:04.658-07:00June 18th and June 29th, 2012Baseball loves its records. We, the fans, are always exposed to a new record from Elias Sports Bureau (all those records in one desk!), or Stats Inc., or the local TV stats guy with google and a bunch of spare time on his hands. Records, were, at one time, pure things. For example, most home runs hit in one season. Ever. Period. When Babe Ruth hit 60 homers, that was a simple, pure record.<br />
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Not a lot of games had been played, so it was relatively easy to do something for the first time ever. Most hits in a season, most errors. First pitcher to throw 2 no-hitters, first hitter to get 6 hits in a game. As time has gone on, a whole lot of games have been played. It has become harder to set the definitive record. For example, Jose Bautista was having a very good month in June. He set a record for home runs in a month. He hit fourteen. Fourteen is a lot of home runs in one month. It is more home runs than any Blue Jay has ever hit in a month, and that makes it a record. It is not, however, the most home runs hit in the American League in one month. That record would be fifteen, held jointly by Babe Ruth, Bob Johnson and Roger Maris. It is also nowhere near the Major League record for homers in a month. Sammy Sosa had the discourtesy to hit<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=sosasa01&year=1998&t=b" target="_blank"> twenty home runs in June of 1998,</a> which means you will hear a lot about Ruth, Johnson, and Maris, and then a whole lot about Sosa, before you ever hear about anybody setting the record for homers in the month of June. In a way, I feel bad for Bautista, but it should be hard to have the best home run hitting month in history, and it is.<br />
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Which is why it's totally worth talking about this guy and what he did in the past week an a half.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lying down on the job? Not exactly.</td></tr>
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For those of you not familiar with the face, that's <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hillaa01.shtml" target="_blank">Aaron Hill</a>, current Arizona Diamondbacks (and former Blue Jays) second baseman. He made himself a piece of baseball lore on <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22695087&topic_id=17807232&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_22695087&v=3" target="_blank">June 29th 2012</a>. He had a four hit game, and did something that is very unusual for a hitter. By collecting a single, double, triple, and home run, he did what is called 'hitting for the cycle'.<br />
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It isn't easy to hit for the cycle. It certainly doesn't represent the best night a batter can have, as I'm sure all of the players who have<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/rare_feats/index.jsp?feature=four_homer_game" target="_blank"> hit four home runs in one night </a>will tell you. The funny thing about the cycle is that nobody is trying to do it. A hitter who has a homer and a triple in his first 2 at-bats can't stop at second base if he hits another homer. Hitters aren't really able to stretch a hard single into a double, even if they have the other three elements of the cycle already covered. So, the cycle is a curiosity, but stll requires the tools to hit the ball hard, and have good speed on the bases. Even the best hitters are at the mercy of Lady Luck when it comes to the cycle. Still, it is significant for its rarity.<br />
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As an example of the rarity of the cycle, I present the following: my favourite franchise is the Toronto Blue Jays. They have a 35 year history. They have played 5,267 games. Blue Jay players have hit for the cycle twice. That's once very 2633.5 games. Quite the wait if you wanted to see both. In all of MLB, the fraternity of cycle hitters has 246 members. Which, considering the number of plate appearances in baseball history, is a select group indeed.<br />
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Aaron Hill has hit for the cycle twice in his career, which represents some very intense negotiations with Lady Luck. Several players have hit for the cycle multiple times. This smaller brotherhood contains only 19 names, including Mr. Hill. He stands alone in one regard, however. He took only an 11 day pause between his <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22403777&topic_id=vtp_star_of_the_game&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_22403777&v=3" target="_blank">two hit-for-the-cycle games</a>. Since modern baseball began in 1901, with the American and National Leagues playing parrellel seasons, nobody has ever put their first and second cycle so close together.<br />
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When he retires, Hill can tell his kids that, yes, he does hold an all-time baseball record. He is the player who hit for the cycle twice, and took the shortest ever break between the two times he did it.<br />
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I think, in a watered down game, where we get told a team hasn't hit back to back homers "since 2010" ,(wow, 2 years, that's soooo rare), it's good to have a little of the wonder put back into things by a player doing something that has never been done before. <br />
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Baseball, you never know what you might see next.CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643855949436122853.post-75216063161973692932012-06-17T18:06:00.001-07:002012-06-17T18:17:07.473-07:00Top of the 4th, Lineout SSThe play that led to this post is pretty great. With a man on first base, Brett Cecil delivers a pitch that gets ripped to the right of Yunel Escobar, and he makes a nifty little play to snag it on the fly.<br />
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You can hop to the MLB.com <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22363409&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_video_2236340" target="_blank">video of the play</a> to see him in action. <br />
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If he had left it at that, and flipped to the ball to the pitcher, I wouldn't have made too much not of the play at all. I'm guessing that Yunel shocked himself a little bit when he came up with the ball, because he put on a little display after the catch. It brought a smile to my face.<br />
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I looked like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-56jV4A3Bmv3GV6IT45GItI6QjoGOfbfCB0JCQdS3HKxRLv3R-HNCA430sMCy4Qw9ufcah9IXWyBdGXX_mUQvKMy-NLWpcF41vtGv0FZecY7br8p2JttwgxVeWcTiCWoemWDnIDa6dNdT/s1600/escobar-shows-ball.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-56jV4A3Bmv3GV6IT45GItI6QjoGOfbfCB0JCQdS3HKxRLv3R-HNCA430sMCy4Qw9ufcah9IXWyBdGXX_mUQvKMy-NLWpcF41vtGv0FZecY7br8p2JttwgxVeWcTiCWoemWDnIDa6dNdT/s1600/escobar-shows-ball.gif" /></a></div>
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That reminded me so, so much of a magician, urging you to "Keep your eye on the ball." at the start of a trick, just as the illusion begins. Maybe Yunel felt like he'd already performed a little sleight of glove on that play.<br />
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Also, it is hard to see on the GIF, but he had some very comical looking side-eyes happening if you watch the video in fullscreen. You know, just making sure everybody is being honest on the infield.<br />
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I love this game, the seasons, and the moments. Come back, I post whenever I see a little magic (or amateur magician) on the field. <br />
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<br />CoolHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770695914715485273noreply@blogger.com1