MLB 2008

[cryptique]

I think it'd be a plus to use it for boundary issues but disagree with cryptique that managers be allotted X (1?) amount of calls per game as that would almost ensure they get used each game which will slow games down and break the rhythm of the game and certainly not for safe/out calls.

 

The head of the umpiring crew should be able to use ir at his discretion. Umpires almost always get the calls right as it is, and have increasingly shown willingness to reverse calls when they are wrong, which is a huge plus compared to the attitudes of the umpires up until about 10 years ago.

It's certainly fodder for much argument. I'd rather limit the possibility of non-boundary replay usage to two calls per game by giving the managers one challenge apiece. If you have a crew chief who's replay-happy, giving him that much discretion will surely slow the game down more than two (or fewer) challenges per game by the managers.

 

Challenges for safe/out calls make sense to me because there are plenty of badly missed calls in that category, many of which might turn games if they went the other way. And those aren't really judgement calls, the way balls/strikes or basepath infractions are -- if you have a clear enough camera angle, you can make a pretty definitive call.

 

And really, "the rhythm of the game"? Since when did baseball games have any rhythm at all? In a sport that has no clock and allows trips to the mound by managers, coaches, and other players, not to mention time-wasting routines preceding every pitch by both pitchers and batters, I'm not at all concerned that the minimal introduction of replay will upset the already snail-like pace of the games.

 

I mean, come on, there was once a player whose nickname was "the human rain delay." This is not a sport known for its rapid pacing.

[Lammycat]

I wouldn't be worried about an ir-happy crew chief, either. Any time a reversal of a call is made it's after consensus by the entire crew. What would be different with ir potential?

 

I think there is certainly a rhythm to the game that includes the factors you've cited. That's part of the rhythm. What isn't part of the rhythm is having a manager call for a replay in the middle of a bombastic inning by the offense or a torrid inning by a pitcher.

 

Whatever, though. Just my take.

 

I also disagree that there are plenty of badly missed calls by umpires. When calls are blown they're memorable (think Youkilis against OAK at the plate last fall). Again, the umpires already do a very accurate job at calling plays on the base paths correctly.

[bobbob1313]

I don't think there is too much need for replay in baseball. I think it should be used at most once per day across the league.

 

Bill James had some very interesting ideas to help the rhythm o the game in his historical abstract update from a few years back. If I can find it I'll post it.

 

John Danks had a no-no through 6 today.

 

Johnny Cueto has pitched 5 innings today and he is very good at pitching. 'Doh! One guy on my fantasy team takes another guy on my fantasy team deep to end the no-no.

[MrRain422]

The only one of Bill James's ideas that I remember involved limiting the number of pitching subsitutions. I remember that he wanted to make a rule that a pitcher could not be removed from a game unless he had already given up a run in that inning (except for injuries, of course).

[bobbob1313]

Limiting amounts of times the manager could come to the mound was another. I want to say limiting the times a batter or pitcher could call time was also one of them. If I was at home, I'd just look it up. Unfortunately, no such luck.

[MrRain422]

Technically the only ones who can call timeout are the umps anyway. I'm not sure why umps grant every single request for timeout. Especially when it's just being done to fuck with the pitcher. It's annoying.

 

I'm not sure if James has commented on this specifically, but I think another good way to speed up the game would be to actually enforce the rule about how long a pitcher can take between pitches. I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to take longer than 20 seconds.

[Lammycat]

I'm not sure if I read it in my Abstract or an article but I remember James mentioning that t.v. time outs help hinder the rhythm (an obvious one) but also that hitters should be able to decline a ball-four walk if they want to, which would force pitchers to throw more strikes which would help keep the rhythm at a more steady and quicker pace.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if James has commented on this specifically, but I think another good way to speed up the game would be to actually enforce the rule about how long a pitcher can take between pitches. I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to take longer than 20 seconds.

This, along with batters hopping in/out of the batters box and the time they take between pitches were supposed to be more regularly enforced starting last season.

[bjorn_skurj]

I agree. Love the Felix the Cat avatar.

Danke. I used to have a Felix Millan bat when I was a kid. Watch for more famous, semi-obscure and completely obscure 60s, 70s, and 80s Mets, all season long!

[Sir Stewart]

Danke. I used to have a Felix Millan bat when I was a kid. Watch for more famous, semi-obscure and completely obscure 60s, 70s, and 80s Mets, all season long!

This is so exciting!

[bobbob1313]

If I did Marlin Avatars, I'd begin with Chucky Carr. Cuz Chucky hacks on 2-0.

[Sir Stewart]

If I did Red Sox -- oh, wait.

[renic]

is anyone having problems listening through mlb.com? i've got no audio & am supposed to.

 

i've never used it before.

[benjamin]

Are you kidding me Detroit? It's the f'ing Royals!!!!!!! ****deep breath**** relax....

[fickerson]

haha, ryan braun sucks at defense.

 

LOEB - mlbtv is working pretty well for me today. do you have premium? or are you using gameday?

[renic]

haha, ryan braun sucks at defense.

 

LOEB - mlbtv is working pretty well for me today. do you have premium? or are you using gameday?

 

yes, but when i click on wgn through mlb.com it won't come up. should i go somewhere else to get a link?

[fickerson]

yes, but when i click on wgn through mlb.com it won't come up. should i go somewhere else to get a link?

 

for mlbtv? i usually just go to the mlb.com homepage and click on the "watch" icon in the scoreboard.

[renic]

for mlbtv? i usually just go to the mlb.com homepage and click on the "watch" icon in the scoreboard.

 

 

yeah it doesn't like me. its ok. thanks though!

[fickerson]

well now the connection isn't working for me. dammit.

[renic]

d'oh!!! didn't mean to jinx you!

[fickerson]

it's back! for now...

[bobbob1313]

Bobby Cox just did something I have never seen before.

 

Chris Resop is in the game pitching in the top of the 10th. He puts men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out.

 

Andy Laroche steps to the plate, a lefty, with Xavier Nady, a righty, on deck. What does Cox do? He puts Royce Ring in the game to pitch (a lefty), but he doesn't take Resop out of the game, he puts him in LEFT FIELD and takes out Matt Diaz.

 

Ring K's Laroche, Cox takes him out, puts Resop back on the bound, and puts Blanco in LF. As I am typing this Nady just drove in the go ahead run, but it was still interesting strategy by Cox.

[jenbobblehead]

i am watching that game too.

[Twisted Acres]

Bobby Cox just did something I have never seen before.

 

Chris Resop is in the game pitching in the top of the 10th. He puts men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out.

 

Andy Laroche steps to the plate, a lefty, with Xavier Nady, a righty, on deck. What does Cox do? He puts Royce Ring in the game to pitch (a lefty), but he doesn't take Resop out of the game, he puts him in LEFT FIELD and takes out Matt Diaz.

 

Ring K's Laroche, Cox takes him out, puts Resop back on the bound, and puts Blanco in LF. As I am typing this Nady just drove in the go ahead run, but it was still interesting strategy by Cox.

 

That's what using 7 pitchers in 9 innings and then going onto extras will do...

 

Davey Johnson did that with the Mets back in '86 or so. He put Jesse Orosco out in left or right, brought in Roger McDowell, then moved McDowell to the outfield and had Jesse come back in and pitch to the next hitter, depending on whether the hitter was lefty or righty, Orosco or McDowell would pitch. Extra innings necessitates extra ingenuity, I guess...

[bjorn_skurj]

1. That's old school, the pitcher-in-the-outfield thing.

2. I wish the Mets had Nady back. X!

[MattZ]

That's what using 7 pitchers in 9 innings and then going onto extras will do...

 

Davey Johnson did that with the Mets back in '86 or so. He put Jesse Orosco out in left or right, brought in Roger McDowell, then moved McDowell to the outfield and had Jesse come back in and pitch to the next hitter, depending on whether the hitter was lefty or righty, Orosco or McDowell would pitch. Extra innings necessitates extra ingenuity, I guess...

 

Yeah it was against the Reds if I remember right. Orosco caught a fly ball hit to him in right field.