Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - May 10, 2013

The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast is now at episode 199!.

Another day, another mindboggling umpire decision. And another topic for me to get worked up over.

Brian McCann, Patrick Corbin, Scott Kazmire and Evan Longoria owned baseball on May 8, 2013.

To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - May 10, 2013

Isn't the infield fly rule used for fly balls in the infield?

What is it about fly balls to Matt Holliday in the post season?

They are always an adventure.



And today the very first Wild Card Game (we need a better name) will be forever marred by a bizarre and nonsensical call.



Fly ball to shallow left field. Notice it was not a fly ball in the infield.

Look at the screen grab there. There is no infield in sight.



The ball was actually Holliday's, but no doubt Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma remembers Hollday dropping the ball in Los Angeles in 2009. He calls off Holliday, leaning back, awkward position. By no means a given that it is the shortstop's play.



Confusion ensues. The ball drops.

Braves have the bases loaded with one out in a 3 run game.



Sam "Don't call me Hal" Holbrook says it was an infield fly.



Why?

We will never know for sure. He also called it basically as the ball hit the ground.



He blew the call.

According to the rule book the Infield Fly is "An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an
attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary
effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are
occupied, before two are out. "



He went out to left field and was awkwardly positioned.



Not ordinary effort.



The call was blown. And it could have been easily fixed.

A quick look at the video. In less than one minute it would be clear that it wasn't.

Holbrook says "My bad." Everyone else says "Don't worry about it."



Bases loaded, 1 out in a playoff game.

The Cardinals would probably win the game, but the discussion would be their excellent play and not the mysterious Infield Fly call.

You wouldn't have the fans throwing crap on the field. No games played under protest.



This game's legacy and the Cardinals continued participation will be overshadowed by a call that could have been overturned in shorter time that you are spending reading my blog right now.



Is that the human element every opponent of instant replay loves so much?



When people who hate instant replay so much talk about how bad calls are good for the game, were they beaming with happiness when the game was put under protest?



You can't use the "Replay slows down the game" nonsense. And you can't talk about the integrity of the game.



Chipper Jones' last game will be remembered not for him or any play on the field but for an umpire's call.



Check it. Realize it was a mistake. Correct the mistake. Keep playing.



Not too hard.



Opponents of instant replay... you are wrong.








 

Hey opponents of instant replay... how do you like the "Human Element" in the NFL?

Another day and another grotesquely horrible call happened in the NFL.

Sure, a big reason for the horrible calls is that a bunch of Division 3 college refs and Lingerie Bowl officials are now calling games in the NFL.

But I can't help but wonder how many people who are calling up sports talk stations and screaming about the refs are also the same people who complain to me about instant replay in baseball.

"You can't lose the human element" is a common refrain. It is also a nonsensical one as I am not proposing to remove the human element from the players. I just think the game is better when the calls are correct.

But for those of you who love the human element, then this year in football must be GREAT! Blown calls! Lots of human elements.



My challenge still stands.
I still haven't heard of a valid reason to NOT have instant replay in baseball






 

The World According To Jerry Meals

 

The game was delayed... but a play can't be reviewed?

A great game between two pennant contenders went into extra innings.

And it was decided on a disputed call.



Texas Rangers' Alberto Gonzalez squeezed a go ahead single in the 11th inning yesterday in Detroit. But Jim Leyland and the Tiger's catcher disputed the call, claiming the ball hit Gonzalez, making the play dead.



There was a delay when Leyland argued.

The umpires conferred and there was another delay.



And an instant replay quickly showed that the call was wrong.



And all the headlines and discussion (including this blog post) are about a blown call. Two of the best teams in the American League do an exciting rematch of last year's ALCS... and we talk about a blown call in the deciding game.



But of course instant replay can't be used there.



There is no argument that it would slow down the game. The game WAS slowed down without it.

And you can't tell me it is good for the game to have the call wrong in such a crucial situation.



1 minute and the game would have been called correctly.



I will NEVER understand the mindset of those opposed to instant replay.

It spits in the face of logic, fairness and fun.



But I said that already last year.

Instant Replay meets the Human Element in Kansas City

Last night in Kansas City we may have had the great compromise between people like me who are FOR Instant Replay (because we like to have calls be correct!) and the opponents of instant replay, who evidently think screwing up calls makes the game better and players shouldn't be rewarded for what they actually DO!

Billy Butler of the Royals hit a ball off the top of the wall against Yankees starter Bartolo Colon.

That's what he did.
We all saw it.

Now it may have looked like it went over the fence when it happened, but all the camera angles clearly showed it stayed in the park.

Even the Kansas City announcers were talking about how Butler should be on second base.

Joe Girardi asked the umpires to review it. They did. All the TV crews showed over and over again that it didn't clear the fence while they reviewed it.

The umpires returned... and ruled it a home run.

Even the Royals were laughing knowing that they got away with one.

So there you have it! The great compromise! Instant Replay in use, and the human element screws it up!

By finding the mid ground, the umpires for a perfect compromise that EVERYONE can hate.

Instant Replay opponents can complain about the game being slowed down and the over reliance on technology.

Instant Replay supporters can complain that the call was wrong.

EVERYONE LOSES! Which means everyone wins when you think about it.

My previous position still stands!

Hey Jerry Meals

You had better hope the Pirates don't lose the Division by one game.
Here's a tip:

When there is ANY borderline call today, have it go to the Pirates.

Granted, the call you blew wasn't borderline. It made Jim Loyce ruining Armando Galaragga's perfect game look like a reasonable call.

I don't blame Jerry Meals. He made a mistake after crouching behind home plate for 6 hours. We're all human.
But the mistake was a big one and easy to correct.
And if you don't think correcting that mistake is good for baseball, then you are literally insane.

But I've said that already.

Only blithering idiots are against instant replay

If you are offended by the title of this post, keep 2 things in mind:

1) You are only a blithering idiot on the subject of instant replay
2) But on the subject of instant replay I am 100% right and my opponents are 100% wrong.

A wonderful game was planight between Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
19 innings.
Both teams left their guts on the field.
Both teams played like champions.
And the Pirates, playing the most critical stretch of games that they have played since 1992, were wiggling out of jams left and right.

Is THAT what we are going to talk about?
No.

The topic will be home plate umpire Jerry Meals blew a call at home plate to end the game.
It happens.
It's 19 innings into the game. Mistakes happen.

But less than 1 minute after the call was blown, the replay clearly showed the tag was made and the runner was out.

The game went on for more than 6 hours. Are you telling me you can't spend 1 minute to make sure it isn't ended on a mistake?

Are you people who stupidly are against Instant Replay going to say this ending was good for baseball?

Where is the HUMAN element of Daniel McCutchen pitching his brains out but being charged with a loss because an umpire made a mistake?

Where is the HUMAN element of giving the Pirates the loss when they just made a terrific play to possibly end ANOTHER game ending rally?

You've got nothing, opponents of instant replay. NOTHING.
You sound insane.

I'm sure on many other topics you know your stuff.
Give up this argument.

The Blue Jays actually tied the game last night

I listened to the last inning of the Red Sox/Blue Jays game last night and I heard a real thriller.
A tight game became razor thin at the end.

With 2 outs, JohnMcDonald singled home Edwin Encarnacion for the tying run and Jonathan Papelbon blew the save.

That's what really happened.

That's not what was recorded. That's not what history will tell us.
History will tell us a mistake.

History will tell us that Darnell McDonald threw out Encarnacion at the plate. A little research will tell us that Jason Varitek blocked the plate and Encarnacion couldn't touch the plate.

But that's not what happened.

The replay showed that in fact Encarnacion missed home plate at first but his left leg touched home plate before Varitek actually put a tag on him.

Despite Darnell McDonald's wonderful throw and Varitek's gritty defense, Encarnacion scored.

Umpire Brian Knight got the call wrong.
It was a tough call. It was a bang bang play involving lots of movement at home and I am not blaming him.

But why should we pretend that he got the call right?
He didn't. I saw the replay.

And do you know what? It sours the game a little for me. It makes a win, that was already bittersweet with the Lester injury, less satisfying. The Red Sox didn't earn it.

One of the most common illogical complaints I hear from people who are against instant replay is "it will take away the HUMAN ELEMENT."

Let me ask you something. Isn't John McDonald getting a clutch hit off of an All Star closer with 2 outs in the 9th inning part of the human element?

Isn't Edwin Encarnacion making a great slide when he realizes that he doesn't have a clean lane to the plate part of the human element?

They both did something clutch and terrific on the road against a division rival and they are denied being credited as such because... why? Because technology is scary? Because you'd rather have something done now than have it be right? Because first impressions are better than reality?

It's clearly not "The Human Element."

And this is coming from a Red Sox fan who benefited from the blown call.

I'd rather my team earn their victories.

For more on this subject, watch the video.

Why should umps have different strike zones?

I'm watching the Giants/Phillies game and already one of my big pet peeves in baseball has reared its ugly head.

Dan Iassogna, the home plate umpire, called ball four on Jimmy Rollins to drive in the lone run of the game so far. It looked knee high down the center of the plate.

An inning late, he called a pitch lower than the one thrown to Rollins a called third strike on Fontenot to end the second.

The boys on KNBR were talking about how Iassogna does not have a good reputation for calling balls and strikes.

Couple this with the Hunter Wendelstedt fiasco against the Twins and the general acceptance that certain umpires call high strikes but not low strikes... some call a ball off the plate... some squeeze pitchers... some don't...

Um, isn't that crazy?

Let's go to the Official Rules...
The Strike Zone is, and I quote:

...that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the knee cap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.

Pretty cut and dry, isn't it?

And yet people just accept that the umpire will call it how they please.

You don't see this in other aspects of the game.
You don't hear "He calls the ball foul if it just falls one foot fair... that's just how he calls it."
Or "If you slide somewhere near home plate, that's good enough... that's how he calls it."

No. The rest of the game it is in black and white.

Now I am sure there will be many of the opponents of instant replay who will write in and say that one of the joys of baseball is seeing umpires take control of the game and decide what a strike zone is.

I ask "Why should a pitcher get squeezed and be forced to throw pitches down the heart of the plate?"

How about an answer to the question "Why should a pitch be a strike in one inning and a ball to another?"

And "Why should a 3 time batting champ get a favorable call? Isn't it hard enough to get a 3 time batting champ out without the ump bending the rules in his favor?"

I am going to make a video on this topic, but I would LOVE to hear a logical reason why the umpire shouldn't call a strike a strike and a ball a ball.

Only idiots are against instant replay in baseball

Yup.
It has come to this.

Name calling.

I've written about Instant Replay several times and it isn't worth rehashing EVERYTHING. But tonight's travesty just got me fired up again.

The Marlins won the game tonight beating the Phillies in the 9th.

Except they didn't because of a blown call reversed a walk off hit.

It's kind of like how the Giants won a game a few weeks ago... except that they didn't because of the blown call on the final play.

In a year with so many tight races in the National League, a game could be all that keeps the Giants out of the playoffs.

Or maybe the Phillies sneak in by a game.

Exactly what is it going to take for the anti Instant Replay dolts to come around?

We've had a perfect game taken away from a pitcher.

We've had blown calls left and right in the 2009 post season.

Will it take a walk off hit in the post season being taken away?

Seriously, opponents of Instant Replay, what would have happened if tonight's grotesque call by Bob Davidson had taken place in the Division Series... or the NLCS... or the World Series?

Is that what it will take to get some sort of replay system in place?

And as always the whole "it will slow down the pace of the game" argument is not only nonsense and asinine, but is untrue.

The replay showed that Davidson's call was dead wrong while Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez was still on the field arguing.

So time WAS wasted on the call... and it was truly wasted because nothing was done or could be done.

Davidson can only arrogantly shake his head no, dead certain that he got the call right... only to have every single replay showing over and over again that Davidson's confidence is unfounded.

Once again, the rest of the planet has access to the undeniable truth that the call was blown except the one person who could use the information to... and please brace yourself for this outlandish idea... GET THE CALL RIGHT!

I am DYING to hear a valid argument against instant replay.

I am guessing I'm not going to hear them.

The Giants won today's game

The Giants scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th today against the Mets for a dramatic 4-3 victory and completed a 4 game sweep.

That's what actually happened. Anyone who saw the game today saw Mets third baseman throw high in a play at the plate, scoring Ishikawa for the winning run.

It was that way with the naked eye.
It was that way with the replay.

But like Jim Joyce and Armando Galaragga's complete game, reality doesn't matter... only the opinion of the umpire.

Phil Cuzzi, who already unnecessarily delayed the game by jawing with K-Rod, called him out at home.

Even the Mets announcers were saying as it happened "The Mets caught a HUGE break."

And that was BEFORE they looked at the instant replay.

And the replay was shown on the New York station while Bruce Bochy was still arguing... which spits in the face of the insane "Well, it will slow down the game" argument against instant replay.

He was safe. The Giants won the game... except they didn't.

If the Giants miss the playoffs by a single game this year, remember that play.
And know that the entire television audience saw the call was wrong in less than 1 minute.

I guess you can't waste a minute in determining who won or lost a game.

It's bonkers.
Just bring in instant replay!!!

Armando Galarraga should be the S.I. Sportsman of the Year

Oh I am sure there will be some record breaker in football or basketball. Probably there will be a hero in the World Cup.

Or perhaps Phil Mickelson's Masters win will get people all weepy.

But how could there be a better example of class, excellence and sportsmanship than what Galarraga displayed over the last few days?

He showed excellence with the perfect game... and then overwhelming calm when the call was blown, and he just gave a laugh.

That night he had the dignity to comfort umpire Jim Joyce after the game.

And then came the next day. Everyone screaming bloody murder. I wrote about 4,392 blog posts about it.

Airwaves were jammed.

Columnists wrote about it.

Bud Selig mulled over it!

A regular season game between Detroit and Cleveland overshadowed Game 1 of the NBA Finals between Boston and Los Angeles!

Even the White House referenced it!

And how did Galarraga, the man who was denied immortality, handle it?

Less than 18 hours after it happened and tempers simmering, he brought the line up card out to the visibly distraught Jim Joyce, shook his hand, gave him a pat on the back and it was a new day.

Try watching that clip and not get choked up.

You tell me there isn't a Little League coach or a Pop Warner, YMCA basketball league or youth hockey coach in the world worth their weight who wouldn't want their players showing that kind of sportsmanship!

When everyone talks about the selfishness of the athlete and how nobody can relate to them and how they are a bunch of spoiled cry babies, along comes Armando Galaragga. The guy who had every reason to bitch and moan showed set the new standard for playing it cool.

The S.I. Sportsman of the Year is supposed to honor not only those who play the best on the field, but dignify the sporting world (you know, like past honorees Pete Rose, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.)

Galaragga's class is something that should not just be swept under the carpet.

In an odd way, for Galaragga's legacy, the blown call was the best thing that happened to him.

Sure Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay got their moment in the sun from baseball fans. But my in box and Facebook page was filled to gills with messages from friends of mine who don't even follow baseball.

My wife even said "Now I have faith again in that stupid game."

He even got a Corvette out of it.

Give him the Award. And when future generations ask "Why was the Tigers #3 starter the Sportsman of the Year?" they can learn a little bit about class.

And hopefully by then, those kids will ask "But didn't they have instant replay then like now?"

I guess the "Human Element" isn't so important in hockey

Did you see what happened in the Stanley Cup Final game last night?

In the overtime period in Philadelphia, Simon Gagne of the Flyers slapped a shot that looked like it was a game winner.

Everyone was celebrating and no doubt some dude threw up on a little girl.

But what did the officials do? They checked the tape! They made sure it was right!
They weren't going to award a Stanley Cup Final victory to a team based on the human element.

They found out it WASN'T a goal and play resumed.

Now the Flyers won it later and made it a moot point, but just think about that for a second. Without instant replay a team could have won a Stanley Cup Final game they didn't deserve. The difference between a 2-1 hole and a 3-0 hole in a best of seven series is enormous. (Don't tell the Bruins that.)

The call was right. There is no "But the Flyers didn't REALLY win it" caveat.

Remind me why we can't have that kind of certainty again? Not just because of Jim Joyce's epic bed wetting last night, but also last seasons' grotesquely umpired post season.

Heck the Tigers could have made the playoffs with the right call!

Nah.... the HUMAN element is more important.

Riiiiiight.

Jim Joyce blew ANOTHER call in Detroit!

Yup... Jim Joyce blew a call this afternoon about 18 hours after he etched himself into baseball immortality.

He called an inside pitch to Cleveland's Russell Branyan a hit by pitch.

The pitch missed him worse than Sonny Corleone's phantom punch to Carlo.

Well that hit by pitch is starting a rally and a 5-0 Tigers lead is now 5-4.

Am I being nit picky o Jim Joyce? Sure. But after last night, wouldn't you think that ANY borderline call would go the Tigers way today?

The human element!

(By the way, a 4th run just came across the plate at a play at first... where replay showed the runner was out. FYI)

Greg Lee's thoughts on Jim Joyce's call

My friend, the great writer, editor and Giants fan Greg Lee wrote to me after the whole Galaragga/Jim Joyce fiasco.

"Maybe they were shooting a Southwest Airlines "Want to get away?" commercial."

That's the best explanation yet.

No Cleveland fans... Galaragga didn't bobble the ball

Cleveland fans are writing on some blogs that the call against Armando Galaragga was good one because he bobbled the ball.

An interesting piece of revisionist history (right up there with Pedro Martinez ATTACKED Don Zimmer in the 2003 ALCS.)

Um, do you know who agrees with you Cleveland fans?
NOBODY!

Not even Jim Joyce used that as a lame excuse.

Here's the clip.

Point out where the bobble is and e mail me at info@sullybaseball.







I thought I told you Cleveland fans to stop watching sports this year!

Jim Joyce becomes an immortal

Seriously... I kind of feel good for Jim Joyce. Most of the times an umpire's name is not part of the story of the game.

Every once in a while an ump does something truly memorable, like Don Denkinger blowing that call in the 1985 World Series or Eric Gregg having a strike zone approximately 5 yards wide and 15 feet high in the 1997 NLCS.

But to TRULY be the story is very rare.

If the Cardinals pulled a double play on the next batter, nobody would have remembered the blown call. And the Braves could have adjusted instead of looking at those wide strikes.

But what Jim Joyce did today was extraordinary.

He blew the final play of a perfect game.

Armando Galarraga threw a perfect game. He did. That's not an opinion... that's a fact. And in real time it looked like he covered first for the final out in time.

In slow motion it looked like... um... it wasn't close.

This wasn't a blown call in the 7th. If an ump blows a call in the 7th, 8th or even the top of the 9th, you can't necessarily say the pitcher would have completed the perfect game. He could relax after letting up a hit.

But with 2 outs in the 9th... there is no other scenario other than "Perfect Game" or "Blown Call" on that grounder.

There have been only 20 perfect games thrown in baseball history (and it seems like 15 of them have been thrown since Mother's Day.) It should be 21.

Why isn't it 21?

Because of Jim Joyce.

And what is the headline for this wonderful game? Is it Armando Galarraga's game of his life?

Nope!

It's Jim Joyce!

And from this day forward when people talk about perfect games and they list perfect games, announcers will say "And remember Armando Galarraga had a perfect game, but the final call was blown by Jim Joyce."

That is epic.

That is knowing this massive bed wetting will be known among the all time bad calls.

Doesn't happen every day for an ump.

Oh and one more thing... did you see Galarraga's reaction?


He was grinning.

Jim Joyce stole his bid for immortality and he had a smile on his face.

How classy was that?
How centered is this guy?

Or maybe he knows that Joyce just got himself his own place in baseball history... and not the way he wants it.


INSTANT REPLAY ANYONE?