IGT 04/08/2021 - Fishsticks at Mets - Bring It on Home!

[dinosaur jesus]

Edgy MD wrote: As shitty ways to walkoff go, it probably still beats the extra-inning win featuring a fake runner on second.

That was my thought too. It also never makes me unhappy to see Mattingly unhappy.

[G-Fafif]

Not the same scenario, but I'm put in mind of the Don Money walkoff grand slam vs MFYs (45 years ago this weekend) that was negated when Chris Chambliss, playing first, was ruled to have called time. Brewers went from dramatic win to coming up short.

[Willets Point]

I feel that in the history of the Mets they have been robbed of wins more often than they steal one, so this restores a cosmic balance. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[Edgy MD]

dinosaur jesus wrote: Edgy MD wrote: As shitty ways to walkoff go, it probably still beats the extra-inning win featuring a fake runner on second. That was my thought too. It also never makes me unhappy to see Mattingly unhappy.

What's the deal with that guy, anyhow? Did he not get the Yankee job because he wasn't Cashman's guy? Or because he wasn't the Steinbrenners' guy? Or maybe because Torre was on the outs with everyone and he was too much Torre's guy?



Because I don't like the guy either, but this is his sixth season in Miami Limbo, and he seems as capable a skipper as anybody else. I wonder what it's going to take to reunite him with his Yankeeness.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Anthony DiComo wrote: McNeil led off with a homer into the second deck in right field. He became the 16th Mets player to homer on his birthday.

That's a little surprising, isn't it? In sixty seasons, only 16 Mets have homered on their birthday?

[Edgy MD]

Well, half of them have no chance of homering on their birthday, seeing as it would be in the offseason (unless perhaps we count spring training and the post-season).



And of the other half, 40-50% of them will be pitchers who don't do a lot of homerun hitting. At least, the non-Colón pitchers don't.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Anthony DiComo wrote: McNeil led off with a homer into the second deck in right field. He became the 16th Mets player to homer on his birthday. That's a little surprising, isn't it? In sixty seasons, only 16 Mets have homered on their birthday?

Well, since I have access to a database, I can verify this.



It's previously happened 18 times, but by 15 distinct players. Jim Hickman did it twice, and Mike Piazza three times. The last time before today was Wilson Ramos in 2019. Current Met Dominic Smith has also homered on his birthday, back in 2018.



1963-05-10,1937-05-10,Hickman,Jim

1966-05-10,1937-05-10,Hickman,Jim

1968-08-04,1942-08-04,Jones,Cleon

1969-08-09,1942-08-09,Agee,Tommie

1972-08-21,1939-08-21,Beauchamp,Jim

1986-09-22,1959-09-22,Backman,Wally

1988-04-08,1954-04-08,Carter,Gary

1989-08-03,1964-08-03,Elster,Kevin

1992-05-01,1960-05-01,O'Brien,Charlie

1994-05-27,1969-05-27,Hundley,Todd

1998-09-04,1968-09-04,Piazza,Mike

2000-09-04,1968-09-04,Piazza,Mike

2002-09-04,1968-09-04,Piazza,Mike

2003-04-15,1969-04-15,Burnitz,Jeromy

2008-04-24,1977-04-24,Beltran,Carlos

2013-08-29,1983-08-29,Recker,Anthony

2018-06-15,1995-06-15,Smith Dom

2019-08-10,1987-08-10,Ramos,Wilson





Homering on your birthday seems to be a thing that catchers are particularly good at.

[Edgy MD]

That Beauchamp line should note that he hit two homers that day.



May the legend of the Jim Beauchamp Birthday Power Surge never die.

[smg58]

So what exactly is the rule on HBP's if the umpire determines the player didn't do enough to avoid it? Does it become a ball, even if the pitch was in the strike zone?

[bmfc1]

HP Umpire Ron Kulpa said that he was culpable. Because it was a strike, Conforto getting hit was irrelevant and he should have called it that way. Oh well.

https://twitter.com/SteveGelbs/status/1380281375450877955/photo/1https://twitter.com/SteveGelbs/status/1380281375450877955/photo/1

[MFS62]

Was Backman batting right or left handed when he homered? He only hit one home run that year and that was it.

Later

[Edgy MD]

The next homerun Backman hits batting righthanded will be his first.

[Lefty Specialist]

That's a pretty amazing Mea Kulpa.

[Frayed Knot]

=bmfc1 post_id=60182 time=1617919948 user_id=73]
HP Umpire Ron Kulpa said that he was culpable. Because it was a strike, Conforto getting hit was irrelevant and he should have called it that way.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

As far as I m concerned Conforto is a national hero for avoiding extra innings and is going bad enough to resort to cheating.

[Edgy MD]

He really looks like he's not picking the ball up at all.

[ashie62]

Still ahead of the Braves

[ashie62]

Willets Point wrote: Villar should've picked up the bat shard and thrown it at the batter.

Like Piazza?

[Ceetar]

I'm gonna need a little more than the umps description of that as the rule, I feel like if you turn out of the way and happen to turn INTO the strikezone it's still a HBP no? But that rule has always been pretty weird and stupid.







edit. looked it up:



( He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (1) The ball

is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) The batter makes no attempt to

avoid being touched by the ball;

If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a strike,

whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone

when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if he makes no attempt to avoid

being touched.





Of course, "was a strike" is subjective (well, it is with human umps) and it's not like Comforto's pitch was down the middle. it was on the corner.







Also if interest, because I've seen this called wrong:

A batter is out WHEN



(f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him;



I've definitely seen (Duda I think) players called out for accidentally swinging while dodging when it was a ball, which does NOT qualify for this.

[MFS62]

I guess Jeter doesn't make the umpires better.



Later

[Frayed Knot]

=Ceetar post_id=60199 time=1617926485 user_id=102]
Also if interest, because I've seen this called wrong:

A batter is out WHEN



(f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him;



I've definitely seen (Duda I think) players called out for accidentally swinging while dodging when it was a ball, which does NOT qualify for this.

[Edgy MD]

Lefty Specialist wrote: That's a pretty amazing Mea Kulpa.

Folks, this is some quality work here that shouldn't go unacknowledged.

[bmfc1]

https://i.postimg.cc/1zzbBZys/Screenshot-2021-04-08-9-25-31-AM.jpg>

[Edgy MD]

Newsday Damages Tabloid

Cover Derby Prospects With

Bizarre Line Spacing Blunder

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I guess Jeter doesn't make the umpires better. Later

The truth is that if Jeter did what Conforto did, he'd be praised for "doing whatever it takes to win." Remember when he pretended to get hit when the ball actually hit the bat, but rolled around in agony to get the walk?



What knucklehead reporter asked if there was anything that could be done to "make it right" for the Marlins?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Frayed Knot wrote: =Ceetar post_id=60199 time=1617926485 user_id=102] Also if interest, because I've seen this called wrong: A batter is out WHEN (f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him; I've definitely seen (Duda I think) players called out for accidentally swinging while dodging when it was a ball, which does NOT qualify for this.

When a batter swings at a ball that hits them, it's still a strike.

That's one umps don't tend to miss unless the swing itself is unclear.







So I was thinking that this is something Robo-ump would be unlikely to miss because, unless the ball hits the batter in such a way that it

deflects and never reaches the strike zone, R.U. is going to call that a strike meaning the ump has no choice but to call it such.

[duan]

Look - he got clipped by it - he appealed for it and got given. It wasn't like he dived in the box, it was more that he fell over in coming together and made the case. You get given it you take it and move on, there'll be ones that go against you.

and I HAD NO PROBLEM with it. ...

[Benjamin Grimm]

http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2021/20210409_NSD_02.jpg> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2021/20210409_NYDN_02.jpg> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2021/20210409_NYP_02.jpg>

[Fman99]

Enjoyed the afternoon game. Missed innings 1-2 on my lunch/nap break. Watched innings 3-8 on my tablet while I worked. Took my phone and bluetooth headphones and listened to the entire 9th inning while on a ten mile bike ride around my neighborhood.



A win is a win, cheap as this one may be. We needed it, especially with an off day on the horizon. You don't want to go into a 48 hour lull at 1-3.

[Guest KenVolkner]

McNeil's douchy batflip got me all fired up.