IGT 05/29, Barry to Shea (sorta)

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

What a stupid finish!

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Molina's trapped in a plastic mask of emotion.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'll take your woid for it.

We love Carlos!

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Batty 31 - "Does anyone remember a few weeks ago when I said that once Delgado gets going, he'll be on fire???"

I do. I remember you telling me exactly that in a thread about two weeks ago.

[DocTee]

Honestly, I feel sorry for Armando.

After the game, Fox Sports Bay Area went right to the A's telecast, where Glenn Kuiper "welcomed those who were watching the Giants-Mets game."

Ray Fosse: "last time I looked they were winning 4-3...what happened?"

Kuiper: "Benitez."


That's rough.

.

[Batty31]

Thank you, Rockin' Doc!! I'm glad someone remembered.

Edgy..must you post that pic? 'rolls eyes'

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

As Delgado is walking to the plate:

Rockin' Doc - "I wouldn't have pitched to Beltran in that situation. I would have wlked him and gone for the DP with Delgado."

Shows how little I know. Dumb ass.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Fosse was a good catcher, but neither of those guys approached the player that Benitez has been.

[DocTee]

I didn't even know Glenn Kuiper was a player. His brother Duane does Giants telecasts with Ralph Kiner's favorite Pole, Mike Krukow

[Frayed Knot]

I still haven't seen either balk.

[Guest Edgy DC]

DocTee wrote: I didn't even know Glenn Kuiper was a player. His brother Duane does Giants telecasts with Ralph Kiner's favorite Pole, Mike Krukow

Oh, that's not Duane you're referring to.

Then Armando's had a better career than either of them or their brothers.

[metirish]

Great game to watch,but that umpire sucks elephants(no balk) balls,I really don't like an umpire helping to decide a game like that,would he make those calls in the WS?...maybe he would.

[Guest Spacemans Bong]

I live in SF (I'm actually from here), and Giants fans have become intimately familiar with that sense of impending doom when Benitez comes on the mound in the 9th that Met fans know oh so well. He's certainly become every bit as hated here as he was at Shea.

[Gwreck]

I too felt a little bad for Armando. Partly because he gets a worse rap than he deserves (and that could be an entire thread by itself) and partly because it distinctly felt like the fans were rooting specifically for him to fail rather than for the Mets to win. (Now, I know in some sense that sounds stupid -- because he'd have to fail in most cases for us to win -- but still...)

That being said, I predicted the Delgado homer as soon as the second balk call was made. Only surpise was that it took longer in the AB to happen than I thought.

Can't believe I'm the first in this thread to invoke the name of Steve Bieser (which was, IIRC, the last time the Mets tied a game on a balk).

Lost in the shuffle:
Perez setting down 14 Giants in a row after the second homer. Delgado went over and had a talk with him that seemed to settle Perez down.

Strategy decisions that I don't like:
Pinch hitting for Gomez. Not a huge defensive loss with Johnson out there but I don't think Franco was a great improvement.

Bunting with Chavez once Reyes had reached second on the first balk.

Misc:
Every Met did the Oliver Perez-style leap over the foul line as they ran onto the field for the 1st inning.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Great IGT. Nice to see my baby doll Squinty make an appearance.

Just finished it on the Tivo.

Was thinking Marsh called a decent game until Wagner came on and he squeezed him a bit, but was really happy he had the stones to call balls or strikes on the check swings on his own until that Lo Duca one. That was terrible.

Lincecum's wind-up reminded me a little of Hideo Nomo the way he twisted so much to his right that his back was completely turned to home before he unwound and fired. He was bad-ass, though. As advertised.

Speaking of advertising, SNY had the superimposed computer ads behind home plate tonight, I guess to accommodate ESPN's green screen for their computer ads. That's always been an annoyance of mine for some reason, but SNY did it better than ESPN has and way better than FOX does it and they've had years of practice. I'm not even sure I would've noticed if not for the green screen.

Weird ending, but a win is a win is a win, I guess.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Perez was the hidden hero maybe.

I hear you on the pinch-hitting call, but Franco sure did his job. That was an amazing stop and exchange to save the game there. The Mets in fact, came so tantalizingly close to walking off three times before they finally did --- Wright's almost homer, Franco's drive up the middle stopped by Vizquel, and Wright's hard lineout that went right to the outfielder.

[soupcan]

I also thought it was a crappy way for the Mets to win and 'Mando to lose.

I read this morning that Benitez agreed with the second balk call but not the first. But if neither were called no one would've argued anyway. That rule needs to have a more generally accepted interperatation I think. I genuinely felt bad for the guy.

I also agree that Benitez has gotten quite the bad rap over the years and point to CF's classic defenses of 'Mando that were posted mostly on the MoFo during the 'Benitez Wars'. CF made a very convincing argument on Armando's behalf.

Watched the game last night in HD for the first time. The fact that it was on ESPN HD and SNY HD gave me a chance to flip back and forth to compare the two pictures. I didn't think there was a difference in HD quality from one HD channel to the next but wow was there ever. ESPN's was so far superior to SNY's. Mostly apparent from the centerfield camera shot. I tried watching the game on ESPN but the graphics all over the screen combined with Sutcliffe and whoever the hell those other two rednecks in the booth were, made it border on impossible. I watched most of it on SNY even with the lesser quality resolution.

Anyone else ever experience different levels of HD? Is that a usual thing?

[Guest Edgy DC]

It was quite a treat that I was able to get the MLB.tv webcast on an ESPN night.

I don't know how the balk rule can be improved upon. It's a judgment call and it's a judgment that nobody is watching for except those guys trained to watch for it. Either you have it or you don't.

[soupcan]

Edgy DC wrote: I don't know how the balk rule can be improved upon. It's a judgment call and it's a judgment that nobody is watching for except those guys trained to watch for it. Either you have it or you don't.

You're right, no one is watching for it when it happens except those trained to, but if no one can even see it on the super slo-mo replay then it really opens itself up to valid questions.

[metirish]

Bob Davidson on the balk calls...

] “During the first balk, Benítez was looking in for a sign and started,” Davidson said. “His whole body went forward, and he stopped. It looked like he didn’t like the sign and stopped. In the last balk, he got startled by Reyes off third base and kind of shook his whole body. In extra innings you can’t be ticky-tacky, and in my mind they are both definites.”

the second balk was called by Hunter Wendelstedt(3rd base)

[Benjamin Grimm]

I went to bed after the 11th inning and watched the 12th this morning on TiVo-delay.

Nice way to start the day!

I've never even tried to understand the balk rule, so I have no opinion about whether it was a good call or not. (It did look like Delgado noticed it just as the umpire did, though.)

You know an umpire is conscientious, however, when he calls a balk that ties a game in the 12th inning of a night game. You'd think he'd be tempted to overlook it so that he could get out of there and get back to the hotel.

I found Armando to be one of the most frustrating Mets closers ever, but I did feel bad for him this morning. When he was walking off the field after Delgado's homer, he looked so sad. I don't think I've ever seen that expression on him.

The ESPN coverage of Barry Bonds was just so annoying. They must have HATED that he was sitting this one out. All those shots of him in the dugout. All those clips of home runs by him (and by Hank Aaron). It was just too much. After the game ended I kept the TV on as SportsCenter got underway, and someone mentioned Barry's "dramatic" pinch-hitting appearance.

ESPN seems so out of touch on this. Bonds passing Aaron just isn't the same as Aaron passing Ruth. I just don't think that that many people care a whole lot. PLUS, most of the people who do care are probably rooting against him, not for him.

[Willets Point]

I was super-tired last night & fell asleep in my easy chair. I woke up during the excitement in the ninth inning, but when the game went into extra innings I went to bed. Too bad I didn't have more adrenaline.

[seawolf17]

"Hang on. I know a guy."

[Zvon]

DocTee wrote: Let's see if Armando still remembers how to lose games at Shea.

LMAO>^

I had to read this thread just to bask in the glory you guys must have been feeling.
And its all here.


What a game this was.