Labor Day IGT - Mets @ St Louis

[Edgy MD]

Let's go, Daniel-san!

[Edgy MD]

Fouled back. Down to the last strike again.

Motte over 30 pitches. One and two.

[Edgy MD]

Flies out to right.

Grabacafk.

Live blogging sucks.

[Zvon]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: That's a REALLY ballsy call to make there.

Way too ballsy for a young ump. But he called it like he saw it. What can ya do? We was ripped.

[Guest themetfairy]

Sure, NOW Terry argues the call vociferously....

[Frayed Knot]

It's not that you can't make that call, or that a rookie ump can't make that call, it's that if you are going to make that call in that spot that you have to be pretty damn sure that you're getting it right - and with Torres's foot on the back-side of the base (from the ump's POV) that looked a bit too iffy for my tastes.

[Fman99]

Ridiculous call by the umpire. Mets taking it in the crudites.

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: It's not that you can't make that call, or that a rookie ump can't make that call, it's that if you are going to make that call in that spot that you have to be pretty damn sure that you're getting it right - and with Torres's foot on the back-side of the base (from the ump's POV) that looked a bit too iffy for my tastes.

I totally agree.

[G-Fafif]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: These ARE the best fans in baseball-- they can judge pitches from the stands!

BOfuckingC.

[G-Fafif]

Been a while since I ran any bases but who touches first with his left foot? Looks like he touched it, but too much shadow of doubt cast, apparently. Not close enough to call Torres out, but...ah, fuck it.

[Met Hunter]

Umps overthink these things. Unless you know for sure Torres missed first you can't make that call. Judging by the replay there is no way he knew for sure. Just sucks when it goes against you.

[Frayed Knot]

G-Fafif wrote: Been a while since I ran any bases but who touches first with his left foot?

I remember reading, or being told - I forget now, that the best way to run the bases was to hit each with your inside (left) foot. It seems, on the surface anyway, to be counter-intuitive but the claim is that that method best allows you to "cut" the bases (run a tighter circle) and therefore get to the next one quicker.

Not that I'm claiming that's what Torres was doing there; he was clearly looking at the RF and decided to go when he saw that tiny mis-step as the fielder tried to change his momentum. Problem was that that long look took his sight off of his feet and he stutter-stepped his way to a missed (or not) bag.

[Fman99]

I have been dumbfounded at just how many outs Torres, and the Mets as a team, have run into on the basepaths this year. It's ridiculous is what it is.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: G-Fafif wrote: Been a while since I ran any bases but who touches first with his left foot? I remember reading, or being told - I forget now, that the best way to run the bases was to hit each with your inside (left) foot. It seems, on the surface anyway, to be counter-intuitive but the claim is that that method best allows you to "cut" the bases (run a tighter circle) and therefore get to the next one quicker. Not that I'm claiming that's what Torres was doing there; he was clearly looking at the RF and decided to go when he saw that tiny mis-step as the fielder tried to change his momentum. Problem was that that long look took his sight off of his feet and he stutter-stepped his way to a missed (or not) bag.

to me it looked like he stutter-stepped in order to step on the base in that manner. He probably meant to hit more than just the tiny corner of it, but that's irrelevant to the fact that he did step on the bag and did nothing wrong.

[Edgy MD]

Having the short-term memory of a goldfish myself, I'd hate to point to ADD, but what sucky way to suck up a game. I was primed to sweep these Birdies.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That sounds terrible. I'm glad I missed this one.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Swan Swan H wrote: Looked more like an out Duda'd into a triple.

I just saw the play and I'd agree. As I saw it, Duda, plodding as he was as if on a chain gang, wouldn't of stopped that ball from going to the wall no matter what angle he took. He's a slow and dreadful outfielder.

[G-Fafif]

Been a while since I ran any bases but who touches first with his left foot? I remember reading, or being told - I forget now, that the best way to run the bases was to hit each with your inside (left) foot. It seems, on the surface anyway, to be counter-intuitive but the claim is that that method best allows you to "cut" the bases (run a tighter circle) and therefore get to the next one quicker. Not that I'm claiming that's what Torres was doing there; he was clearly looking at the RF and decided to go when he saw that tiny mis-step as the fielder tried to change his momentum. Problem was that that long look took his sight off of his feet and he stutter-stepped his way to a missed (or not) bag.

Counterintuitive gets the square -- or the bag, in this case.

[W]hen you're learning to hit the inside of the bag with your left foot it can seem awkward, but it is correct. As we approach each base, at about 10 feet out we have to make a small arc so that we are approaching the bag at an angle instead of straight on. The reason we round it with our left foot is that we lean to the left while the right foot does the crossover step to start toward the next base. It's all in the physics: when the foot strikes the bag it starts to slow us down, but if we lean to the left we are hitting the base, crossing our right foot over, and driving through the bag with our arms. The centrifugal force will keep the momentum we have and not cause us to break stride. If we hit a base with our right foot, we lose some of the momentum built up running to the bag. It's really key that the runner creates a little bit of an angle when approaching the bag and tries to run hard, not slowing down. It's one of the small intricacies of baserunning that some players never really learn. It's not the worst thing to do incorrectly, but given a choice it's easy to do it right.

[Frayed Knot]

The only kicker is that you can't do that lean and left foot thing in softball leagues where there are un-anchored bases, lest ye fall on your head.

[Edgy MD]

And, from when we discussed this issue back in the day, Ty Cobb cutting third using his right foot.

[Frayed Knot]

Ummm, that's his left.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ummm, that's his left.

He used his left foot to touch third, and his right to spike northerners.

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ummm, that's his left.

I meant correct foot. It was a pun, you fool! Suckered by my pedant bait.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy DC wrote: And, from when we discussed this issue back in the day, Ty Cobb cutting third using his right foot.

You have to wonder if Ty Cobb hated this picture, eyes closed, looking plenty graceful but a bit fruity too, becoming one of the images he'll forever be associated with.

[Edgy MD]

Swan Swan H wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Ummm, that's his left. He used his left foot to touch third, and his right to spike northerners.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

That's some Spalding Guide spiking technique right there.

[G-Fafif]

"I'm sorry, I know it's the not the PC thing to say, with the la-de-da, spot of tea, country club baseball we see today, but that's how you come into home, Gary. That's how I learned it from Lou Brock, except without the angry racism."

[Guest Swan Swan H]

"Now I'm taking my pastel markers, my hair dye and Tootsie Pops and heading off to my house in Sag Harbor."

[Frayed Knot]

"Now I'm taking my pastel markers, my hair dye and Tootsie Pops and heading off to my summer house in Sag Harbor."

Fixed it for you.

[G-Fafif]

True, Keith is a citizen of Jupiter most of the time.

Also, he has a place in South Florida.