Frayed Knot

Edgy MD wrote: When a baserunner is hit by a batted ball in fair territory, he is out. Exceptions to this are if the ball had already, in the umpire's judgment, passed the infielder that might have had a play, or if the runner had reached the sanctuary of a base. I don't think that part of it is correct. A baserunner on a base in is fair territory and therefore is out if hit (subject to the fielder part). As a kid, I always imagined a logical extension of this second exception, totally in violation of its spirit, where if a player was safely on a base as the ball approached or passed him, he could deliberately kick it away from the defenders. Or, in the position of David Wright above, he could pick it up and hurl it into the outfield. I imagine there's a specific rule written to restrain players from just that sort of behavior, but imagine if it was on the books. It might come into play once or twice a year. And occasionally go three years without anybody picking up a rolling ball while on base. Or maybe many years would pass, and it would become baseball's version of the fair-catch-free-kick-field-goal attempt --- a rule that has fallen into disuse because few remember it exists on the very rare chance they would get to use it. "In Milwaukee today, we had a rare baserrunner throwaway play today.... ." I heard the story when I was a kid that the Milwaukee Braves were in a bases-loaded, 1-out, tie-game situation. A bouncer to SS spelled a likely GiDP and extra innings until runner Joe Aadcock heading towards 3rd simply grabbed the ball on the way by and heaved it into the OF. He, quite obviously, was out but the DP was broken up and the run scored. Rules were changed after that for intentional interference to where the interferer is out and so is the guy behind him and that all runners return to their original base.

Looks like the RF was Nelson Cruz

" plus, who the hell expected that out of him at this point?" Except that I don't want to go casting votes on someone based on expectations. A 2-hit shutout from one guy should be worth just as much as a 2-hit shutout from someone else regardless of prior track record (assuming everything else is equal which, of course, it never is). So you can make an argument for more points for Gee, I just wouldn't use the expectations one.

What's the story behind this? What are they reacting to? IIRC it was one of those 315-ft YS HR specials that the Texas RFer nearly caught and so the mooks are both celebrating the MFY run and mocking the guy from whom they stole the catch. oe: beaten to the punch

Gee - 5.2 Rice - 0.5 Parnell - 0.7 Byrd - 2.3 Turner - 0.3 Buck - 0.5 Recker - 0.25 Duda - 0.25

Hefner - 2.4 Rice - 0.6 Byrd - 1.5 Davis - 1.3 Buck - 1.0 Murphy - 1.3 Duda - 1.4 Wright - 0.5

The 'replacement Yanx magic' thing only worked for so long April: .261/.330/.432 // 766 May: .232/.283/.378 // 661

Pirates win 1-0 in 11 innings for the 2nd time in three days. That's gotta be a rarity. Took 3 of 4 from the Tigers.

mentioned earlier: Travis Wood, the Cubs' pitcher who HR'd off of Gee two starts ago, hit a GS against the ChiSox today as the Cubbies completed the four-game sweep. For this week only, the Cubs are our current role model. btw, that's Wood's 5th career HR and he's only 26 with less than 140 ML ABs - Tigers & Pirates headed to extras scoreless for the 2nd time in three days. - Cards were forced to bring up a pitcher tonight ... and naturally he's perfect thru 4 innings Michael Wacha was their 1st round draft pick just last June

Bowa on MLBN: 'Yeah Gee was OK, but the lineup he was facing is depleted and the HP ump was overly generous' Talk about kicking a guy when he's UP

Nymr83 wrote: It DID NOT work perfectly, Rice could be unavailable or ineffective/tired tired tomorrow because of it. If Rice isn't tired already from his workload this season he's never going to be. And getting two consecutive LHBs on about 7 pitches in the 8th inning of a 2-run game by allowing neither to even hit a fair ball is virtually the definition of working perfectly as far as I'm concerned. And now Cano can't be the go-ahead or even tying run.

Edgy MD wrote: I strongly disagree with leaving Duda in there. (Not really, but kinda.) Duda is out. Baxter in.

And it worked perfectly so Terry is officially a genius -- or something like that

smg58 wrote: I strongly disagree with taking Gee out here. If three straight LHBs weren't coming up (and five of the next six) I would agree with you. [ichiro, Gardner, Cano]

Edgy MD wrote: Intentionally walking Wright to go after Buck. Joba vs. Buk. Swap in Baxter or Ankiel? Tough to swap in for Buck as he's the backup catcher tonight. Terry already slightly tempting fate by putting both catchers in the starting line-up

WOW, I think you gotta charge it there if you're the 3Bman and take your shot at getting the slow-footed Buck

To continue my theme from last night's IGT: we now interrupt this well-played and crisply flowing game for an unnecessary six minute break. And do the networks have it written into their contracts that they have to show this dog and pony show? If not and I were them I'd just dump out of it and run extra commercials.

So which is more unusual tonight? - Six stellar innings from Gee OR - Six complete innings of a Yanqui game in under 1 hour 40 minutes

Fman99 wrote: Good stuff so far, enjoying the quiet crowds. Due to the WPIX-iness of tonight's broadcast I am forced to follow along via the YES network. Go to MLBN and watch Costas & Kaat instead.

Lagares looked good playing in on Gardner then getting quickly to snag the liner hit over his head. Gee being both good and efficient, trying to give a big Fuck You to those who voted against him in our poll here (and don't think he doesn't know about it)

We encourage awful and embarrassing around here.

Four half-innings, four lead-off runners on (first TWO lead-off hitters on in three of them).

Zvon wrote: Adventures in Byrd catching. Sometimes you catch the bird, and sometimes the Byrd catches you.

Nice recovery after the shaky start by Gee Also good inning for Byrd: his hustle kept Gardner from going to 2nd on the first hit then kept him (however clumsily) from going to 3rd on the next one. May not have mattered with the K - K- GO following, but yaneverknow

Travis Wood, the Cubs' pitcher who HR'd off of Gee two starts ago, hit a GS against the ChiSox today as the Cubbies completed the four-game sweep. For this week only, the Cubs are our current role model. btw, that's Wood's 5th career HR and he's only 26 with less than 140 ML ABs