MLB Topics

Started by Mr. Ypsi, February 08, 2008, 06:32:15 PM

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BASH6-4-3

In 1976 I was 9 years old and living in western Michigan.  I was glued to every Detroit Tiger game on TV & radio.  Mark Fidrych was the biggest thing there was at the time.  Nothing came even close in my world.  Not even Muhammad Ali, Terry Bradshaw & the Steel Curtain, The Big Red Machine or Dr. J.  Not even Disco.  The Tigers were terrible, but they had the best media coverage in the country in my opinion with the late George Kell on TV and the Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell on radio.  But with the Bird, the Tigers became a national media event... at least every 5th day when Fidrych took the mound.

My dad would drive us kids the 3 hours to Tiger Stadium once or twice a year for a game.  Usual game crowds would usually range 8,000-12,000 for a weekend game.  I'll never forget the the one time I got to see the Bird play.  50,000 fans all standing and banging the old green wooden seats at Tiger Stadium chanting, "Go Bird Go.  Go Bird Go."  It was so loud and electric you were afraid the old stadium would crack at the foundation and come crumbling down.  These are the some of the sweetest memories of my childhood.

My father and I now live 4 hours apart half a continent away from Detroit.  We communicate almost daily via email and it has been a sad few weeks lately as we have mourned the passing of Fidrych and George Kell.  I haven't been a Tiger fan for over 20 years, but I am still touched by their rich history.  Some of it icons like Cobb, Greenberg, Kell & Kaline.  But some of their rich history is the almost fictional story of Mark "The Bird" Fidrych.  A legend in the hearts of 9 year old boys.
"This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray.  It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.  Oh...people will come Ray." - Field of Dreams, 1989

Mr. Ypsi

I'll give it one more try; otherwise I'll figure people only want d3 baseball. ;)

Roughly 1/7th of the way through the season, St. Louis is tops at .680.  Aside from the poor Nats, no one is below .375.  Has parity run amok, or is this just an early season fluke?  Will someone (specify who :D) break out, or has MLB reached such a state of 'balance' that everyone is average?!

This seems awfully early in the season for there not to be 2-3 teams well over .700 (and, of course, several teams well under .350).

More specifically, the AL Central has 4 teams within a game of first (and Cleveland is hardly eliminated ;) at 4 back) - is the AL Central mediocre? a top group beating each other down? or a bunch of losers feasting on each other?

Pat Coleman

We should probably do MLB stuff on Anything Goes, if the interest is even there.
Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

d3baseballnut

MAY MADNESS PICKS NEED TO BE IN BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.....IF YOU WANT TO PLAY...

Email prediction for Winner and runner-up for each regional:  basefrk2@aol.com

old scot

Has anyone witnessed incompetence like the umpiring in the Major League playoff series? Too many bad calls to point out a specific instant.

CrashDavisD3

Many calls have been missed in the playoffs and MLB needs to make some changes. Tag plays seem to be the worst and and instant replay can easily fix this with an umpire in the booth off the field allowed to overrule the umpires on the field within 60 seconds.

Other plays that replay can get it right are flyball/line drive outs that are trapped or not caught and the flyball tag up left base early calls.

Umpires also need to be more closely graded on their really bad 3rd strike calls which many times the called 3rd strike is no where close to the strike zone.  Ongoing bad calls must result in umpires being replaced just like players who play poorly are.

I would not make the same changes for regular season and leave the replay for the home run calls during the regular season
This... is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball.  "There are three types of baseball players: those who make things happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened."
Crash Davis Bio - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/crash0908.html

old scot

MLB needs to take advantage of today's technology to get the calls right.

Out / safe on the bases and home run, definitely reviewed. Fair / foul would be tough, especially with runners in base. You would have to go with the initial call  because you can't assume where the base runners would advance to. Balls and strikes, still would have to go with the ump's call. Total judgement call.

Game 4 of the Yankee / Angel game was umpiring at its worst. The pick off play at 2nd, the ump seemed to be in position to make the call but, blew it.
The tag up play at 3rd, the ump was totally out of position. He could not see the outfielder and the runner in the same view.
Finally, I would have loved to hear the explanation he gave to the Angel's manager on the DP that was not called at 3rd. Time was in, both runners off the base, catcher tags both runners while off the base, only 1 out called?????????

CrashDavisD3

Fair/Foul calls on replay could be handled for runners as advancing 1 base or treat like a ground rule double.

Strike zone and out/safe on force plays are judgment calls that can not be replayed
but umpires need to be graded on these and too many bad calls should require their replacement or dismissal. You cant keep calling 3rd strikes that are clearly off the plate and not strike.
This... is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball.  "There are three types of baseball players: those who make things happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened."
Crash Davis Bio - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/crash0908.html

Ralph Turner

Flashback: The Beginning of Philly and NYC Baseball

This website was shared with SABR members.

I hope that you enjoy it this off-season.

Ralph Turner

Old-timers will fondly remember the day that Rick Monday saved an American flag from being set aflame by a protester at Dodger stadium.

Here is a story about Rick and a YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

Happy 4th to you and yours.   :)

CrashDavisD3

#25
In SoCal the 4th will be celebrated by flyovers at 13 locations by the USAF Boeing C17 Military Cargo Plane. This plane has been used not only for military missions but numerous times to ferry humantarian aid cargo to earthquake victims in Haiti, Tsumani in America Samoa, earthquake in Chile,  supplies for oil spill cleanup in Gulf, to Karina and numerous other places in the past.

Again they will flyover before the Angel Game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OpXpOoWtaE&feature=related
This... is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball.  "There are three types of baseball players: those who make things happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened."
Crash Davis Bio - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/crash0908.html

Ralph Turner


Ralph Turner

One of the rare Honus Wagner baseball cards is at auction.

The card belonged to the brother of a nun.  Proceeds will go to the Order.

BDB

Has anyone figured out what Lincecum was thinking when he had the runner dead off 3rd base last night and just let him get safely back to the bag?

OshDude

Quote from: BlueDevil Bob on October 28, 2010, 02:35:18 PM
Has anyone figured out what Lincecum was thinking when he had the runner dead off 3rd base last night and just let him get safely back to the bag?
Strikeouts are sexier than 1-5-2-6 putouts. My money is on that thought.