OT: MLB one game Wildcard times 2 Open Thread
Interested to see how this inaugral one game Wildcard matchups unfolds. I don't like the idea of a one and done in baseball, but I'm listening.
Cards v Braves in first game: This is a wild one so far with the Cards up 3-2 in the 5th. Looked as though the Braves had tied game in bottom 4 but runner was (rightfully) called out for interference while trying to beat out a bunt, and the tying run came off the board
Orioles v Rangers in second game: Go Orioles. Based on last season no team scares me more than the Rangers, so I would like to see the O's advance. It wil be Yu Darvish for the Rangers matching up against Joe Saunders for the O's.
October 5th, 2012 at 6:38 PM ^
October 5th, 2012 at 10:36 PM ^
After the ALCS last season and Detroit's performance against them this season, I find them surprisingly scary as well. Baltimore just doesn't frighten me as much Texas does even though they seem to find some way to screw it all up when it matters the most.
October 5th, 2012 at 6:38 PM ^
October 5th, 2012 at 6:47 PM ^
LOL if the Cards rip the hearts out of the Braves again (even though I'm rooting for ATL).
The Cards are made of magic. The first year baseball changes it's rules, of course the Cards sneak into the 5th spot, causing every fan of an opposing national league playoff team to curse the gods.
October 5th, 2012 at 6:49 PM ^
October 5th, 2012 at 6:50 PM ^
4-2 Cards as Holliday goes yard in top of 6
October 5th, 2012 at 6:59 PM ^
I consider myself a baseball fan, but I have a hard time watching two teams that I have no connection with play. That is until the playoffs roll around and I could sit and watch every game.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:05 PM ^
Cardinals: +145
Braves: -165
Over/under: 6.5
Orioles: +165
Rangers: -190
Over/under: 9
Here's a look at the World Series and Pennants.
Odds to win the 2012 World Series
Reds: 5/1
Yankees: 5/1
Nationals: 5/1
Tigers: 6/1
Rangers: 7/1
Athletics: 15/2
Giants: 15/2
Braves: 12/1
Orioles: 15/1
Cardinals: 15/1
Odds to win the 2012 AL Pennant
Yankees: 9/4
Tigers: 11/4
Rangers: 13/4
Athletics: 7/2
Orioles: 7/1
Odds to win the 2012 NL Pennant
Reds: 2/1
Nationals: 9/4
Giants: 3/1
Braves: 13/2
Cardinals: 7/1
October 5th, 2012 at 7:07 PM ^
TBS just plugged Bleacher Report's new app.
I don't want to live on this planet anymore
October 5th, 2012 at 7:09 PM ^
Bring back the reverse psychology for the wild card game.
Piece of #$%^ orioles don't have a $%#^& chance
October 5th, 2012 at 7:18 PM ^
Braves are self destructing. The young fella at short is really having a tough game
5-2 Cards in the 7th as 2 Braves errors lead to another run.
EDIT: another run scores from 2nd on an infield single in the 7th, and as we head to the bottome of 7, Cards 6 Braves 2
October 5th, 2012 at 7:14 PM ^
Of course the Braves (top defensive team in the bigs) are having far and away their worst defensive game of the year against the Cards.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:31 PM ^
I really like Chipper and would love to see him go out a winner, but if I had to root for an NL team, it would be the Fighting Matheneys, so go Cards!
October 5th, 2012 at 7:34 PM ^
Braves pick up a run in bottom of 7 and threaten for more but fail
6-3 Cards as we head to inning 8
October 5th, 2012 at 7:49 PM ^
GO CARDS!
October 5th, 2012 at 7:53 PM ^
Even when something bad happens to the Cards it ends up working in their favor.
Now Atlanta fans are throwing stuff all over the field.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:53 PM ^
WOW. How is that an infield fly rule? Can someone explain that?
Stuff being thrown on the field everywhere.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:55 PM ^
Yes, a 200-foot "infield" fly. That might be the worst call of the season.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:53 PM ^
No way that is infield fly rule. Terrible, terrible call.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^
Absolutely no way that isn't an infield fly--I have no idea why anyone who knew the rule would think otherwise.
The second baseman is under the pop. It makes absolutely no difference, under the rule, where the ball is, as long as the infielder can easily make the play.
The only reason there's a debate here is that we have Braves announcers doing the game--they don't know the rule and they have reason not to want to.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:58 PM ^
He was not under it. He was running out to it.
October 5th, 2012 at 7:59 PM ^
Before he ran away from it he was standing about two feet from where it landed.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:03 PM ^
The idea of the infield fly rule is to stop infielders from dropping a pop up and turning a double play. Clearly in this instance, had the Shortstop intentionally dropped the ball in shallow left field, he would have had no chance of turning a double play. Horrible call
October 5th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^
Baseball rules don't allow for that kind of interpretation. Umpires are instructed to apply the letter of the law, not to make a determination of the reason for the rule and change it accordingly.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:17 PM ^
That's not an interpretation, that's the reason for the rule. That's why it's not restricted to the infield proper.
The ump made a terrible call. The SS was not under it yet. Most importantly, the call was made late. If it was made with proper timing, I'd have no issue.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:21 PM ^
Cards fan? The infield fly rule is supposed to be applied to ordinary catches so that you can't intentionally drop an easy catch and get a double/triple play. It was pretty obvious that the shortstop didn't feel comfortable with the catch and miscommunication between him and the left fielder caused the ball to drop. That kind of thing happens all the time.
October 5th, 2012 at 9:17 PM ^
October 5th, 2012 at 9:22 PM ^
Again, it's the outfielder's ball if he calls for it and as an infielder it doesn't matter if you're camped under it waiting for it to come down, when you hear him call you're out of there. Plenty of time later in the dugout to argue if you think he made the wrong call--your immediate job is to avoid the collision and that means not being where the ball is about to be caught.
October 5th, 2012 at 10:11 PM ^
I put this comment in the wrong place; relocated.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:00 PM ^
And it was the Shortstop, and both runners were able to advance so there was zero chance for a double play even if dropped intentionally
October 5th, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^
October 5th, 2012 at 7:57 PM ^
that was awful
October 5th, 2012 at 7:57 PM ^
Wow, that was just an awful call. I don't even blame the Atlanta fans for throwing stuff on the field...
October 5th, 2012 at 8:00 PM ^
An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.
Does anyone actually think Kozma couldn't have caught the ball with ordinary effort, if he hadn't ducked away from it? He was standing right where it landed.
I'll grant you that it should have been called much earlier.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:00 PM ^
The guy was in left field. He was not in the infield.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:02 PM ^
October 5th, 2012 at 8:04 PM ^
If it was in the infield, which it was not.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:07 PM ^
no they cant
the ball must be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort
October 5th, 2012 at 8:10 PM ^
"can be caught", not "must be caught". The infielder does not have to actually make the play; once it's clear he could the call is made.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:37 PM ^
If he could have made the catch why didn't he? The call was so late the shortstop couldn't have known it was an infield fly. He was never under the ball seeing as he stopped and the ball landed beyond him.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:46 PM ^
I would like to hear of one instance in Major League history where SS ran that far out into the outfield, then intentionally dropped a ball, because he was thinking he was going to turn two. Ludicrous
October 5th, 2012 at 8:49 PM ^
He ran away from it thinking he'd been called off by the left fielder. He's under it with his glove up, then at the last moment he flinches and moves a few feet back towards the infield and toward the foul line to get out of the way.
Live I thought maybe he'd heard something from the stands and thought it was his outfielder. Watching it again I wonder if it was the umpire he heard. He ducks away just as the left field ump puts up his hand and makes the call.
October 5th, 2012 at 9:09 PM ^
Exactly. The SS never had time to establish himself under the ball because had to run so far. When he heard something he thought it was the left fielder calling him off. That doesn't look like an ordinary/easy catch. It looks like an infielder running far into the outfield and then the ball dropping due to miscommunication between the infielder and outfielder.
October 5th, 2012 at 9:11 PM ^
It doesn't matter if you're established under the ball or not; it's the outfielder's ball if he calls it and if you hear him you get the hell out of the way. Infielders get called off balls they're underneath all the time--if you have a choice you always want the player moving in on the ball to make the play because it's an easier throw for him.
It looked weird here because the outfielder wasn't actually there and wasn't the one calling, but the shortstop doesn't know that. He's doing what he's supposed to do, looking up at the ball and assuming it's his until he hears a call.
October 5th, 2012 at 9:36 PM ^
The SS was moving the entire time, the ONLY instant he stopped was when he planted his foot to reverse coarse. He was never UNDER anything. Also, the umps arm didn't even begin to go up to make the call until the SS was already pulling off the play. If the ump sees him pull off, the call cannot be made.
Aside from the question of his positioning under the ball, the call must also satisfy the NORMAL PLAY rule, which intends to keep him from purposefully NOT MAKING the normal play, i.e. dropping on purpose to get additional outs. Where that play occured, it would have been impossible to do, as proven by the fact that everyone still advnaced without so much as a throw.
If it had been the LF settling under, no call. Why? Because NO ONE in their right mind would have deemed the NORMAL PLAY to be at risk for gaining additional outs from there.
Bottom line... BAD CALL.
October 5th, 2012 at 10:34 PM ^
I played center field. :)
October 5th, 2012 at 10:38 PM ^
And never had to get out of anyone's way.
:)
October 5th, 2012 at 8:04 PM ^
He doesn't have to be in the infield; he just has to be stationed as an infielder when the pitch is made.
This used to be, and probably still is, a standard question on umpire school quizzes. It does not matter where the ball is hit; in fact one of the standard versions has the outfielder calling the infielder off and making the catch himself. Once it's clear the infielder can get unfrt ball (he's not making the play on the run) the call should be made.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:06 PM ^
By your definition then every flyball to the outfield should be an infield fly rule.
October 5th, 2012 at 8:08 PM ^
If an infielder runs out and gets under it. This seldom happens.
It's also not "my definition"--it's the definition in the rule book.