The Pirates playing Pirates baseball. 
[media] https://twitter.com/ByJamesWagner/status/1397966105998729221 [/media]
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
As much as the first baseman screwed up, I think you have to put just as much blame on the catcher and second baseman for hanging him out to dry there.
The Pirates playing Pirates baseball.
[media] https://twitter.com/ByJamesWagner/status/1397966105998729221 [/media]br>
Um... had the 1st baseman just walked to the bag the run wouldn't have counted... if he had just stood in the baseline and tagged the runner at any time, even after the runner crossed home plate the run wouldn't have counted (since it's a force out)... yikes.
Yeah... it's 2 outs. Get the ball, step on the bag, walk to the dugout and a couple of you pick up bats.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
<img class="go2wpf-bbcode" src=" https://thumbs.gfycat.com/JoyfulMildCurlew.web p" alt="">
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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And to top off a bad day, the first baseman was late for his Mensa meeting.
I’d ask if you are the second baseman but then I realized this was in color
The Saints response to the goofy MLB hats. LOL
[media] https://twitter.com/StPaulSaints/status/1397673625096966146/photo/1 [/media]
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
The Saints response to the goofy MLB hats. LOL
[media] https://twitter.com/StPaulSaints/status/1397673625096966146/photo/1 [/media]br>
Where's the hot dish and pop?
Jacob DeGrom threw 70 pitches last night in 6 shutout innings. The tweet below shows his release point for those 70 pitches
This is just ridiculous.
[media] https://twitter.com/mbrownstein89/status/1399700433627721729?s=21 [/media]
Jacob DeGrom threw 70 pitches last night in 6 shutout innings. The tweet below shows his release point for those 70 pitches
This is just ridiculous.
[media] https://twitter.com/mbrownstein89/status/1399700433627721729?s=21 [/media]
Yes. And he throws 100-102mph with a ridiculous hammer for a slider at 92mph.
This is one of my favorite moments of the year so far. Batter crushes a foul ball on a fastball. So deGrom throws him high heat to changes his eye level, then drops 5 consecutive hammers in basically the same spot for 5 swings and misses across his next two at bats.
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1399703680060989444?s=19
Saw the slider Tweeter last night, too. Oof.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I had to laugh at the Cardinals A affiliate tweets when deGrom did a rehab start against them. Whoever runs their twitter account was very entertaining.
https://twitter.com/GoPBCardinals/status/1395511039773528073?s=19
https://twitter.com/GoPBCardinals/status/1395515894802100228?s=19
https://twitter.com/GoPBCardinals/status/1395519646619652097?s=19
https://twitter.com/GoPBCardinals/status/1395521768358649858?s=19
https://twitter.com/GoPBCardinals/status/1395522361223532550?s=19
https://twitter.com/GoPBCardinals/status/1395575942869929985?s=19
https://twitter.com/GoPBCardinals/status/1395555867290910722?s=19
They also tweeted at the Mets owner and said they're not sending him a Christmas gift this year.
They had to go against Noah Syndergaard the day before ?
https://twitter.com/nwanaturals/status/1402441494464696323?s=19
https://twitter.com/jgroc/status/1402412682930688007?s=19
When you hit a home run, how do you miss a base and not go back and touch it??
[mention]Beauner[/mention] - what am I missing here? How is that not stepping on home plate, and why would would it be a triple - aren’t you called out if you miss a base?
@Beauner - what am I missing here? How is that not stepping on home plate
Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes - Harry S Truman
@Beauner - what am I missing here? How is that not stepping on home plate, and why would would it be a triple - aren’t you called out if you miss a base?
His left foot goes over home plate and lands almost on the chalk of the left handed batter's box. That chalk is 6 inches away from the black of the plate, so unless his feet are insanely wide his left foot didn't touch the late. Then his right foot goes over the top of it and lands off the plate. You can tell he realizes he hadn't touched it yet because he tries to drag his right toe when it lands but you can see dirt fly up as soon as he drags. The catcher even points at the plate as soon as Witt starts jogging back to the dugout knowing he didn't touch the plate.
As for why it is called a triple: he gets credit for the last base he safely reached. Much like somebody getting thrown out at 2B trying to stretch a single into a double gets credit for a single.
I’m going to assume angles play a big point in interpretation because I don’t know how from the video it could be construed as not touching the plate!
[attachment=0]1A1BD49D-73BB-4215-9939-EB4C706CA88A.jpeg[/attachment]
Yeah, that's just an absolute horseshit Ump Show call. Why does the ump immediately start sweeping home if he didn't touch it and the play should technically still be going on?
I’m going to assume angles play a big point in interpretation because I don’t know how from the video it could be construed as not touching the plate!
1A1BD49D-73BB-4215-9939-EB4C706CA88A.jpeg
Because the chalk line under his left foot is 6 inches from home plate (assuming a professional organization chalks their field correctly).
Yeah, that's just an absolute horseshit Ump Show call. Why does the ump immediately start sweeping home if he didn't touch it and the play should technically still be going on?
https://twitter.com/LanceAScott/status/1402481815990976512?s=19
Zoomed in slow motion. Both cleats kick up dirt around the plate. Then he tries to drag his right foot and kicks up even more dirt.
His left foot isn't under the chalk line, because the whole chalk line is visible. And his right foot is still in the LH batter's box, so his feet would have to be like two+ feet apart for him to miss over the top of home plate, which they don't seem to be.
And the point still stands that if the ump actually saw him miss it, then he shouldn't have immediately started sweeping home plate.
Why does the umpire sweeping the plate make any difference? They do it all the time. It's probably second nature.
I’m going to assume angles play a big point in interpretation because I don’t know how from the video it could be construed as not touching the plate!
1A1BD49D-73BB-4215-9939-EB4C706CA88A.jpeg
Because the chalk line under his left foot is 6 inches from home plate (assuming a professional organization chalks their field correctly).
It doesn't look like the chalk line is under his foot in that picture. Or it's not a good enough angle imho to make that judgment.
The umpire and catcher are both 4 feet away and staring at the plate. The catcher wouldn't even appeal the play if it was obvious that he had touched it.
Why does the umpire sweeping the plate make any difference?
Because as the umpire claims to have seen it, the play is still going on, so why is he sweeping off home in the middle of a play?
The catcher wouldn't even appeal the play if it was obvious that he had touched it.
Why not let him call balls and strikes too?
Why does the umpire sweeping the plate make any difference?
Because as the umpire claims to have seen it, the play is still going on, so why is he sweeping off home in the middle of a play?
Because once the batter leaves the dirt circle around home plate it's no longer the middle of the play. Hell, once the ball goes out of play (over the fence) it is not the middle of the play. He goes to leave the field of play, abandoning his attempt to touch the next base (home plate in this scenario) safely.
The next play cannot begin until the umpire gives the pitcher a new ball and says "Play". He's not allowed to do that until after the batter leaves the field of play. Which he did when he left the home plate circle.
After the batter left the field of play/abandoned his attempt to touch the next base, he brushes off the plate, threw the new ball to the pitcher, put the game back in play, and the team appealed for missing the plate.
Somebody took this screen grab of it too. Left foot is not on the plate and the right foot goes right over the top of it.
https://twitter.com/SeminoleBH21/status/1402489077547646977?s=19
Because once the batter leaves the dirt circle around home plate it's no longer the middle of the play.
Yes, and the umpire is already down clearing off the plate before the batter is even out of the circle.
I'm going to trust the ump on this one. No one had a better angle than he did. That said, I do think it is a little nitpicky as it was a home run and him not touching the plate did not affect the outcome of the play.
If he was dragging his foot because he thought he missed the plate, why didn’t he go back and step on it again just to be sure?
I'm going to trust the ump on this one. No one had a better angle than he did. That said, I do think it is a little nitpicky as it was a home run and him not touching the plate did not affect the outcome of the play.
This one is 100% on the batter.
I'm guessing he won't be doing the little giddy-up, hop-shuffle combo the next time he crosses the plate...more like the "AJ Pierzynski stomp." 
I'm going to trust the ump on this one. No one had a better angle than he did. That said, I do think it is a little nitpicky as it was a home run and him not touching the plate did not affect the outcome of the play.
This one is 100% on the batter.
I'm guessing he won't be doing the little giddy-up, hop-shuffle combo the next time he crosses the plate...more like the "AJ Pierzynski stomp."
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is the preferred nomenclature.
If he was dragging his foot because he thought he missed the plate, why didn’t he go back and step on it again just to be sure?
Worried that his little pimp strut would be ruined if he went back and touched the plate and was afraid of looking foolish would be my guess
I'm going to trust the ump on this one. No one had a better angle than he did. That said, I do think it is a little nitpicky as it was a home run and him not touching the plate did not affect the outcome of the play.
I am actually somewhat surprised that, with all the "speed of game" changes they have made, that adopting the slowpitch softball "Hit and Sit" type rule hasn't been discussed (or like some leagues/tournaments will have you touch 1B and then you can go sit back down).
I'm going to trust the ump on this one. No one had a better angle than he did. That said, I do think it is a little nitpicky as it was a home run and him not touching the plate did not affect the outcome of the play.
This one is 100% on the batter.
I'm guessing he won't be doing the little giddy-up, hop-shuffle combo the next time he crosses the plate...more like the "AJ Pierzynski stomp."
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is the preferred nomenclature.
Love that song but Zeppelin don't play ball. 
If he was dragging his foot because he thought he missed the plate, why didn’t he go back and step on it again just to be sure?
Worried that his little pimp strut would be ruined if he went back and touched the plate and was afraid of looking foolish would be my guess
#learnsthehardway. ?
This is not fair. At all.
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1403492877309775873?s=19
So MLB announces pitchers getting caught using substances on a baseball will get a 10 game suspension WITH pay? A paid 10 day vacation sounds more like an incentive than a punishment. :confused2:
So MLB announces pitchers getting caught using substances on a baseball will get a 10 game suspension WITH pay? A paid 10 day vacation sounds more like an incentive than a punishment. :confused2:
Unless you remember that they get paid based on innings, Ks, etc.
So MLB announces pitchers getting caught using substances on a baseball will get a 10 game suspension WITH pay? A paid 10 day vacation sounds more like an incentive than a punishment. :confused2:
Unless you remember that they get paid based on innings, Ks, etc.
And that you got suspended for cheating.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Tyler Glasnow, one of the best young pitchers in the game, got hurt yesterday. He had used sunscreen and rosin (from the rosin bag) as a grip aid (I don't really understand how the chemical interaction works but my brother says it's not uncommon). He said the last two starts he went without it and is more or less blaming his elbow injury on MLB pulling this ruling out of their ass midseason.
https://twitter.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1404914397483524096?s=19
https://twitter.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1404916438201155586?s=19
My big problem with this (aside from the fact that if more guys do get hurt from having to put more torque on their elbow/shoulder, or the inevitable increase in HBP due to guys throwing 95-100mph on balls that they can't grip, it could very well end up in a player's strike), is that they are throwing this ruling out in the middle of the year with ZERO replacement option.
If you don't want pitchers using their own scientific concoction (sunscreen/rosin combo, spider tack, etc) then at least throw a pine tar rag or something out there. Something that is easily controllable by MLB, would mitigate any pitchers desire to use their own stuff and theoretically mitigate 98mph fastballs going at hitters heads. And hopefully limit pitchers hurting themselves by trying to grip the ball too hard leading to elbow injuries.
As usual, Rob Manfred is proving to be as incompetent as Gary Bettman. If not worse.
I always assumed it was a rule pitchers can’t use foreign substances to make the ball sticky. Spit is not OK but a sunscreen and rosin mixture is?
Listening to pitchers whine you'd think MLB replaced the baseball with a bar of soap. I have a baseball sitting on my desk and I can grip it just fine without putting glue on it.
I always assumed it was a rule pitchers can’t use foreign substances to make the ball sticky. Spit is not OK but a sunscreen and rosin mixture is?
It was/is but it's always been kind of "look the other way" type of deal unless it was painfully obvious, like guys with huge wads of pine tar on their hat etc.
Most hitters seem to be mostly OK with pitchers using a little something (pine tar, sunscreen/rosin mix, etc.) to help increase their grip so they feel safer in the batter's box. Pete Alonso, the 2019 Rookie of the Year, came out and said a week or two ago "Because I go in the box every single day and I see guys throwing harder and harder. I don't want 99 slipping out of someone's hand because they didn't have enough feel for it."
It seems to be the guys using spider tack or similar stuff to get insane spin rates that guys have a bigger issue with. I mean for god sake the MLB keeps a rosin bag behind the mound every game. Rosin alone doesn't do a lot unless you really really grind your fingers together to get some friction and heat it up, but that takes a minute or two and with the pace of play stuff MLB is so worried about, isn't really a viable option to take a minute between every hitter to get more rosin grip. The faster way to get rosin to work is to mix it with some form of liquid (sweat, spit, sunscreen, etc.) Mixing those creates a similar grip to what rosin alone does once you get it "heated up" for lack of a better term.
The MLB constantly tinkers with the baseball during the offseason. Seemingly every year. Maybe if the MLB would stop tinkering with the ball, pitchers wouldn't feel the need to find concoctions to help grip the ball better.
If you've ever tried to play catch with a real MLB game ball with the lower seams and polished leather, it is definitely more slick than the game ball your kids use or even your high school/college kids use. And the seams on those balls are significantly higher, too.
This is a good thread. Explains the difficulty pitchers are dealing with for MLB balls.
https://twitter.com/jerryblevins/status/1404638827013193730?s=19
So should batters have to stop using pine tar?
How about the MLB either a) make baseballs with better grip naturally, or b) design an approved product for pitchers to use.
America’s pastime is turning into a joke. Or maybe that’s just humanity in general these days. ?
So should batters have to stop using pine tar?
How about the MLB either a) make baseballs with better grip naturally, or b) design an approved product for pitchers to use.
America’s pastime is turning into a joke. Or maybe that’s just humanity in general these days. ?
100% agree. MLB has no problem with hitters using pine tar rags, pine tar sticks, spray tack, batting gloves, etc. to get a better grip on the bat. Nor should they, IMO.
I think the problem is that it went from pitchers using rosin/sunscreen (something they've been doing for years) to get a better grip on the ball to using things like spider tack to get a huge advantage on spin rate.
As you said, it shouldn't be difficult for the MLB to get a process in place to provide a grip enhancement or better, tackier balls. The difference between balls from pitch to pitch is ridiculous to have at that level.
With the new crackdown on substances I wouldn't be surprised to see pitchers asking for a new ball far more frequently because they one they are thrown is too slick.
How about they go back to using the same ball, no matter what, until it leaves the playing field?! No more coddled players! 