Thursday, June 23, 2011
Uecker on his iPad
"Yeah, I've had it for about a month now. Yesterday I finally got it open."
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"Yeah, I've had it for about a month now. Yesterday I finally got it open."
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Some Umpires Suck
Bob Davidson is one of them. I listened to last night's defeat at the hands of the "Devil" Rays and Ueck and Provis were saying that Bob Davidson's call that Tony Plush hadn't tried hard enough to get out of the way of a pitched ball and therefore wouldn't be granted first, was a bad call. I just watched a video of it (Google it -- My guess is uploads will be taken down) and they are totally right, but I think I see the two reasons why Davidson made the call.
1. Plush enthusiastically immediately tossed the bat and ran to first base. It was a 1-0 game at the time and he was leading off with a chance to get his team a run. In fact, it should have, as Jeff "LeRoy" Niemann painted the corners so much the rest of the inning the Brewers got three more baserunners but no runs due to this bad call.
2. It was Tony Plush who got hit. If it had been Derek Jeter or A-Rod, he would most likely have been wincing right into the camera for 15 minutes, pounding the ground, nobly waving off the trainer to stay in the game and then would gingerly make his way to first. Tony Plush doesn't act that way unless he has a broken arm. (So maybe reason 2 and reason 1 are the same.)
Also, Plush has a mouth. Right after he struck out to end his at-bat, though, he walked to the dugout. And Bob Davidson followed him. That's right. He left his post to basically do the "You gonna say something? Did you say something? You wanna say something? Come on... say something... come on... give me one reason..." It's pathetic. It's bullying. He was waving his big, blue authority around. Batting coach Dale Sveum said something. He's tossed. Roenicke came out... one of the most congenial people in the world. He's tossed. Bob Davidson was obviously looking for trouble. And who better to start with than an emotional African-American player who has a bit of a reputation? I think that's why the whole thing started.
Being an umpire does not seem like a nice job. Neither does being any kind of authority figure. I think that's why often it's bullying types who are drawn to it. I was listening to a radio story this morning about video of cops pulling back the eyelids of peaceful protesters who were blocking logging operations or something and applying pepper spray directly to the inner lids of the protesters. Bob Davidson picking on Nyjer Morgan isn't the same thing... but there's something there.
ps. It's hilarious to read the AP wire story about this that goes on about the "incensed" Nyjer Morgan who "needed to be restrained" blah blah blah "angry black player" blah blah blah. The AP story also just takes Davidson's line that he "leaned into the pitch". OK I'll put this up here... It's a high inside fastball he turned away from. Davidson also said it "brushed his uniform" or something.
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Bob Davidson is one of them. I listened to last night's defeat at the hands of the "Devil" Rays and Ueck and Provis were saying that Bob Davidson's call that Tony Plush hadn't tried hard enough to get out of the way of a pitched ball and therefore wouldn't be granted first, was a bad call. I just watched a video of it (Google it -- My guess is uploads will be taken down) and they are totally right, but I think I see the two reasons why Davidson made the call.
1. Plush enthusiastically immediately tossed the bat and ran to first base. It was a 1-0 game at the time and he was leading off with a chance to get his team a run. In fact, it should have, as Jeff "LeRoy" Niemann painted the corners so much the rest of the inning the Brewers got three more baserunners but no runs due to this bad call.
2. It was Tony Plush who got hit. If it had been Derek Jeter or A-Rod, he would most likely have been wincing right into the camera for 15 minutes, pounding the ground, nobly waving off the trainer to stay in the game and then would gingerly make his way to first. Tony Plush doesn't act that way unless he has a broken arm. (So maybe reason 2 and reason 1 are the same.)
Also, Plush has a mouth. Right after he struck out to end his at-bat, though, he walked to the dugout. And Bob Davidson followed him. That's right. He left his post to basically do the "You gonna say something? Did you say something? You wanna say something? Come on... say something... come on... give me one reason..." It's pathetic. It's bullying. He was waving his big, blue authority around. Batting coach Dale Sveum said something. He's tossed. Roenicke came out... one of the most congenial people in the world. He's tossed. Bob Davidson was obviously looking for trouble. And who better to start with than an emotional African-American player who has a bit of a reputation? I think that's why the whole thing started.
Being an umpire does not seem like a nice job. Neither does being any kind of authority figure. I think that's why often it's bullying types who are drawn to it. I was listening to a radio story this morning about video of cops pulling back the eyelids of peaceful protesters who were blocking logging operations or something and applying pepper spray directly to the inner lids of the protesters. Bob Davidson picking on Nyjer Morgan isn't the same thing... but there's something there.
ps. It's hilarious to read the AP wire story about this that goes on about the "incensed" Nyjer Morgan who "needed to be restrained" blah blah blah "angry black player" blah blah blah. The AP story also just takes Davidson's line that he "leaned into the pitch". OK I'll put this up here... It's a high inside fastball he turned away from. Davidson also said it "brushed his uniform" or something.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Tony Plush Don't Give a Sh-- What the Score Is! Tony Plush Don't Give a Sh-- What Inning It Is!
Full post-game interviews transcript here. Solid gold.
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Full post-game interviews transcript here. Solid gold.
Provus: Okay, what are you thinking there? 9th inning, you know the winning run is in scoring position in Counsell at second, you've got a guy you don't know much about, what's the approach, Nyjer?
Plush: Honestly, Cor, I thought we were winning... (laughs) and basically, I was just up there trying to take him up the middle and as soon as I got a hit I just thought it was a regular routine double down the line, and basically... I looked behind me and I heard the crowd yelling, and here come the guys coming off the bench and I was like, "Oh, I just walked 'em off..."
Provus: You had no idea what the score... are you kidding??
Plush: (laughing) No, I'm dead serious, man.
Provus: You had no idea that was a walkoff hit until the guys stormed out of the dugout?
Plush: Basically. (laughs)
Provus: Could you have... did you have any idea about (the pitcher)...
Plush: No, man!
Provus: Could you watch this guy, Rickie's in front of you...
Plush: No! You just gotta strap it on and go! I'm a ballplayer, just... I don't need to know anything, just throw that pill over the plate and I'll make it happen. (laughs)
Provus: What happened inside the clubhouse? After you guys won the game, you're back there for a few minutes, take us back there.
Plush: Oh, you know, I was just telling the boys what I just told you, that I thought we were winning 8-6 and... (laughs) ...and basically, I didn't know what was going on until basically the boys came on and got the little guy.
(Provus laughs like usually only Uecker can make him do)
Plush: Oh, shoot...
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Uecker Weighs In On Runnin' Roenicke?
When Fielder homered for the second time to tie the game at 6 tonight, after it seemed like it was over (in truth, I turned the game off disgustedly after the Mets scored 5 but then just happened to check back in right as Fielder homered) Ueck had some comments which I paraphrase.
Two-run doubles and two-run homers make all that stuff... stolen bases, sacrifices, hitting and running... meaningless.
Preach it, Ueck!
Also, I learned tonight, since they didn't cut away for commercials, that the Brewers play "Roll Out the Barrel" after "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Love it!
OK, bottom of the 9th. Come on, let's make a winner of new Papa Axford.
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When Fielder homered for the second time to tie the game at 6 tonight, after it seemed like it was over (in truth, I turned the game off disgustedly after the Mets scored 5 but then just happened to check back in right as Fielder homered) Ueck had some comments which I paraphrase.
Two-run doubles and two-run homers make all that stuff... stolen bases, sacrifices, hitting and running... meaningless.
Preach it, Ueck!
Also, I learned tonight, since they didn't cut away for commercials, that the Brewers play "Roll Out the Barrel" after "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Love it!
OK, bottom of the 9th. Come on, let's make a winner of new Papa Axford.
Monday, June 06, 2011
John Axford is Trying to Kill Me
But at least he isn't Carlos Marmol.
Man, I don't understand relief pitchers. Or maybe it's baseball in general, but I might have an idea. You see, I thought scouts worked all year long. But now I'm thinking that they only really get all their ducks in a row in the off-season. Why? Well, today I've come across a few examples:
1. I read a quote from a scout about Carlos Gonzalez on the Rockies. The scout said: "He's finding out what it's like not to get pitched to when you're a star. After the year he had last year, everyone's a lot more careful with him. He's seeing breaking balls and changeups even when the pitcher is behind in the count. He's rarely getting challenged, and you can see he's visibly frustrated by it." (source: Baseball Prospectus)
This year, Cargo is getting on base about 50 points less and slugging 200 points less. And the only difference is they aren't pitching to him? Who cares if he is a superstar or not a superstar? If a guy can't handle hitting when he doesn't get fastballs down the middle, don't do it. An out is an out, no matter who is up.
2. Carlos Marmol. OK. So today I wanted to write about how, despite the BrewCrew's 3-game streak against the Merlins, they've only gained a game because the stupid Cubs blew two leads to Albert Pujols. The guy who pitched to him yesterday - Rodrigo Lopez, yes, *that* Rodrigo Lopez - apparently had held him 0 for 11 for his career. So sure, why not pitch right to him. He's only Albert Pujols. It's only a tie game in extra innings and he is leading off, with three backup outfielders hitting behind him. I mean, come ON! Let John Jay, Allen Craig, and Skip Schumaker beat you! They have a combined 37 career home runs. Pujols hits that many before he takes his morning dump. The Cubs are IDIOTS!
Anyway, so it was Marmol pitching in the 9th, though. Carlos Zambrano (lots of Carloses today) helpfully points out that Ryan Theriot can't hit a good fastball. He knows this because he was a teammate of his. Carlos Marmol knows this. Carlos Marmol can throw the ball one million miles an hour. Yet, he blows the lead by throwing Theriot something off-speed while the defense is shifted the opposite way. Have I mentioned that the Cubs are IDIOTS? Maybe the Crew can get Big Z on the team.
So, lots of people are ragging on Marmol. I looked up his stats, though. I mean, Marmol is pretty awesome. He's a lot better than Axford. (Sorry, Ax-man.) What's the problem here?
Well, it looks like his K/9 are down, but they'd have to be as he was at historic levels last year - 16.0? *swoon* They aren't down that much but actually his K/BB is the same pretty much as last year. So, his walks are down too. What's up? His hits per nine. So, what's happening here? It looks to me from stats and from anecdotes that he's being coached into more contact, being more around the strike zone, and laying off the fastball a bit. Hey, Cubs. It ain't working. Let the man pitch the way he likes to. Let him walk a few people and strike out everyone else. (ps Why is Doug Sisk and his lifetime 3.4 K/9 in Marmol's top comparables?)
3. Speaking of walks. Hey, John Axford! (He's Canadian? Of course he should be.) Axford walks people. I don't think this is something he is going to get over. He has done it all through the minors. 6 walks per 9? Oy. It seems like hitters know that they don't need to protect the plate when it's 0-2, at least not until 3 pitches later.
Does Something Called Tim Dillard have a closer's mentality?
And hey Josh Wilson got his day! No team can be this lucky. Are we making it up from before or are we looking for a very bad spell coming up?
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But at least he isn't Carlos Marmol.
Man, I don't understand relief pitchers. Or maybe it's baseball in general, but I might have an idea. You see, I thought scouts worked all year long. But now I'm thinking that they only really get all their ducks in a row in the off-season. Why? Well, today I've come across a few examples:
1. I read a quote from a scout about Carlos Gonzalez on the Rockies. The scout said: "He's finding out what it's like not to get pitched to when you're a star. After the year he had last year, everyone's a lot more careful with him. He's seeing breaking balls and changeups even when the pitcher is behind in the count. He's rarely getting challenged, and you can see he's visibly frustrated by it." (source: Baseball Prospectus)
This year, Cargo is getting on base about 50 points less and slugging 200 points less. And the only difference is they aren't pitching to him? Who cares if he is a superstar or not a superstar? If a guy can't handle hitting when he doesn't get fastballs down the middle, don't do it. An out is an out, no matter who is up.
2. Carlos Marmol. OK. So today I wanted to write about how, despite the BrewCrew's 3-game streak against the Merlins, they've only gained a game because the stupid Cubs blew two leads to Albert Pujols. The guy who pitched to him yesterday - Rodrigo Lopez, yes, *that* Rodrigo Lopez - apparently had held him 0 for 11 for his career. So sure, why not pitch right to him. He's only Albert Pujols. It's only a tie game in extra innings and he is leading off, with three backup outfielders hitting behind him. I mean, come ON! Let John Jay, Allen Craig, and Skip Schumaker beat you! They have a combined 37 career home runs. Pujols hits that many before he takes his morning dump. The Cubs are IDIOTS!
Anyway, so it was Marmol pitching in the 9th, though. Carlos Zambrano (lots of Carloses today) helpfully points out that Ryan Theriot can't hit a good fastball. He knows this because he was a teammate of his. Carlos Marmol knows this. Carlos Marmol can throw the ball one million miles an hour. Yet, he blows the lead by throwing Theriot something off-speed while the defense is shifted the opposite way. Have I mentioned that the Cubs are IDIOTS? Maybe the Crew can get Big Z on the team.
So, lots of people are ragging on Marmol. I looked up his stats, though. I mean, Marmol is pretty awesome. He's a lot better than Axford. (Sorry, Ax-man.) What's the problem here?
Well, it looks like his K/9 are down, but they'd have to be as he was at historic levels last year - 16.0? *swoon* They aren't down that much but actually his K/BB is the same pretty much as last year. So, his walks are down too. What's up? His hits per nine. So, what's happening here? It looks to me from stats and from anecdotes that he's being coached into more contact, being more around the strike zone, and laying off the fastball a bit. Hey, Cubs. It ain't working. Let the man pitch the way he likes to. Let him walk a few people and strike out everyone else. (ps Why is Doug Sisk and his lifetime 3.4 K/9 in Marmol's top comparables?)
3. Speaking of walks. Hey, John Axford! (He's Canadian? Of course he should be.) Axford walks people. I don't think this is something he is going to get over. He has done it all through the minors. 6 walks per 9? Oy. It seems like hitters know that they don't need to protect the plate when it's 0-2, at least not until 3 pitches later.
Does Something Called Tim Dillard have a closer's mentality?
And hey Josh Wilson got his day! No team can be this lucky. Are we making it up from before or are we looking for a very bad spell coming up?
