Official MLB 2012 Season Thread

[moi]

Actually calling balls or strikes with a computerized system is entirely doable with current technologies, even when taking into account batting stance and such. I think no one wants the game to be THAT computerized (like you've previously stated)

The two things that need to happen are:
1) safe/out calls and fair/foul calls. Some of the calls mentioned previously are bad, but the worst call I've EVER seen also happened this year in a Rockies game. Anyone remember this?

The call on this play was out. awks..

2) Umpire accountability. No more spite calls by umpires trying to get revenge on players for their "attitude". The players are payed to perform well and have such expectations to uphold, why don't the umps have the same job risk? Certain umpires go out of their way to initiate confrontations with players and managers and it just ruins the game. Let go off your emotions, you're supposed to be an objective neutral party.

and to the specific point of expanded replay.. It's gonna be incredibly slow because Selig is way to conservative about everything ever... He's an awful commissioner.

 

[aamto]

it's not just Selig though. the Umpire's union is obviously vehemently opposed to any sort of expansion of replay (and thus erosion of their power) and this is causing problems as well.

 

[bwebber]

The problems with computerized umpires is that 1) the umpire's union would never allow that, and 2) it puts a lot of people out of jobs.

 

[Wikey]

They could do it in a way that adds jobs for umpires. Only use it for fair/foul and safe/out calls and only when the call is questionable. Just have an umpire sitting somewhere with access to replay and when they get a call wrong on the field he just says, "Nope, he was safe." And the crew chief on the field corrects the call.

Tyler Moore going BEAST MODE. 3/3, 5 RBI, 2B, 2 HR

 

[aamto]

is RA Dickey the best pitcher in baseball?

yeah. yeah he is.

 

[ButteredToast]

As a fan of Tim Wakefield, I always have thought that the knuckleball is the best pitch in baseball (besides the gyroball that is :D). Glad to see the only guy left throwing it in the MLB is doing great. :D

 

[TrollFreak]

is RA Dickey the best pitcher in baseball?

yeah. yeah he is.

Seconding

Talk about tough losses huh, both pitch great, and get 0 run support D:

 

[AfroThunderRule]

is RA Dickey the best pitcher in baseball?

yeah. yeah he is.

I wouldn't call him the best pitcher, but he has been phenomenal so far.

Also the Giants and Matt Cain with 6 perfect innings so far.

 

[TrollFreak]

Matt Cain just did it. He went perfect on the Astros

The irony, I traded for him, I'm getting him on my roster tommorow, and he goes about and does THAT. FML

 

[ButteredToast]

God fuck it...

The one day that I don't watch MLB Network after the Sox game is the day history happens.

Edit: Watching the highlihts of the game on MLB.com. Think that jetpack guy sealed the deal on the perfecto.

Edit 2: Blanco with the catch of the year.

 

[Phadunk]

Got the 9th recorded on my phone..live. hooray.

 

[TrollFreak]

The fist pump of perfection.

 

[Byrne]

Matt Cain and Dickey have been absolutely absurd all season.

 

[Wikey]

Seriously need instant replay. Tyler Moore safe by a mile and the umpire has a perfect view but calls him out.

 

[JimBob]

I wouldn't have called him safe by a mile - when I first saw the play, I though he was out. The replay clearly showed that he was safe, but these things happen fast.

Not to say that a blown call basically lost the game for the Nats there, but it wasn't as bad a call as the Armando Galarraga thing.

 

[Wikey]

Yeah, it was close but not a hard call to make. That ump either had money on the game or is inept. Harper's strike zone was two plates wide and up to the shoulders all game long.

 

[ButteredToast]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually GLAD that Justin Upton broke up Santana's perfecto tonight. Ever since the M's no-no, it's kind of been nuts how many no-hitters have been popping up recently. It's kind of making the whole process lose its special touch.

 

[jrrrrrrr]

Maybe all this "year of the pitcher" stuff has a correlation with relatively increased steroid testing? Sure the pitchers used steroids too, but most of the best pitchers are naturally large anyways so they have that strength on average anyways. Just a passing thought.

The problems with computerized umpires is that 1) the umpire's union would never allow that, and 2) it puts a lot of people out of jobs.

Regarding #2, forgive me for having no sympathy when people who make 6 figures and suck at their jobs get replaced.

 

[bwebber]

Maybe all this "year of the pitcher" stuff has a correlation with relatively increased steroid testing? *Sure the pitchers used steroids too, but most of the best pitchers are naturally large anyways so they have that strength on average anyways. *Just a passing thought.

Yeah, no. It's nothing but a narrative spurned to tell the masses what they want to hear. There's no evidence behind it, but there is with things like advanced spray charts leading to extreme shifts, increased cutter usage, specialty relief pitchers, data on which hitters are more exploitable with certain pitches, etc. Not that steroids BS.*

Regarding #2, forgive me for having no sympathy when people who make 6 figures and suck at their jobs get replaced.

That's really, really ignorant. We expect perfection from umpires but that can never be had, so every little, insignificant mistake they make is highlighted and leads to people calling for their heads. It's selective memory. You remember everything they do wrong but not when they make calls that no other human being is capable of recognizing. I'm all for umpire accountability, but the amount of scrutiny they get is garbage. You don't know what it takes to be an umpire at the major league level. Try learning the rule book inside out. Try being able to see a ball's location to the inch when it's traveling at blinding velocities. Try controlling personalities and egocentric battles that take place on the field. You can't do any of it. People really need to realize that umpires are humans and honest mistakes will happen, but that doesn't mean they don't do a fantastic job as a whole.*There's a reason they are highly paid; because their abilities are not something that just strolls through down the street.

 

[Wikey]

If they truly were that highly skilled there wouldn't be any umpires over the age of about 35 since eyesight deteriorates with age. Secondly, cameras don't make mistakes. If they instituted instant replay I wouldn't complain when the ump makes mistakes since they would be corrected. Thirdly, there is usually no bigger ego on the diamond than the umpires. They get off on throwing players and managers out.

 

[aamto]

it's official: RA Dickey is the best pitcher in baseball.

 

[Byrne]

Some guy I had never heard of two years ago is going to win the Cy Young this year.

My god.

 

[jrrrrrrr]

Firstly, congrats to Roger Clemens. HoF, here we come!

Second...RA Dickey, lol. Talk about flukes. That knuck piece is rolling, maybe the air in New York has changed because the Yankees have been so hot recently.

Yeah, no. It's nothing but a narrative spurned to tell the masses what they want to hear. There's no evidence behind it, but there is with things like advanced spray charts leading to extreme shifts, increased cutter usage, specialty relief pitchers, data on which hitters are more exploitable with certain pitches, etc. Not that steroids BS.*

And all of those things magically happened in the last 2 years, with no signs of these things before? I don't buy it. Everything you've listed has existed for a long time but we are just now seeing the effects?

Like I said, it was just a passing thought and the recent pitching domination could easily be attributed to a fluke. No need to condescendingly tell me I'm a slave to the media when it's both completely wrong and completely irrelevant.

<umpires suck but theyre only human>

I understand that nobody is perfect. I understand that being an umpire is difficult. That's why I want them to use existing technology to make their lives easier. You actually just made my argument for me: it's impossible for a human to make every call accurately, so why should we sit around and let them be inaccurate? We've had this technology for decades. It's nothing short of ridiculous that fans in 1970 could know the results of a play within SECONDS of the play happening, but here we are in 2012 with umpires still not being allowed to get the call right.

And all of this is without mentioning the umps that are universally known for being fucking terrible, like Joe West and Angel Hernandez. If I was that bad at my job I would be fired, so no I don't think it's ignorant to wish they would lose their jobs to a replay official who would do the job right.

 

[moi]

sorry J7r but he's pretty spot on with the pitching information, thats all spread to become leaguewide only in the past 3-4. matt and I have talked about it at length, but all the steroids shit is crap, and there is statistical evidence to prove it.

here, I've got the link for you, searched the old thread for it.

http://steroids-and-baseball.com/

but yeah, umps is dead on. Instant replay on easy things, and increased accountability is needed for all the spiteful craps out there.

ps. R.A Dickey as a fluke is hurtful to the man who's put up good-great numbers for 3 years anyways. Piecing things together seems pretty believable. Not 2 ERA, but he'll finish at around 2.5-3 and easily have CY consideration

 

[Stallion]

Mike Trout 3 SB in his first game on my team! This is why I traded Beltre for you <3 that first place is gonna be mine again!

Ps - myself and disposable puppets combined lead every category in fantasy, except SB.