k-bro’s blog

 

MLB is considering implementing instant replay to assist with questionable homerun calls, and plans are to give it a try in the Arizona Fall League. Last December during the Winter Meetings, the General Managers voted 25-5 in favor of recommending it for “boundary calls”. Everyone is talking about it again now because of a couple of so-called “blown” calls in the New York market (it’s questionable whether there would be the ado if they had happened here in fly-over country). And because those calls have been replayed over and over in a 24/7 barrage, many will insist that everyone continues to talk about it.

While I’m not really against instant replay in these particular cases — we all know of times when legitimate home runs were ruled as foul balls because the umpires couldn’t tell which side of the foul pole the ball flew past — I’m not a fan of the path that allowing any instant replay goes down. If this happens, it would be the first time that technology is allowed to actually change the game rather than merely enhance it.

Because virtually every game is televised, players today use replays to scout opponents or improve their own game. However, when he’s between the lines, a player still must make his pitches or put the bat on the ball all by himself. Improving the performance of the individual athletes is a far different matter than forcing the game to conform to a television-ruled world with its all-mighty dollar. Baseball fans are already subjected to goofy start times and elongated half-inning changeovers because of the demands of television advertising.

Baseball itself isn’t well suited to allow technology to dictate outcomes because it seems to celebrate its own quirkiness. This is a game that doesn’t even want a clock to tell everyone when the game is over. Heck, there aren’t even standards for the size or shape of the field of play as long as the bases are 90 feet apart and the pitcher’s mound is 60 feet 6 inches away from home. And nothing happens unless human umpires or scorekeepers say it does (ball or strike? pitch or balk? safe or out? hit or error? fair or foul?). So forcing a drastic change in the way a game is called, simply because fans can second-guess the calls the next morning, seems counter-intuitive.

Twins 7 - The Team That Calls Itself World Champions 3
Twins take series 3-1

So, most of us had a choice last night. What did you decide? The ESPN yahoos or our lovable Dick-n-Bert? Me? I chose Dick-n-Bert. I guess I just like familiarity. And I think I made a good choice. Did ESPN show shots of Boof unraveling a baseball? I doubt it. But our guys stuck with the story until conclusion and Boof got to the core of the matter.

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Up until the seventh, Boof’s unwrapping adventure was the most adorable moment of the game. Then Cuddy did his little juggling magic trick pulling a baseball out of his hat. That play will probably be the most adorable moment of the whole season. And Dick laughing about it was almost as adorable.

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In fact, the whole game was pretty much adorable. Coming from behind is adorable. Stringing hits together for runs is adorable. And even though giving up three runs in the first isn’t so much adorable, settling down and not allowing any more might be. However, catching a screaming liner and stinging your hand is adorable. And, in a weird way, watching the opposing pitcher throw a temper tantrum is adorable. In fact, in honor of all the adorableness, I’ll post this adorable picture.

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It seems that Livan likes the pixie vests - he’s two for two at home with them. I guess if he keeps getting these results, I’ll get used to them.

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A non-adorable moment was when Delmon rolled his ankle running the basepaths. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like it’s too serious. I hope he’ll be fine.

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And finally, the “even though it happened to a division rival, it’s still really cool” moment of the day: Last night, Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians completed an unassisted triple play. It’s like only the 14th in major league history. Pretty groovy.

“Don’t tell me about the world.  Not today.  It’s springtime and they’re knocking baseball around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curve ball.”  ~Pete Hamill

Ahhh.  It’s been cold; it’s been dark; it’s been long; and now it’s over.  The off-season, and by association winter, ends today.  Of course, winter’s not really over - I can go outside and figure that out quickly. But the cold, dark nothingness of baseball-lessness is finally over.

I spent the weekend doing some baseball-related things that really brightened my mood.  I took my son shopping for a new bat (didn’t buy one - he’s still deciding), and we watched “Everybody’s Hero” (OK movie - really little kids would probably like it).  And I followed the reports of spring training on the web.  Getting ready for a new baseball season, whether it is the pros or youth-ball, makes me almost giddy.

Now I have a healthy respect for other sports.  I watch, understand, and enjoy football, but it doesn’t have my heart. I have a great time whenever I attend Wild games.  Basketball - well, let’s just say it’s not for me.  And since both my boys wrestle, I do enjoy watching that.

But I love baseball.  And there are several reasons:

It’s human.  There are no clocks.  There are no chains.  There is no instant-replay (yet - and there better not ever be).  Each event requires a decision by a human umpire.  Ball or strike? Pitch or balk? Fair or foul? Even with a routine grounder, the ball can beat the baserunner to first by 40 feet, but he’s not out until the umpire calls him out. Even when I disagree with an umpire, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s relaxed. Another benefit of no clock is that there’s no equivalent of a play clock.  I believe there is some rule that states that the pitcher must throw a pitch within 12 second of becoming set, but I don’t think there’s one about when he has to become set.  So the game takes as long as it takes, and it’s done when it’s done.  And if you want to, you have plenty of time to write down everything that happens.  Which is very cool.

It’s easy. From my favorite movie: “A good friend of mine used to say, ‘This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.’ Think about that for a while.”  ~ Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh.

It’s hard.  The cliché is that there is nothing harder to do in all of sports than hit a round ball with a round bat.  And I believe it.  But it’s also got to be hard to throw a 90 mph pitch with enough precision to prevent the hitter from hitting it. And if someone does hit it, diving all over the place or crashing into walls can’t be a walk in the park.

It’s complicated. For starters, there are 23 ways to get to first base.  And every rule seems to have at least two “excepts” or “unlesses”. How cool is it that a foul ball is a strike, unless the batter has two strikes already, in which case it’s just a foul ball, unless it’s a foul tip to the catcher’s glove, in which case it’s a strikeout, except if the catcher drops it.  You’d better keep up.

It’s different.  Most other team games have a goal that requires defending, so they’re all basically the same - one team tries to take the ball/puck to the opponent’s goal, and the other team tries to stop them.  Ho hum.  Not so with baseball.  “Baseball is the only major sport that appears backwards in a mirror.”  ~George Carlin

What’s not to love?  And I am so ready for it to start.