April Game Thread

Red(s)HawksFan

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This is weird. Mets started a game they shouldn't have and it got wiped out after 7 minutes of play. But I guess with new COVID rules the game is suspended and not just wiped out. Now on August 31 the two teams will continue the game at 9 innings, and play a second game at 7 innings. What?

View: https://twitter.com/J_McPherson1126/status/1381328222537801737
That is baffling. I don't understand why that needed to be changed due to COVID. It's not like there's a chance of games being called mid-way due to COVID, is there? Does that mean playing at least 5 innings is no longer needed to be an official game? Once it starts, it's official and they'll finish it no matter what?
 

DeadlySplitter

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Phillies win on a sac fly in the 9th where the runner didn't seem to ever hit the plate, called safe, upheld on replay. Not sure what happened.
 

jon abbey

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Man I have seen a bunch of wrong calls upheld on review already this season, how does that even happen? Do we need to chip in and get MLB bigger screens?
 

nattysez

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Is the Posey rule implicated here? I didn't think the Varitek-style blocking of the plate was legal anymore. The catcher pushed him away from the plate.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Once he had the ball you can do whatever.

I think the replay umps just didn't do a good job combining the angles they had. Because on the side view you could make a case to stay with the call on the field, but on the direct view it's pretty clear he never got the plate.

There's also this, the standard of review seems to be unless it's blatant, stick with the call because gotta protect our own:

View: https://twitter.com/jaysonst/status/1381437548187291651
 

LogansDad

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This is a cool moment. Has to be a dream come true to be able to play with your childhood idols.

View: https://twitter.com/thehazelmae/status/1381062485965410306?s=20
View: https://twitter.com/gifs_baseball/status/1381386061394362369?s=21


I don’t know how to embed this Twitter video but Acuna beating out a routine grounder is awesome.

Edit: looks like the site does it automatically
I've got to be honest.... I think baseball is in a really good place with these kids.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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How much credit do we have to give Bohm on that play for selling that he'd touched the plate? So often you see a runner on a play like that go back and re-touch the plate just to make it clear. He never did that. Intentional or not, he sold it like he got the plate the first time and I think it influenced both the initial call and the replay. It shouldn't have, but it did.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Once he had the ball you can do whatever.

I think the replay umps just didn't do a good job combining the angles they had. Because on the side view you could make a case to stay with the call on the field, but on the direct view it's pretty clear he never got the plate.

There's also this, the standard of review seems to be unless it's blatant, stick with the call because gotta protect our own:

View: https://twitter.com/jaysonst/status/1381437548187291651
I mean replay should be torched except maybe the postseason when no one wants to make the obvious F-up affecting a championship. Why did they bother stopping an April game to review that if the replay reviewer is going to let that stand? On top of that, I thought we'd be over the "neighborhood" calls of touching home plate now that the catchers are scrutinized for blocking HP. Before, I would be sympathetic to the runners who had to slide into the catcher's nuts just to reach the plate.
 

riboflav

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I would hope this is the beginning of the end of replay, but I fear this will only make replay more intrusive in the game.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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I mean replay should be torched except maybe the postseason when no one wants to make the obvious F-up affecting a championship. Why did they bother stopping an April game to review that if the replay reviewer is going to let that stand? On top of that, I thought we'd be over the "neighborhood" calls of touching home plate now that the catchers are scrutinized for blocking HP. Before, I would be sympathetic to the runners who had to slide into the catcher's nuts just to reach the plate.
Curious if you watched the Sox yesterday.?

2 awful calls got overturned into the Sox favor. Reviews took under 30 seconds they were so clear
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Curious if you watched the Sox yesterday.?

2 awful calls got overturned into the Sox favor. Reviews took under 30 seconds they were so clear
In all honesty I had the Masters bug yesterday and only caught brief portions of the game. But in my mind, I would trade a few of those for the vast majority of challenges which are useless. At first, you had managers who hesitated to use the challenge unless there was something egregious, but now that the process is front of mind you have these "use it or lose it" situations where challenges are used on 50/50 or 40/60 calls. Just unnecessary stoppages. We had plenty of shitty calls pre-replay and most of us fans survived the regular season whiffs.

In reality, the blown calls on balls and strikes take up around 99% of the bad umpiring pie and tag plays, trap vs catch, fair/foul balls, etc. are about 1%.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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For every 50/50 replay that "delays" the game a bit, games used to have players, coaches, and/or managers getting into shouting matches with umpires and delaying games. I think ultimately it's a wash. The only difference being that manager-umpire arguments are a bit more interesting to watch than umpires standing with headphones on.
 

YTF

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Curious if you watched the Sox yesterday.?

2 awful calls got overturned into the Sox favor. Reviews took under 30 seconds they were so clear
The play at first saw the ball not going into the glove until the runner started past the bag, no idea what the ump was looking at. Second base call wasn't a whole lot closer with the ump less than 8 feet from the play and looking right at the base. Bad angle perhaps but it really wasn't close.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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The play at first saw the ball not going into the glove until the runner started past the bag, no idea what the ump was looking at. Second base call wasn't a whole lot closer with the ump less than 8 feet from the play and looking right at the base. Bad angle perhaps but it really wasn't close.
So you agree, replay is needed, but perhaps if it can’t be decided in 60 seconds, the call stands
 

YTF

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So you agree, replay is needed, but perhaps if it can’t be decided in 60 seconds, the call stands
The main objective of course is to get it right. MLB should have enough personnel manning the reply facility to have most of these decisions made before the umps even call them. By the time the manager signals for the challenge (remember they are often waiting on word from someone on staff watching a reply) the decision of conclusive vs non conclusive should be clear and the subsequent decision to change or uphold the call made. So short answer, yes in the overwhelming majority of cases.
 

grimshaw

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For every 50/50 replay that "delays" the game a bit, games used to have players, coaches, and/or managers getting into shouting matches with umpires and delaying games. I think ultimately it's a wash. The only difference being that manager-umpire arguments are a bit more interesting to watch than umpires standing with headphones on.
100%. And the times when umps get together and reverse a safe call without replay, then you have the opposing manager come out and lose his shit as well. As long as they enforce the time limit on replays then I am ok with the system, in the sense that it's good enough, necessary, but not perfect. I would tinker with the initial call having weight for reviews, though.
 
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Al Zarilla

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Reds hit two 2-run homers in the top of the first, so the Giants hit two 2-run homers in the bottom half, one by Carl Yastrzemski's grandson. The pitchers were both opening day starters for their teams, so not tomato cans.
 

PseuFighter

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second white sox game in a row i've been to where they get screwed by the man on second in extra innings rule. this is an awful rule and after sitting here for 3 hours of 9 inning baseball, i hate watching games end like this. it's losing interest in baseball cringe worthy.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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I don't think there's anything in the game I hate more these days than the extra inning rule... but Bieber deserved that win, so I'll be a hypocrite and enjoy it tonight.
 

nattysez

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MadBum's contract with the DBacks is headed toward being an all-timer. They are paying him $19m this year, then owe him $60m over the next three years.

Last year he had 9 starts, threw 41.2 IP with a 6.48 ERA and 1.4 WHIP.
This year, in three starts, his WHIP is 2.195 and he's only managed to go 13.2 IP.

He's 31, by the way.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but neither Tim Lincecum nor Matt Cain pitched an MLB game after age 32.
 

Max Power

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second white sox game in a row i've been to where they get screwed by the man on second in extra innings rule. this is an awful rule and after sitting here for 3 hours of 9 inning baseball, i hate watching games end like this. it's losing interest in baseball cringe worthy.
How were they screwed but the Indians weren't? Both teams got a runner on second to start their halves of the 10th.
 

jon abbey

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Brutal start of the season for Patrick Corbin, 16 ERs allowed in 6 IP in 2 starts as of this second. Tim Locastro is currently batting for the third time, in the second inning (ARI has scored 10, all earned).
 

The Filthy One

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I'm watching the A's - Tigers, and it the crowd in Oakland is exceptionally annoying. Not just the cowbell guy, who's always there, but also someone who screams "Woooooo!" every couple of seconds. And because there are only a couple of people at the game, that person is getting a lot of, um, share of voice.
 

BaseballJones

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The Dodgers' starting rotation is ridiculous.

Bauer: 2.70 era, 0.60 whip, 13.1 k/9
Kershaw: 2.89 era, 1.07 whip, 7.7 k/9
Urias: 3.86 era, 1.18 whip, 7.2 k/9
Buehler: 1.50 era, 0.83 whip, 6.0 k/9
May: 1.74 era, 1.16 whip, 12.2 k/9

TOT: 8-1, 79.2 ip, 64 h, 24 er, 12 bb, 82 k, 2.71 era, 0.95 whip, 9.3 k/9
 

jon abbey

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The Cubs are 7-82 with RISP so far this season, including 0-7 so far in this afternoon’s game.
 

DanoooME

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Orsillo is announcing this Padres/Dodgers game like it's a World Series thriller. Crowd is acting like it too.

Edit: And he just pulled out "Tatis Jr. is back and he's back big!"
 

The Gray Eagle

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The key play was the diving stop by Tatis, then the throwing error. Seemed like the second baseman got there late— was he shifted way over, or started too late?
Seems like he should be able to beat the runner there easily, but he didn’t.
 

jon abbey

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Houston’s season so far:

First seven games: 6-1 (51-20 runs)
Next six: 0-6 (18-39 runs)

The A’s are the reverse, starting off 1-7 and then winning six in a row, amazingly 1/2 game ahead of HOU now.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Holy crap this SD-Dodgers game is fun. 5 errors, but both teams going at each other nonstop. Orsillo is already hoarse.
5-5 in the 8th right now.
 

nvalvo

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Holy crap this SD-Dodgers game is fun. 5 errors, but both teams going at each other nonstop. Orsillo is already hoarse.
5-5 in the 8th right now.
I'm watching too, and it's incredible. This could be the best rivalry in baseball for the next few years.
 
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