Baseball 2016

[derspiess]

Well.  The "Battle of Ohio" is off to a good start.  My only question:  Where the hell was this offensive madness when the Tribe faced the even worse Twins over the weekend?!

I didn't watch either game, but kept track of the scores-- pretty damned hilarious.

We're going tonight.  Found tickets on Stubhub -- five rows back behind third base for $15 apiece.

[derspiess]

They read out the suspensions for the Odor thing on the radio this morning when I was driving Tommy to school.  Tommy asked me why Bautista was suspended for a game & I honestly couldn't find an answer.  I'm no fan of Bautista, but what do you get him for?  Sliding a little late?

[Admiral Yi]

They read out the suspensions for the Odor thing on the radio this morning when I was driving Tommy to school.  Tommy asked me why Bautista was suspended for a game & I honestly couldn't find an answer.  I'm no fan of Bautista, but what do you get him for?  Sliding a little late?

Didn't he say afterwards that he was trying to send a message with that slide?

I think the principle is the same as roughing the kicker or passer.  Short stop has a plant leg too.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Lincecum did end up with the Angels.  Ugh.  Maybe he sucks now.

They read out the suspensions for the Odor thing on the radio this morning when I was driving Tommy to school.  Tommy asked me why Bautista was suspended for a game & I honestly couldn't find an answer.  I'm no fan of Bautista, but what do you get him for?  Sliding a little late?

 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Didn't he say afterwards that he was trying to send a message with that slide?

I think the principle is the same as roughing the kicker or passer.  Short stop has a plant leg too.

Yes, he was suspended for his "actions and comments."  Chavez was suspended three games for improving Prince Fielder's OBP. 

E:  Oh someone got a screenshot of Odor v. Donaldson in the melee.  He might have caught him more than I thought:



I still can't figure out why he was flying in there face first like that.  It doesn't really seem like a good way to fight?  Even "baseball" fight.

[Admiral Yi]

He didn't lead with his face.  He was facing down Odor and got sucker punched.

[Admiral Yi]

Wait, is that not the first punch?

[MadBurgerMaker]

No that's Donaldson flying face first into the post punch scrum.  Bautista was still leaning on Beltre and hadn't even started checking his teeth yet when this happened.  Also, I think the definition of "sucker punch" has changed or something. 

[The Minsky Moment]

Didn't he say afterwards that he was trying to send a message with that slide?

I think the principle is the same as roughing the kicker or passer.  Short stop has a plant leg too.

Yes, he was suspended for his "actions and comments." 

But WTF does that mean?
No question that under the old rules, it was a clean slide.  Under the new rule, the slide meets most of the requirements of a bona fide slide, with one exception: ability to remain on the base at the end of the slide.  So here was an opportunity for MLB to give some useful guidance on how it would police the new rule but it retreated into vagueness.  This is just buying more controversy in the future.

The mere statement of intent to "send a message" is meaningless, and IMO not grounds for discipline.  You can send a message through a legal slide, or indeed through any number of legal plays.  Either the conduct was OK in which case the "message" was irrelevant or the conduct wasn't OK in which case the statement is mere additional color.

To be clear, I'm not taking the position on whether the suspension was unwarranted, just the crappy way MLB messaged it.

[MadBurgerMaker]

You're also supposed to be in contact with the ground before the base (which also helps to keep from sliding several feet past it), and he wasn't really.   Anyway, it was probably along the lines of "his actions helped to lead directly to a couple of fights, and then he told everyone they were intentional."  Is Joe Torre still the "punishment" guy for MLB?



I really really think he would have been safe at second if he hadn't tried to be a badass.  Check out that back foot.

[Admiral Yi]

Is a foot supposed to be on the bag?  Because his is clearly not.

[MadBurgerMaker]

The throw was also WAY off.  Double play anyway because of the slide.

[The Minsky Moment]

You're also supposed to be in contact with the ground before the base (which also helps to keep from sliding several feet past it), and he wasn't really.

His left foot hit the ground before the base.  The rest of his body is somewhat elevated, but not above Odor's knee. 

Yi: you must be "able to" and "attempt" to reach base with hand or foot, and "able to and attempt to remain on the base [presumably with any part of the body] after completion of the slide."

[Admiral Yi]

Yi: you must be "able to" and "attempt" to reach base with hand or foot, and "able to and attempt to remain on the base [presumably with any part of the body] after completion of the slide."

If one hand is good enough you could slide three feet wide of the bag and be OK.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Well you could do that to avoid a tag as long as the fielder isn't located where you're going, I guess, but the fielder just needs to touch the bag with his foot while holding the ball (no more neighborhood play) and the runner is out (e: on a force out or double play, that is).  Feet first is probably faster than trying to grab it as you slide by.