MLB Friday 7/12

[Wiretowire]

YTD +1380
2-0 last

Thanks Phantom I appreciate the response. GL

Thanks Inzane. Skenes is very good. Can't believe they took him out because of pitch count. He was pissed on the bench. Then the reliever gives up two hits back to back on the first two he faced. I kind of get they want to watch his health, but they have to let the guy go til he allows a hit. 6 more outs to get was all he needed. Plus, I don't know why they worry about his health when it's almost certain he will not be pitching for the Pirates two years from now. Hell, the Dodgers may try to trade for him this year and offer Pitt a deal they can't refuse. GL

And before anyone tries to tell me Pitt would never give up what looks to be their future franchise don't kid yourself. Everyone is for sale in MLB. Trust me.

Couple of things,

If you are going to interview someone show them the first time they talk then get them the fuck off the screen. You don't need a split screen to watch these guys talk for the rest of the inning. The game should be the most important thing. Apparently even MLB knows their product is boing because they allow all these networks to talk ad nauseum about riveting stuff like a 50/50 drawing or how baseball was back at the beginning of the last century when the Mets won their miracle world series championship. Just stop it and show the damn game. We can fucking hear. We don't need to see them.

MLB you HAVE to do something about these umps behind the plate. They are calling every pitch definitely outside a strike and it needs to stop. I would think if MLB had half a brain they would take action to help their pitiful hitters instead of making up new stats that trick people into thinking the batters have good averages. (that horseshit OPS) Seriously, these clowns can't hit to begin with, and you are killing them further with all these strikeouts called that aren't even remotely close to being strikes. Bring in the auto box and don't wait two years while you experiment with it in the minors. Most minor games aren't fucking televised geniuses so just put it in and let the plate ump have a smoke and a beer back there. In the meantime, tell the damn umps to stop calling close pitches strikes. All it takes is a memo to slow it down before you inevitably go to the auto box strike caller. You know you are going there, and I know it too so just put it in.

Lastly have the damn all star game midway in the season. It gets later and later every year and truth be told no one even cares about that game or your stupid home run derby. Seriously, the HR derby was interesting to start but you have made so many rules changes no one gives a shit anymore. I defy anyone to actually tell me 1) what all these changes are and 2) why they are there now. Throw the ball and let the fuckers hit the shit out of it while you count how many they hit. Not rocket science and it doesn't need a bunch of rules. Oh, and while I'm on the subject, no cares how hard it was hit or how far it travelled. We can see and we can all say "Wow he really hit the shit out of that one!'" We don't need motherfuckers with science tools and computers breaking down how far or fast it travelled to a nanometer. What the fuck?

You are not going to like this as I could only find one.

Mets ML -120/+50

And my standing rule still applies before you decide to give -1 1/2 at -125 private message me and I will take Colo +1 1/2 and give you even odds. That should really save you money. GL

 

[inZane]

Good luck today Wire.

Yeah, some of these ump calls are atrocious.

I don't want to see them go to an all electronic strike zone but wtf...

 

[peelpub94]

YTD +1380
2-0 last

Thanks Phantom I appreciate the response. GL

Thanks Inzane. Skenes is very good. Can't believe they took him out because of pitch count. He was pissed on the bench. Then the reliever gives up two hits back to back on the first two he faced. I kind of get they want to watch his health, but they have to let the guy go til he allows a hit. 6 more outs to get was all he needed. Plus, I don't know why they worry about his health when it's almost certain he will not be pitching for the Pirates two years from now. Hell, the Dodgers may try to trade for him this year and offer Pitt a deal they can't refuse. GL

And before anyone tries to tell me Pitt would never give up what looks to be their future franchise don't kid yourself. Everyone is for sale in MLB. Trust me.

Couple of things,

If you are going to interview someone show them the first time they talk then get them the fuck off the screen. You don't need a split screen to watch these guys talk for the rest of the inning. The game should be the most important thing. Apparently even MLB knows their product is boing because they allow all these networks to talk ad nauseum about riveting stuff like a 50/50 drawing or how baseball was back at the beginning of the last century when the Mets won their miracle world series championship. Just stop it and show the damn game. We can fucking hear. We don't need to see them.

MLB you HAVE to do something about these umps behind the plate. They are calling every pitch definitely outside a strike and it needs to stop. I would think if MLB had half a brain they would take action to help their pitiful hitters instead of making up new stats that trick people into thinking the batters have good averages. (that horseshit OPS) Seriously, these clowns can't hit to begin with, and you are killing them further with all these strikeouts called that aren't even remotely close to being strikes. Bring in the auto box and don't wait two years while you experiment with it in the minors. Most minor games aren't fucking televised geniuses so just put it in and let the plate ump have a smoke and a beer back there. In the meantime, tell the damn umps to stop calling close pitches strikes. All it takes is a memo to slow it down before you inevitably go to the auto box strike caller. You know you are going there, and I know it too so just put it in.

Lastly have the damn all star game midway in the season. It gets later and later every year and truth be told no one even cares about that game or your stupid home run derby. Seriously, the HR derby was interesting to start but you have made so many rules changes no one gives a shit anymore. I defy anyone to actually tell me 1) what all these changes are and 2) why they are there now. Throw the ball and let the fuckers hit the shit out of it while you count how many they hit. Not rocket science and it doesn't need a bunch of rules. Oh, and while I'm on the subject, no cares how hard it was hit or how far it travelled. We can see and we can all say "Wow he really hit the shit out of that one!'" We don't need motherfuckers with science tools and computers breaking down how far or fast it travelled to a nanometer. What the fuck?

You are not going to like this as I could only find one.

Mets ML -120/+50

And my standing rule still applies before you decide to give -1 1/2 at -125 private message me and I will take Colo +1 1/2 and give you even odds. That should really save you money. GL

100000% could not have said any of this any better. Basically wrote everything verbatim that is in my head daily, and likely most of us here.

 

[Wiretowire]

Thanks Inzane. I get not wanting to go to the electronic as I thought that myself but recently I have begun begging for it. Bases loaded one run game two outs 3-2 count and even though the ball is clearly out of the strike zone by a foot the ump rings them up. Can't happen soon enough for me and I am a traditionalist but the umpiring has never been this bad in all the years I have watched it. GL

Thanks Peel. I appreciate the response. GL

 

[peelpub94]

Thanks Inzane. I get not wanting to go to the electronic as I thought that myself but recently I have begun begging for it. Bases loaded one run game two outs 3-2 count and even though the ball is clearly out of the strike zone by a foot the ump rings them up. Can't happen soon enough for me and I am a traditionalist but the umpiring has never been this bad in all the years I have watched it. GL

Thanks Peel. I appreciate the response. GL

I am convinced the human umps are still there for eyeballs and clickbait, etc. Without them, half of the discussions and complaining that everyone does across the internet, ballparks, in studio for tv networks would cease to exist. Year 1 everyone will talk about what an amazing improvement its been for the integrity of the game, and then after we get to focus on pure baseball, without all the nonsense.

 

[Wiretowire]

Would be nice Peel. You're still going to need human umps to make calls that 50% of the time are overturned anyway but you still need them. Would be wonderful to get back to focusing on pure baseball. Wonder if that will ever happen? Come to think of it, MLB will probably allow each team 2 challenges on balls and strikes before they go to auto strike boxes. There is an umpires union that despite all evidence to the contrary would object to the auto box. GL

 

[PirateAlew]

As a bettor, I am praying they dont take away the umpire. My pops was college friends/teammates with Country Boy Joe West at Elon, so as a Kid and a catcher coming up I was always focused on the accuracy of the umps (West is said to have the fastest decision timing ever recorded at ump school). When Grady Little managed my hometown Durham Bulls and saw me wearing my catcher mitt, he started giving me tips as a young kid how to deal with the umps (I'm sure you know very well how to deal with umps with your career as a catcher---my old Boss Tim Edge played 10 years in triple A and pittsburgh briefly during bonds and said dealing with pitchers and umps helped him in his sales career---he sucked closing deals but was a damn good negotiator and managing sales guys who are tempermental as the weather in Denver, best sales manager i ever had in fact). My Travel ball coach in NC-Trent Mongero had a career in Minors as a SS til and injury got him, he was coached by Grady Little hence the intro to him as manager---guess being the catcher he wanted to see another catcher come up so I got lucky.
Now as a bettor, I love having that 3rd angle to look at with umps who favor the hitter and those who favor the pitcher. and playing the totals accordingly (so long as the matchup is leaning one way). Some are very obvious like Edwin Moscoso, Wegner, Marquez as some of those guys routinely see 11-12 run games, while guys like Estabrook/Drake are so pitcher friendly their games see 7 runs if that. If they take this away completely, it takes away one small edge some bettors with the right data have over the line. Anyway, that's my rant about umps but i do believe they're going to the hybrid challenge system soon, that's the rumors all around and seems more feasible. Question is how many pitching challenges would a team get? 2, 3 or more and prob even more post-season?

As for the Mets, I love them tonight too, and hit the over. Mets bats will be ready to feast on a rookie who has only seen one game in the majors, much like seattle last night and with Manea's 5.28 ERA against the Rockies, I think they get a few across to get across the line. Good luck Wire, have a good Friday.

Btw, funny thing about Bull Durham, with you being a catcher I'm sure you enjoyed it. I was an extra in the stands during a few of the scenes as a kid. In the Nuke Scene where the pitcher wants to bring the heat and Costner overrules him, then the Generals hitter slams one off the Bull that lights up with smoke---i was behind the General's hitter's dugout. I just remember it was cold as shit that day and night and i wanted to go home (i was 8 years old) and it was filmed during non baseball season so january/february. Dad had to pull me out of school and get to the park early 2 days which i was cool with I thought i was going to get to see a baseball game being played. I didn't quite understand all the stops and no playing then. Costner was cool--he signed all the kids stuff and made extra time to talk with the 200+ people watching).

 

[Timh]

BOL Wire.

 

[Wiretowire]

Thanks Tim. Always appreciated. GL

Thanks Pirate. Again, really good stuff. I love the stories. I get the ump angle on totals as I have used it in the past but not so much anymore. There is no bigger old school baseball fan than me, but I tell you the time has come to go auto strike. As a player I can tell you a lot of these umps break their tendencies when the game is running long, it's hot, they get hit with a foul ball, or when there is a lot of bitching by the players. They then tell us I'm calling everything a strike, so you better be swinging. I have even played in night games where the ump said I'm hungry so start swinging.

As for playing the umps the one thing I used to do was in the first inning I would drag the glove back into the strike zone. Full arm exaggerated drag leading with the elbow. Umps hated that shit so they would say "Don't drag the glove catch." I did it until the ump repeated, I can't do it. Then I would wait an inning and instead of dragging the glove I would turn it. Meaning on a slightly outside pitch you just turn your hand up as you catch the ball. But you had to turn it from the wrist not the elbow. They do this all the time in the majors. You will see it in any game you turn on tonight. Umps started calling all those strikes because they thought they had taught me a lesson on dragging the glove.

Problem today is they turn the glove from the wrist back into the strike zone and the ball even though it is still fully outside these morons still ring the hitter up. Watch for that. Most fans have watched thousands of games and never noticed the wrist turn. They see some motion by the catcher but don't realize how subtle it is. GL

 

[phantom888]

The human factor of baseball makes it a great game. Otherwise it’s just Nintendo

 

[phantom888]

I’m glad they pitch count watch Skenes

They don’t want to waste his arm

Good to be competitive, but good to be careful for a young pitcher’s arm as well

 

[PirateAlew]

Thanks Tim. Always appreciated. GL

Thanks Pirate. Again, really good stuff. I love the stories. I get the ump angle on totals as I have used it in the past but not so much anymore. There is no bigger old school baseball fan than me, but I tell you the time has come to go auto strike. As a player I can tell you a lot of these umps break their tendencies when the game is running long, it's hot, they get hit with a foul ball, or when there is a lot of bitching by the players. They then tell us I'm calling everything a strike, so you better be swinging. I have even played in night games where the ump said I'm hungry so start swinging.

As for playing the umps the one thing I used to do was in the first inning I would drag the glove back into the strike zone. Full arm exaggerated drag leading with the elbow. Umps hated that shit so they would say "Don't drag the glove catch." I did it until the ump repeated, I can't do it. Then I would wait an inning and instead of dragging the glove I would turn it. Meaning on a slightly outside pitch you just turn your hand up as you catch the ball. But you had to turn it from the wrist not the elbow. They do this all the time in the majors. You will see it in any game you turn on tonight. Umps started calling all those strikes because they thought they had taught me a lesson on dragging the glove.

Problem today is they turn the glove from the wrist back into the strike zone and the ball even though it is still fully outside these morons still ring the hitter up. Watch for that. Most fans have watched thousands of games and never noticed the wrist turn. They see some motion by the catcher but don't realize how subtle it is. GL

Great stuff, love the umpire stories, your story is a bit similar to what my great uncle told about framing and getting on the umps good side. He was a catcher for the Wash Senators briefly before and after WWII, and shared the name with the great Mickey Cochrane, his name was Charles "Mickey" Cochrane, and the story went that a scout saw him at a tryout and saw cochrane on the sheet and thought he was Mickey's Son. He didnt find out til 2 years later he wasn't. HA!

I definintely have noticed umpires calling games shorter, used to notice it a lot in the extra inning games, was at a Nationals-Giants with Barry Bonds years ago in RFK, stadium, was empty mid july day and it was 98+. I was sitting 3rd row for $10, and in comes Tim Russert from Meet the Press, sits a row behind me. Anyway, the whole later innings Tim was yelling at the umpire because he was squeezing the nats pitcher every inning. Between innings, you could hear the ump telling his other guy he couldnt wait for the game to be over because Tim and a few guys were giving him a migraine. The last 3 innings seemed to fly esp when the Nats hitters were up. A few weeks later, I'm sitting near the same area, Reds vs nats, behind the Reds dugout, Big boy Adam Dunn hit one ball that still hasnt come down and Ken Griffey Jr back to back. Russert was there barking at the ump the whole time, and that ump said something about having him tossed too, then someone apparently said something to him and let him know who Tim was so he seemed to put Tim on mute after that. That human element does mess with the results.

Regarding that, my dad used to say all umps are wannabe baseball rejects, with a power trip problem. Joe West surely fit the mold, he was quite the jerk even in college, back then he was maybe 200 pounds soaking wet and the starting QB on ECU's and Elon's teams, while playing catcher in spring, think he still holds some NAIA Records. He was a hot head as are many tempermental umps, like the idiot who threw Boone out this year all because of what a fan said (Hunter Wendlestedt i recall?). My boss Tim said he had a bad habit of pissing umps off and his pitchers would not be too happy. He was assigned to work with Mike Lavalier one spring training to work on his attitude. Years later in Vegas, it's me, and 2 of our other top sales guys in vegas for a converntion. Last night out at a bar some drunk hillbilly runs his mouth off at Tim about his his Auburn ring (SEC Champ i think). I think tim reverted back to his minor league bar fighting days, the hot head came out and it wasnt good for billy Bob. He still retained those anger issues. HA!

My old boss Tim would tell stories of riding the bus and losing all his money in poker games, said the minor league salary late 80's/90's was so meager, he either had to go play in Mexico in offseason or sell exercise equipment. Well, He looks like Mr Clean from the commercial so he made a much better treadmill and weight liftng machine salesman. Not sure if you're into slapstick comedy and have seen Eastbound and Down. Used to be on HBO, the series where he goes to Mexico to pitch is hysterical---it's about Kenny powers a mythical washed up ex pitcher. Will Ferrell is in it some too. Some funny baseball stuff of course too but if you need a laugh, check it out.

Thanks for the insight, love the knowledge on catching. i have 2 older boys in NC and 2 younger boys here in VA I'm working on getting into baseball along with football. Juju wants to be a catcher so I've been working with him on drills (mostly blocking, and Pop time-mitt to 2nd and 3rd) but trying to get him into Pitching eventually, spare his knees and save him from the issues I had. Good luck tonight, and appreciate the knowledge, always enhjoyed minor league baseball from the many games at the Durham Bulls and occassionally Burlington Indians (Pops old hometown), and of course the Kinston Indians in college for $2 Pitchers on thirsty Thursday. Now I'm relegated to the Richmond Flying Squirrels (formerly richmond braves) games at the old & now Dilapidated Diamond. If you're driving 95 you cant miss it, it's one of the oddest baseball parks structure wise still around, GL tonight, here;s to an easy Mets win. Thanks again.

 

[phantom888]

Ahhhhhh……America’s Game!!

 

[2daBank]

it kills me the only person in the world watching a game who doesn't know exactly what a ball or strike is the god damn ump calling balls and strikes! give them a damn ipad already and have them call a accurate game for once!

 

[PirateAlew]

it kills me the only person in the world watching a game who doesn't know exactly what a ball or strike is the god damn ump calling balls and strikes! give them a damn ipad already and have them call a accurate game for once!

Man you are so right. We had an old man at the durham bulls games who was blind sitting right behind the guy with the radar gun, he'd sit with his AM radio listening to 620 AM for the broadcast, he knew before the umpire what kind of pitch it was by the sound and other senses us sighted folks dont have (Javy Lopez the braves and bulls catcher was even amazed the guy was right so often). He'd yell "you missed a perfectly good slider blue." He was also the loudest guy in the stadium of about 1,000-2000 people, you'd hear him bellowing "you're blind blue." Ump one game was getting crapped on so bad, the PA announcer even said the "our resident blind fan is calling a better game than the Umpire" and played "three blind mice." Embarrassing when a blind man is calling out a sighted man and he's right. ha! Things they could do at minor league games, I'm sure Wire has some good one's too.

 

[2daBank]

Man you are so right. We had an old man at the durham bulls games who was blind sitting right behind the guy with the radar gun, he'd sit with his AM radio listening to 620 AM for the broadcast, he knew before the umpire what kind of pitch it was by the sound and other senses us sighted folks dont have. He'd yell "you missed a perfectly good slider blue." He was also the loudest guy in the stadium of about 1,000-2000 people, you'd hear him bellowing "you're blind blue." Ump one game was getting crapped on so bad, the PA announcer even said the "our resident blind fan is calling a better game than the Umpire" and played "three blind mice." Embarrassing when a blind man is calling out a sighted man and he's right. ha! Things they could do at minor league games, I'm sure Wire has some good one's too.

honestly i feel bad for home plate umps. we all get the box and see exactly where every pitch is and he left back there guessing looking like a damn fool! makes no sense they couldn't use technology to call balls and strikes. really cracks me up when catcher is set up on opposite side the plate where ball gets pitched so his glove has to move, basically anytime that happens they call a clear and obvious strike a ball!

 

[PirateAlew]

honestly i feel bad for home plate umps. we all get the box and see exactly where every pitch is and he left back there guessing looking like a damn fool! makes no sense they couldn't use technology to call balls and strikes. really cracks me up when catcher is set up on opposite side the plate where ball gets pitched so his glove has to move, basically anytime that happens they call a clear and obvious strike a ball!

apparently Umpire school is really rigourous and competitive too, and only 5-10% make it to the majors, if that. Wire can probably confirm but that's what I heard from Pops thru Joe and others. Tought to imagine with all the blatant inconsistently, makes you wonder if they teach certain classes differently.

My fave bad ump quote is "This was the worst umpiring performance at an Angels game since Leslie Nielsen in 'The Naked Gun.'"

 

[2daBank]

apparently Umpire school is really rigourous and competitive too, and only 5-10% make it to the majors, if that. Wire can probably confirm but that's what I heard from Pops thru Joe and others. Tought to imagine with all the blatant inconsistently, makes you wonder if they teach certain classes differently.

My fave bad ump quote is "This was the worst umpiring performance at an Angels game since Leslie Nielsen in 'The Naked Gun.'"

feel like this wave of newer umps worse than the old guys, the old guys have some bad k-zones but feel like they at least call it fairly consistently both ways. some these newer cats are all over the place from inning to inning if not pitch to pitch! few days back i do recall some clown who was consistently calling strikes on pitches a good 3-4 inches high, shit was crazy, kept thinking he has to be positioning himself at a weird angle!

nothing pisses me off more than a missed strike 3 that coulda ended a inning, seems like that often leads to a 2 out nightmare for pitchers. usually happens in the bottom 5th while i'm trying to cash a ff under! it just so damn frustrating watching the box and seeing them miss call after call, such a easy fix too!

 

[2daBank]

i used to prefer umps incompetence as they would be part my capping but i've grown tired and would prefer they all just got the calls correct instead of us having to worry bout if a guy is gonna squeeze a pitcher or give him a extra 2-3 inches off the plate!!! shit makes a huge difference, especially when we talking bout middling talent pitchers who don't have the stuff to just throw it by everyone, strike zone plays a huge factor on whether or not he successful.

 

[FadeTheHype]

apparently Umpire school is really rigourous and competitive too, and only 5-10% make it to the majors, if that. Wire can probably confirm but that's what I heard from Pops thru Joe and others. Tought to imagine with all the blatant inconsistently, makes you wonder if they teach certain classes differently.

My fave bad ump quote is "This was the worst umpiring performance at an Angels game since Leslie Nielsen in 'The Naked Gun.'"

Good ole Frank Drebin lol. Funny as shit calling the strikes, but probably a bad comparison because he actually got the calls right.