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Game 64: The Doctor And Pujols (I'm Not Touching That One) | 19 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Dave Till - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 09:58 PM EDT (#119540) #
That was nice.

When the Jays went up 3-0, was I the only one who thought, "This one's over!"?

How wonderful it is to have a pitcher who can go all 9 innings without racking up arm-endangering pitch counts.
Smaj - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:11 PM EDT (#119541) #
where would the Jays be without the Doc? The guy battles & claws & dominates. His efficency is remarkable. A true pleasure to watch.

Concerned about the inability of the Jays to cash in runs with less than two outs.

Adams was solid at the dish tonight, good to see him play!
Joe - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:17 PM EDT (#119542) #
The Jays cashed in several times. Remember, in baseball, a 70% failure rate is good.

Adams was pretty brutal in the field. For those listening to the commentators, what caused the 2-base error on Adams' throw? I would have thought it'd be 1 base.

The strike zone was really - forgiving, shall we say. Dad and I were right over home plate in the 500 level, and there were several, several balls tailing into or away from the batter, at least 4 inches (and sometimes significantly more), called strikes. It was pretty ridiculous. Did it look that bad from the centre field camera?
Dr. Zarco - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:23 PM EDT (#119543) #
Joe, a throw into the crowd is always two bases from where the guy starts. Unless it's a pitcher attempting a pickoff, then it's only one. Mabry started at first, so was given third, as opposed to the usual E6 throwing error where the runner is the batter, and is given two bases, ie. second base.

Re: the strike zone. It was certainly forgiving at times. But not all the time, as I found it rather inconsistent, especially on the inside corner to righties. The inside corner to lefties I thought was well called all game.
AWeb - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:31 PM EDT (#119546) #
The 2 base error was due to a rule, which I do not remember, which says that a throw that goes out of play gives all the baserunners 2 bases from the one they were on.

And some of the strike calls did seem a little...pitcher generous. The one that caught my attention the most was to Hinske (although I think he walked anyway). Started at the corner, tailed well outside, still a strike.

Well done again to Halladay. Along with Santana, he now has his WHIP under 1. He also leads the "Cy Young predictor" in the AL now. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/features/cy. Plus, Batista is ranked 10th, and the second closer. Now if several only some Jays would get hot at the plate...
Anders - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:37 PM EDT (#119547) #
Twas a good game, although a diaspointing turnout among bauxites once more. TorontoDan and I sat behind in 524b, and were amazed by the gigantic strikezone. We got on Jumbotron and grinned like idiots for about 10 seconds, and I got in a girls pants.

It was a good night.
VBF - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:40 PM EDT (#119548) #
Sitting outside of 518? Blasphemy!
Named For Hank - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:44 PM EDT (#119549) #
Theo, the Mrs. and I were down in 129 and saw you guys on the 'Tron.

Was it just me, or was this crowd really into the game? It was nice.
Joe - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 10:57 PM EDT (#119550) #
It was definitely not just you. Crowds are better this season, I'm certain of it.

I was in 524A, row 6. I imagine I saw you guys without knowing it. (Were you with a girl in a blue sleeveless (I think) top?)
James W - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 11:15 PM EDT (#119553) #
I was in 138 tonight... it's a blast to just watch the bullpen at times. I noticed Speier, Frasor and Chulk playing along with the delivery truck race (Speier won, haha).

Joe, the Jays were awful with RISP tonight. 3 for 15 or 16, but it's understandable after the 14 day road trip. Think back to each inning and just consider how many runs the team could have scored.
Nick - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 11:22 PM EDT (#119554) #
Actually, to clarify, a baserunner gets 2 bases from the time of the throw for an errant throw in which the ball goes out of play. Unless the "throw" was from the pitching rubber (not mound), in which case a runner gets 1 base. So a batter turned baserunner who is before 1st base gets 1st and 2nd. A baserunner between 1st base and 2nd base gets 2nd and 3rd. A baserunner anywhere from 2nd base forward gets 3rd and home. In case it is not clear, time of the throw equals when the ball leaves the fielder's hand on the errant throw. If a wild pitch were to go out of play, each baserunner would advance to the next base. So if a runner from 1st was stealing 2nd base and a wild pitch went out of play, he would have to stay at 2nd base unless he actually touched 2nd base before the pitcher released the ball - highly unlikely. So it is not 2 bases from where the baserunner started because you can start a play at 1st and be past 2nd before the errant throw is released in which case you would be awarded home instead of 3rd. The biggest controversy on one of these plays, as you can imagine, is whether a baserunner has touched 2nd base base if an outfielder airmails a ball out of play. Because the difference between having touched 2nd base and being 1 step before 2nd base is the difference between being awarded 3rd base or home plate. It is entirely decided by an umpire's judgment as to where each baserunner is at the time of the throw. Sorry if this is confusing.
greenfrog - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 11:24 PM EDT (#119555) #
I watched about five of Halladay's innings. Amazing to watch an athlete at the top of his game. He's the complete package: terrific stuff, control, knowledge of the opposing batters, total game plan, defense, and competitiveness.



Joe - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 11:40 PM EDT (#119556) #
Well, I guess you're right, but that's the difference between griping about the Jays in a chat room and being there live: you don't notice when things are going well, and things went very well today.
TorontoDan - Monday, June 13 2005 @ 11:55 PM EDT (#119557) #
Damn they've got to stop showing me on the jumbotron! Jeez, aren't there any hot girls to look at? Instead you get two goofballs grinning for 10 seconds...Great TV! Seriously though, it was a great game. The crowd was plenty loud, without the cowbell even, and the view is much much better in the 500's where we were sitting. Maybe that's why we weren't getting more than 2-3 people in 518!
Thomas - Tuesday, June 14 2005 @ 12:25 AM EDT (#119558) #
I saw you blokes on TV and thought, I would be one of those idiots if I hadn't elected to sit in good seats.

Congradulations and what a great game by the Doc.
A - Tuesday, June 14 2005 @ 01:38 AM EDT (#119559) #
Doc's duce was real sharp tonight. Sitting 15 rows behind the plate, there were a couple times where I thought Halladay was about to be crushed for leaving a fastball up in the zone...then the ball would just drop off the table.

And I fourth or fifth the comment about better fans. When Hill came to the plate with the sacks juiced, people around me started to cheer for real. Out of habit, I looked down both baselines to see who had run on the field. Seeing no one, I realized they were actually paying attention to the ball game. Felt good.
Four Seamer - Tuesday, June 14 2005 @ 08:35 AM EDT (#119561) #
I haven't umpired in several years, so I may be a little rusty on the out of play rule, but the gist of it is this: it's two bags from the time of the throw, unless it's the first play by an infielder after the ball is hit, in which case it's two bags from the time of the pitch.

It doesn't often make a difference, but it does on occasion: for instance, if the runner on first is running on the play, he may well be past second base by the time the shortstop fields a high chopper and unloads a throw ten feet over the first baseman's head. He would still only get third base in that situation.

As Nick points out, it's one bag if the pitcher, while throwing from the rubber, fires it into the stands.
Craig B - Tuesday, June 14 2005 @ 03:00 PM EDT (#119599) #
Kent and I (along with Greg Tamer of The Hardball Times, and our friends Billy and Tom, a great crowd to catch a game with) were behind the plate. Halladay's curve did indeed have a rather sick break on it - I think he could have pitched around the corners of a building last night.

Walker was helpless against him - quite incredible. Pujols was dangerous but didn't fare any better.

It was a clinic. He's going to win the Cy this year, again. You just can't pitch any more efficiently against the Cardinals!
Craig B - Tuesday, June 14 2005 @ 03:09 PM EDT (#119600) #
As Four Seamer points out, the rule is two bases from where you started on the first play only - after that, two bases from where the runner is. But if the fielder doesn't throw the ball until everyone has advanced a base (i.e. the batter has touched first and everyone else has advanced as well) then it's two bases from where they reached.

If you're interested, it's Rule 7.05(g) and it's massive... I'll quote it here and try to put paragraph breaks and stuff in it to make it easier to read...

7.05

Each runner including the batter runner may, without liability to be put out, advance...

(g) Two bases when, with no spectators on the playing field, a thrown ball goes into the stands, or into a bench (whether or not the ball rebounds into the field), or over or under or through a field fence, or on a slanting part of the screen above the backstop, or remains in the meshes of a wire screen protecting spectators.

The ball is dead.

When such wild throw is the first play by an infielder, the umpire, in awarding such bases, shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the ball was pitched;

in all other cases the umpire shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the wild throw was made;

APPROVED RULING: If all runners, including the batter runner, have advanced at least one base when an infielder makes a wild throw on the first play after the pitch, the award shall be governed by the position of the runners when the wild throw was made.

In certain circumstances it is impossible to award a runner two bases. Example: Runner on first. Batter hits fly to short right. Runner holds up between first and second and batter comes around first and pulls up behind him. Ball falls safely. Outfielder, in throwing to first, throws ball into stand. APPROVED RULING: Since no runner, when the ball is dead, may advance beyond the base to which he is entitled, the runner originally on first base goes to third base and the batter is held at second base.

The term "when the wild throw was made" means when the throw actually left the player's hand and not when the thrown ball hit the ground, passes a receiving fielder or goes out of play into the stands. The position of the batter runner at the time the wild throw left the thrower's hand is the key in deciding the award of bases. If the batter runner has not reached first base, the award is two bases at the time the pitch was made for all runners. The decision as to whether the batter runner has reached first base before the throw is a judgment call.

If an unusual play arises where a first throw by an infielder goes into stands or dugout but the batter did not become a runner (such as catcher throwing ball into stands in attempt to get runner from third trying to score on passed ball or wild pitch) award of two bases shall be from the position of the runners at the time of the throw. (For the purpose of Rule 7.05 (g) a catcher is considered an infielder.)

PLAY. Runner on first base, batter hits a ball to the shortstop, who throws to second base too late to get runner at second, and second baseman throws toward first base after batter has crossed first base. Ruling Runner at second scores. (On this play, only if batter runner is past first base when throw is made is he awarded third base.)
Game 64: The Doctor And Pujols (I'm Not Touching That One) | 19 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.