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 by snackdaddy
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   10043  
 Joined:  May 30 2015
United States of America   Merced California
Hall of Fame

dieterbrock wrote:Man, thank god Rendon made it moot, had Houston turned around and won that game it would have been terrible.
What was worse than the call though was the lack of explanation for the delay. That wasn't a reviewable call, but they reviewed any way? Strange.
In any event, I always like to see historical events, regardless how bizarre they may be.
Tonight will be the first time in history, in any sport that has 7 game final, where the home team has lost the first 6


I'm hearing it was because they wanted to make sure they have the proper interpretation of the rule. They wouldn't be able to reverse it unless they misinterpreted the rule. I still have a hard time understanding why the ump would make that call. The runner has every right to the base. The base is on the inside of the foul line.

I cannot see the spirit of the rule making a runner run to the right, then stepping to the left to make contact with the bag. That would be an injury waiting to happen. In my opinion the runner did everything right. And I don't have a horse in this race so I'm not biased. The ump got it wrong. Fortunately for the Nats the next batter made it a moot point. Although it was one less run with the out.

 by PARAM
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   13210  
 Joined:  Jul 15 2015
Barbados   Just far enough North of Philadelphia
Hall of Fame

What I thought bizarre was Smoltz saying pitchers are taught to throw at the runner in hopes of getting that call. I know he was a ML pitcher and I realize the way it was called was incredibly beneficial to Houston but what a 180 if it's not called. He says some strange things. What, they teach pitchers and not catchers? I thought the idea was to beat him to the base with the ball and since the first baseman usually gives a target generously inside the base, that seems like the best place to throw it. IMHO, he beat the throw anyway....which if accurate....means he couldn't have interfered with the throw anyway. Furthermore, pitchers would be idiots (as Smoltz is proving this postseason) to go for the call instead of the out. But like you guys said, 'glad Rendon made it moot'.

Good question about the road team winning all 7 games. Judging by what they said last night.....it would be the first WS where the victors were the visitors over the first 6 games.....it hasn't happened.

 by dieterbrock
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   11512  
 Joined:  Mar 31 2015
United States of America   New Jersey
Hall of Fame

PARAM wrote:Good question about the road team winning all 7 games. Judging by what they said last night.....it would be the first WS where the victors were the visitors over the first 6 games.....it hasn't happened.

Not only was it the first time in MLB history for the home team to lose the first 6, it has never happened in any sport.
Ever
Pretty amazing

 by PARAM
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   13210  
 Joined:  Jul 15 2015
Barbados   Just far enough North of Philadelphia
Hall of Fame

dieterbrock wrote:Not only was it the first time in MLB history for the home team to lose the first 6, it has never happened in any sport.
Ever
Pretty amazing


Even more amazing that NO home team won a game in this entire series. Congrats to the Nationals

 by St. Loser Fan
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   10886  
 Joined:  May 31 2016
United States of America   Saint Louis MO
Hall of Fame



I’m not counting that Patriots win as that was for the 2018 season.

Maybe the Los Angeles Rams finish that bracket as the championship in St. Louis doesn’t count.

 by snackdaddy
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   10043  
 Joined:  May 30 2015
United States of America   Merced California
Hall of Fame

Congrats to the Nationals. It was clear they were a good team when they beat the Dodgers. Two very good pitchers in Strasburg and Scherzer. Greinke was tough for the Astros. Its just crazy that in a 7 game series not one home team got to see their guys win. All 7 games the crowd went home disappointed.

 by dieterbrock
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   11512  
 Joined:  Mar 31 2015
United States of America   New Jersey
Hall of Fame

snackdaddy wrote:Congrats to the Nationals. It was clear they were a good team when they beat the Dodgers. Two very good pitchers in Strasburg and Scherzer. Greinke was tough for the Astros. Its just crazy that in a 7 game series not one home team got to see their guys win. All 7 games the crowd went home disappointed.

And only game 1 was closely contested in the 9th inning. After game 1, there was no threat of a 9th inning comeback or extra inning game.

 by BobCarl
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   4643  
 Joined:  Mar 08 2017
United States of America   LA Coliseum
Superstar

PARAM wrote:What I thought bizarre was Smoltz saying pitchers are "taught" to throw at the runner in hopes of getting that call.


Throw at the runner (if the runner is inside of the baseline) ... TRUE ... this is fundamental High School stuff.

also ... Catchers are "taught", that as they set themselves for a throw to first, to position themselves well inside the baseline.

The funny thing is ... that runners are "taught" that they can run faster if they run on the infield grass than if they run on the dirt.

According to common sense, the Umpire got it wrong. ... According to the "rules", the Umpire got it right.

Even though this rule was instituted when Baseball was American's game ... and even though now the NFL is America's game ... it still is common sense that the "foul" line is the same as the "out of bounds" line.

Since the base is inside the foul line, and the ball has to be hit inside the foul line to be "in play", therefore common sense tells us that a player must run inside the line (as a player does in football) to retain a legitimate right to advancing.

Unfortunately, in Baseball, the last 45 feet, the player must be outside the foul line, and not inside. Contact with the ball or player while inside the line is interference.

There is a flaw in the the rule that the batter must run outside of the line and get to a base that is inside of the line ... but the batter isn't allowed to cross the line. WTF?


Rich Eisen has a very good point. Where the NFL officials will get on a microphone and announce to the fans the decision they made and why. MLB doesn't do that.


 by PARAM
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   13210  
 Joined:  Jul 15 2015
Barbados   Just far enough North of Philadelphia
Hall of Fame

BobCarl wrote:Since the base is inside the foul line, and the ball has to be hit inside the foul line to be "in play", therefore common sense tells us that a player must run inside the line (as a player does in football) to retain a legitimate right to advancing.

Unfortunately, in Baseball, the last 45 feet, the player must be outside the foul line, and not inside. Contact with the ball or player while inside the line is interference.


The base is inside the "foul" line so at some point in those last 45 feet, the runner is going to have to be in the baseline. He didn't come in contact with the ball......Gurriel's glove did. He didn't interfere with the throw...….he beat the throw or at least arrived at the same time the ball did. All things considered he had no influence on the throw.

The pitcher threw the ball outside the baseline but the runner was penalized for not being in foul territory the last 45 feet. If a shortstop made the same wide throw and the ball went off the first baseman's glove and the runner was exactly where he was and took the exact same angle on the play in question, he's safe. And he wouldn't have influenced either throw.

But according to the rules and a unnecessarily strict interpretation of them, he was out. It's like the ground rule double rule and sending a guy back to third when he clearly would have scored on the hit. Inside the baseline 44 of the last 45 feet, you're out if the throw comes from behind you and the first baseman can't catch it. I guess.

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19 posts Jun 30 2025