Saturday, October 06, 2012

MIGHT AS WELL PUT MY 2 CENTS WORTH IN

##  The baseball world is abuzz about the 'controversial'  Infield Fly call. First of all, that didn't cost the Braves the game, their own infield did that. I learned the harsh realities of the Infield Fly rule years ago (in the late '50's, to be exact) when a Right Fielder missed a short pop-up that cost the Yankees a base runner. A Right Fielder! So it turns out that an infielder doesn't have to make the catch for that rule to take effect and the ball doesn't have to be in the infield.

So the only possible complaint the Braves could have, is that the call was made too late. Actually, the umpire was waiting to make sure the ball was easily catchable before making the call. The ball might have been a little deep to turn a double play if dropped intentionally. The call might have been made too late to help the base runners. But in the end, it was a judgement call, and, by rule, not subject to a protest. Actually, there was a rule violation: the umpires should not accept a protest when it's made against a judgement call. Which means they woke Joe Torre up needlessly.

I liked Curt Schilling's take: the shortstop wasn't anywhere near the pop-up, therefore it was a blown call. If you look at the replay, the shortstop's last step into the outfield before he stopped and retreated to the infield, was approximately 3 - 4 feet from where the ball landed.  Well, facts never stood in Schilling's way when expounding his skewed take on anything.

## Speaking of Schilling, there is a rumor floating around that he is going to sell his "bloody" sock memento to help pay his debts stemming from his ill-fated video game venture. Excuse me, but I saw his Sharpie-stained hose in Cooperstown. I thought those donated items became the property of the Hall of Fame. If that's not the case, then I hope somebody does buy it and takes it out of the museum. I'd buy it, but I don't want to waste a buck and a quarter (including tax).

## As long as we're talking about blunders in Atlanta, I believe that the superstation TBS comes in for a little chastising, too. They showed the three broadcasters in the booth doing the game and identified one of them as "Carl Ripken, Jr." Carl? Now there's a play that should be protested.

## In an interview after the game last night, Cardinal Matt Holliday described his home run as the result of "...trying not to do too much."  I love that. It only works in baseball. If I told my boss that I was "trying not to do too much," he might suggest I try that with another company.

## After the fans covered the field with bottles, cups and other products after the infield fly call, the Braves President said it was the work of a "small group of people who acted inappropriately."  Based on the amount of garbage on the field, that small group sure drank a lot. Plus, most of them had better aim than the Braves infielders.

## The Orioles put the Rangers out of their misery in the 2nd game. Based on the expression on Nolan Ryan's face near the end of the game, I think a few Rangers were going to be taken out behind the woodshed later. Josh Hamilton comes to mind as a prime candidate. He went to the plate four times and saw a grand total of eight pitches. two ground outs on the first pitch (one ended up a double play) and two strike outs.Not exactly a productive game, and not a good way to enter into free agency.
Now Buck and the Birds have another shot at passing the Yankees. To stop Robinson Cano, they may have to roll the ball up to the plate and hope that will hold him to a double.

THEY SAID IT
"Quarterback Tony Romo threw five interceptions in the Cowboys' Monday night loss to the Bears. I haven't seen so many ill-fated passes in one evening since I tried speed dating."  -- RJ Currie
"I'm sure you'll immediately pick up on the irony. In 1955 the seventh game of the World Series was played on this date (Oct. 4). Half a century later, they've yet to begin the postseason."  -- Len Berman
"The NBA has adopted an Anti-flopping rule. The down side is that if they stop the action every time somebody flops, the average NBA game will last six days."  -- Brad Dickson
"Women baseball fans are still especially stunned by that so-called infield fly tonight in Atlanta that ended up well into the outfield – normally when men misjudge length they don’t err on the low side."  -- Janice Hough   {Just for the record, I didn't like this joke - Picasner}
"A giant 655-pound turtle was rescued and released off Cape Cod. The only other living things that big and slow play defense for the New Orleans Saints". -- Gary Bachman
" Ichiro, a base-hit machine once again since getting traded to the Yankees, was named American League Player of the Week on Monday after going 15 for 25 in six games. Coincidence? It was National Singles Week, too."  -- Dwight Perry

CP-

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