Braves have MSU syndrome

[QuaoarsKing]

Last year they were 5th in the NL, but only 4 got in. The very next year they change it to let in 5 teams per league. (Just like MSU in Varnado's senior year was one of the last 3 out of the tournament, and then the next year they start taking 68 teams in.)

And of course the Braves get royally 17ed over by umpires, just like MSU has several times.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

I won't blame that loss entirely on the umps. 3 errors hurt us just as badly. But you absolutely can't blow a call like that. Bases loaded, 1 out, tying run on board is an entirely different situation than 2 out, 2nd & 3rd, tying run at the plate. Completely changes the momentum and feel of the game.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

That's a good point. The umps 17ed the Cardinals too by denying them the chance to win legitimately. Any playoff success they have is now tainted.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

I think the announce crew made a good point saying the 1st ever WC Game will now be known as the "Infield Fly" Game. This game will always be remembered for a blown call, not the play on the field. Just awful. MLB should be embarrassed, but they won't be. And the fans will continue to lose.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

But you have no idea what would have happened. Motte could have come in and mowed them down. Someone could have a hit a huge homerun. You act like it was automatic that the braves were going to score.

Braves shot themselves in the foot over and over and over with men left on base and the horrific errors. Could have easily and should have easily won the game.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

What part of "3 errors hurt us just as badly" did you miss? I absolutely agree we shot ourselves in the foot. But the odds are in your favor of scoring with bases loaded 1 out. Especially with the best hitting catcher in baseball the last few seasons about to pinch hit. I'm not saying it was automatic or that we were guaranteed to tie. Far from it. But you've got to see the situational difference. The momentum of the game was swinging to the Braves when that call was blown. Pretty much every objective observer has said it was a blown call.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Where did I say it wasnt a blown call?

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

You don't either.

True, the Braves shot themselves in the foot but if the ******** call is not made who is to say that the Card still win? Probably, maybe they do. Maybe the momentum swings so far their pitching chokes and the Braves rally back.

Nobody knows...

The point is that the umps made a bad call that had a huge impact on the game at a critical moment.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I guess you missed the part where I said the braves could have scored.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Yep, I did.

Nevermind.

 

[KurtRambis4]

They lost

that game because they gave up 5 unearned runs, not the umpires. I thought it was a good call after hearing the umpires and watching the replays multiple times (and knowing the rule).

 

[drt7891]

It also should be remembered as Chipper's last game. Now, anyone who watched or went will ever remember it was his last game of a wonderful career... instead, it will forever be known for a horribly blown call by an outfield umpire who had no business making the call he did. But never fret, a change will be made for the postseason next year to ensure that level of stupidity will never happen again, but this game will forever be in the record books as ending the way it did.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I think it's pushing the boundary of where it's infield fly and where it's not. Too deep for me.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

David Wells said it best on the TBS postgame: The way the rule is written, you could interpret a ball to the warning track as an "infield fly." That doesn't mean it is. A ball halfway into the outfield that is normally a routine play for an OF is NOT an infield fly. It was a blown call, period.

 

[patdog]

I'd a whole lot rather be the team that advanced on a bad call than the team that got screwed by one.

 

[Todd4State]

I've never seen one called that deep before

And I do feel sorry for the Braves fans a little bit- only because as a Cardinals, I've had to live with Don Denkinger in the 85 World Series. That was actually a worse call on a much larger stage.

So, take heart- it COULD be worse.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Not according to the rule**

*

 

[dawgman.sixpack]

It was not a blown call

the infielder had a legitimate play on the ball, hence infield fly rule

 

[BoomBoom.sixpack]

What the 17 are you smoking? I could maybe agree with you if the ump had made the call at any point prior to right before the ball hit the ground. if he'd called it while the ball was still up in a good bit in the air, then yeah it wouldn't matter that the SS had drifted all the way into LF. but he didn't. he called it too late. and there was no need at all. the IF fly rule is there to prevent a pop-up from being turned into a DP. and there was no chance to turn that ball into a DP. someone else put it best: no one can ever remember, ever, an IF fly being called like that. ever. case closed.

the rule requires ordinary effort from the IF, and for the call to be made immediately. neither was met. you clearly don't know the rule.

 

[BoomBoom.sixpack]

the rule says 'ordinary', not 'legitimate'. and by rule the call is supposed to be made immediately. IOW, it's only supposed to be made on obvious plays, not Texas Leaguers into no-mans land.

 

[dawgman.sixpack]

So you honestly think the infielder had no chance to catch the ball.

 

[BoomBoom.sixpack]

the rule has nothing to do with 'no chance'.

nm

 

[gravedigger]

Correct. It's to prevent an intentional booting of the catch to create a double

play. When the ball gets that far in the outfield and the infielder cannot turn to face the plate to make the play, OR if in the umpires judgement the player, no matter where he's facing, is in the umpires judgement out of position to intentionally create a double play, then the umpire should wait to make the call. SImple as that.

In this case, if the ump had simply waited, and in the judgement of the other umps missed the call by NOT calling the rule, i think it would have been much more acceptable to overturn that and invoke the infield fly rule after the fact if all agreed.

Once he made the IFR call, play was dead until the ball landed.

 

[dawgman.sixpack]

Certainly it does. The shortstop got under the ball in plenty of time to make the catch. There was no superhuman feat necessary for him to be in place for the catch. He was prepared to make the play by using ORDINARY EFFORT until called off by the leftfielder. The rule is defined by the player being able to make the play and clearly the shortstop was in position to make the play. The umpire called the play immediately when it became obvious that the shortstop was in position to make the call which was at the top of the arc or just as it started down, not just before it hit the ground. The umpire cannot make a call until it is clear the rule would apply. Under your theory any fly would require the umpire to make a judgement prior to having the opportunity to determine if the rule should apply. Shoul da runner be called out at first before the thriw form 2nd, ss or 3rd reaches the first baseman? You clearly do not know baseball or the rules. I understand you are a partisan braves fan but please stop alowing that to cloud your judgment.

 

[dawgman.sixpack]

The rule is defined by the player's position and action, not the field. You are reading more into the rule than is there. You accurately cite the reason for the rule but nowhere is the intention included in the rule.