Baseball Pet Peeve Thread

[Andy]

The fact that very few people know about Pythagorean record bugs me. Oddly enough, more anti-Pythag teams like Arizona in 07 and this year's Angels might actually help increase awareness of that stat.

 

The fact that no national networks show OBP in their broadcasts, except for ESPN in the players' first at-bat, bugs me.

 

This goes back to chemistry from David's first post, but the talk about fights giving teams a spark annoys me severely. The Cubs turned around 2007 by not losing one-run games anymore and having their good hitters remember they were good, not because Lou flipped out. People never mention that it took nearly four weeks from Lou's meltdown to Aramis's walk-off, which is really more around the time the Cubs began playing much better.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

"good pickoff moves" from LHPs. They're all balks, all of them.

 

The ball beat the runner, so he's going to be called out even if he never even touches him and the runner makes a great slide.

[David]

Similarly, the "in the neighborhood" call on double plays

 

And the 3-0 automatic strike on anything close

[Andy]

"good pickoff moves" from LHPs. They're all balks, all of them.

While you're on that topic, the fact that the umps made Rich Hill stop doing his little pause during his windup despite much more blatantly illegal things pitchers do (like the pickoff moves you mentioned) that aren't enforced at all.

[Andy]

And the 3-0 automatic strike on anything close

The 0-2 automatic ball on anything that's not a gopher ball

 

Showboating umps (ROB DRAKE)

 

The Wrigley wind always seemingly helping the other team and not us

 

Web gems for routine plays that guys made look harder (Edmonds aside, David Wright's 'barehand' play comes immediately to mind)

[David]

Not necessarily a peeve, but the "tie goes to the runner" thing isn't in the rulebook.

[David]

Not gonna lie, those Wright barehand plays are sexy..

[Bote McBoteface]

This isnt really a peave, but I always thought that a batter should be able to steal 1st on a wild pitch even if it werent strike 3.

 

 

Why would you want to reward a batter for swinging at a pitch that was so bad that a major league catcher couldn't stop it? The fact that they can do that on strike 3 is stupid, being able to do it for any strike would be horrible.

[CubColtPacer]

The fact that very few people know about Pythagorean record bugs me. Oddly enough, more anti-Pythag teams like Arizona in 07 and this year's Angels might actually help increase awareness of that stat.

 

The fact that no national networks show OBP in their broadcasts, except for ESPN in the players' first at-bat, bugs me.

 

This goes back to chemistry from David's first post, but the talk about fights giving teams a spark annoys me severely. The Cubs turned around 2007 by not losing one-run games anymore and having their good hitters remember they were good, not because Lou flipped out. People never mention that it took nearly four weeks from Lou's meltdown to Aramis's walk-off, which is really more around the time the Cubs began playing much better.

 

I probably agree with you that Lou's tirade had little to do with turning the season around, but Aramis's walkoff against Milwaukee was an extension of better play, not a catalyst.

 

After Lou's tirade and before Aramis's walkoff, the Cubs:

won 1 against Atlanta

won 2 out of 3 at Milwaukee

won 2 out of 4 against Atlanta (probably could have been 3 out of 4 if Lilly hadn't been thrown out in the first inning)

won 1 out of 1 against Houston

won 2 out of 3 against Seattle

won 1 out of 3 against San Diego (Lee-Young-Zambrano-Branyan was the Saturday game of this series)

won 1 out of 3 against Texas

won 3 out of 3 against the White Sox

won 3 out of 3 against Colorado

won 1st one against Milwaukee (Aramis walkoff shot).

 

Record before that stretch: 22-31. Record during that stretch: 17-8. Record after that stretch: 46-38

 

That 4 week stretch was tied for the best 4 weeks the Cubs had all year, and could have been even better if they weren't getting into fights seemingly every weekend. The Aramis walkoff only continued to fuel the fire for another 4 weeks. The walkoff wasn't really a turning point for the Cubs season though, other then the fact that it's when the improved play really started to make a difference in the division race as the Brewers started to collapse.

[OleMissCub]

Not necessarily a peeve, but the "tie goes to the runner" thing isn't in the rulebook.

 

That's something that has been handed down from the old times. I found this in the 1889 Rulebook some time ago and was going to post it in the Baseball History thread, but it probably serves good use right now.

 

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4577/baserunnerey4.jpg

[David]

Interesting. How the hell do you always have cool stuff like that to post?

[MasterBlaster]

-Umps. A ridiculous antique in this modern age.

[UK1679666180]

Pitchers that don't have change-ups

Pitchers that leave 0-2 FBs right down the middle

Pitchers that don't cover 1st

Pitchers that don't vary their looks to 1B

Pitchers that don't vary their times to home

Pitchers that don't call their own game

Pitchers that don't establish their FBs

1B that don't stretch to catch the ball on a close play

1B that sling the ball to the pitcher covering 1B

1B that position themselves incorrectly on throws to 2B

2B that pivot poorly on DPs

2B that fail to cover 1B on a bunt

SS that don't have the body control to field and throw on the run

SS that lack arm strength

SS that are poorly positioned as a cutoff man

3B who are content ending up at 1B later in their career

3B who position themselves too close to the line allowing hits between him and SS

OF CF'ers who fail to take charge

OF when they overthrow the cutoff man

OF when they play too deep b/c they can't go back well

OF that try to make the spectacular play when there isn't one to be made

OF that don't use the crow hop throw

OF that don't use the crossover step

C that don't block balls in the dirt with their body

C that don't block the plate properly

C with bad throwing throwing mechanics

C with bad footwork and get the ball to 2B over two seconds

C that are afraid to bust a pitchers balls

Hitters that can't use all fields

Hitters that swing at the 1st pitch after the pitcher BB'ed the last guy on 4 straight

Hitters that roll over everything

Hitter that steps in the bucket

Hitter that has no idea of the strike zone

Hitter that knows how pitchers are getting him out and can't adjust

Hitters that can't bunt

Runners that don't run out close plays

Runners that are retired at 3B with 0 and 2 outs

Runners that don't pick up the ball on their own.

 

Yes, I am a geek.

[erik316wttn]

--Thinking "anti-clutch" exists, but "clutch" doesn't. If one exists, so does the other.

 

-- The "foul tip into the catcher's glove" rule. I would like to see it abolished entirely. If the batter makes contact with the ball, and the defender catches it, he's out.

 

--The mentality of "He hits well in our park! Let's sign him!". Jeff Blauser, anyone?

 

--Thinking a big contract to an underachieving player who happened to have a career year is a good idea. Sure, sometimes you'll hit, but more often than not, you'll miss.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

-- The "foul tip into the catcher's glove" rule. I would like to see it abolished entirely. If the batter makes contact with the ball, and the defender catches it, he's out.

maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but that's what that rule is all about

[David]

-- The "foul tip into the catcher's glove" rule. I would like to see it abolished entirely. If the batter makes contact with the ball, and the defender catches it, he's out.

maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but that's what that rule is all about

 

I think he's saying that if it happens on any count, the batter should be out. In other words, it shouldn't be a strike, it should be an out.

[imb]

--Thinking "anti-clutch" exists, but "clutch" doesn't. If one exists, so does the other.

 

lol, i would love to see you offer up any explanation of this that even approaches sense

[Derwood]

Not necessarily a peeve, but the "tie goes to the runner" thing isn't in the rulebook.

 

neither are check swings or checking with the 1st/3rd base ump on them.

 

I think that if a starting pitcher can't get a win without pitching 5 innings that no pitcher can get a win prior to the 6th inning.

[OleMissCub]

Not necessarily a peeve, but the "tie goes to the runner" thing isn't in the rulebook.

 

neither are check swings or checking with the 1st/3rd base ump on them.

 

Correct. Going back over 100 years, one of the definitions of a strike is when a batter "strikes at" the ball but doesn't make contact. Not sure where the current understanding of the rule comes from or how long they've been using it.

[Cynosure]

Homer announcers.

[OleMissCub]

From the 2008 MLB Rule Book:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/strikezone.jpg

[ConstableRabbit]

Does anybody find it hard to talk baseball with casual fans because of a lot of this stuff?

 

Seriously, I get frustrated as all hell...if it weren't for the internet, I wouldn't be able to have ANY baseball discussion of any substance.

Going to a game and having to dumb-down my baseball conversation KILLS me. Its even present in my family... as much as I get annoyed with message boards from time to time, thank God for nsbb.

[Cynosure]

Wish MLB would review some of these terrible strikezones because over 50% of the strikezones are not the rulebook zones.

[Andy]

From the 2008 MLB Rule Book:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/strikezone.jpg

Trying as hard as I can not to defend Derrek Lee for being DPLee this year, but I've seen him get a giant crap ton of strikes called higher and lower than that. I swear he has the biggest strike zone in terms of actual called strikes in the league.

[Skyballer]

Wish MLB would review some of these terrible strikezones because over 50% of the strikezones are not the rulebook zones.

Too often I see an umpire not understand what knees are.