Pitchers and catchers are reporting? It's the Spring Training Thread!

[We Got The Whole 9]

31 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Is that the difference is that it comes in looking like a fastball but has a big drop/break at the end

Yeah. It fades away from the barrel. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

4 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Will be interesting to see how the ABS system will be used by players since teams only get 2 challenges per game and pitcher/catcher or batter can use them, but not on the direction of the dugout.

I'd think they'd save them for high leverage situations like with men on base.

Will players fight over them? Will some more emotional/ competitive players use them more?  Will that make other players or the manager PO'd?

Each team should have 5 challenges IMO. The process should be much quicker than a normal challenge, right? 

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Each team should have 5 challenges IMO. The process should be much quicker than a normal challenge, right? 

It's incredibly fast. You call for the challenge, they show it on the jumbotron and it's done. Like 15-30 seconds type stuff. And you keep your challenges if you get it right. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

3 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

It's incredibly fast. You call for the challenge, they show it on the jumbotron and it's done. Like 15-30 seconds type stuff. And you keep your challenges if you get it right. 

Having only 2 challenges in a sport like this is idiotic IMO.

[Jason Ross]

11 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Having only 2 challenges in a sport like this is idiotic IMO.

I don't think of it as "only 2". Think of it as "you get to be wrong twice" because if you're right, you keep the challenge. So in essence, if you're always correct, you'll never run out. I believe it's to ensure that they're only used on borderline calls and that we aren't stacking these things up all day.

Watching MiLB games that had it in it last year, it never felt like too few (at least that I can remember)

 

[CubUgly]

2 hours ago, Bertz said:

The Cubs have *really* valued game calling the last several years.  I wonder if that makes them more or less likely to jump on a trend like this.

 

I think lot's of teams to.  I think that's why two different teams decided to move on from Contreras as a catcher.  I absolutely believe it had more to do with that than pitch framing. 

[Stratos]

39 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

It's incredibly fast. You call for the challenge, they show it on the jumbotron and it's done. Like 15-30 seconds type stuff. And you keep your challenges if you get it right. 

I think I read the challenge success rate in ST last year was around 50%

[Irrelevant Dude]

55 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Having only 2 challenges in a sport like this is idiotic IMO.

Hopefully this is only a temporary step to getting full ABS in the near future.

[chopsx9]

53 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

I don't think of it as "only 2". Think of it as "you get to be wrong twice" because if you're right, you keep the challenge. So in essence, if you're always correct, you'll never run out. I believe it's to ensure that they're only used on borderline calls and that we aren't stacking these things up all day.

Watching MiLB games that had it in it last year, it never felt like too few (at least that I can remember)

 

Is it the player that has to call for it?  It can't come from the bench?

[Radar3454]

1 hour ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Each team should have 5 challenges IMO. The process should be much quicker than a normal challenge, right? 

I'd prefer 3 failed challenges and you're out. I like that it has to be challenged immediately and manager/coaches/analysts can't be involved. Worked really well at the ICub game I went to last year.

[Radar3454]

21 minutes ago, chopsx9 said:

Is it the player that has to call for it?  It can't come from the bench?

Has to be pitcher catcher or hitter immediately without any input. Sounds like most teams won't have pitchers do challenges.

[Stratos]

24 minutes ago, Radar3454 said:

Has to be pitcher catcher or hitter immediately without any input. Sounds like most teams won't have pitchers do challenges.

Read that catchers were more accurate at challenges than pitchers

[chopsx9]

9 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Read that catchers were more accurate at challenges than pitchers

Do we know how teams are managing batters invoking a challenge?  I assume some batters are more trusted than others.

[Jason Ross]

10 minutes ago, chopsx9 said:

Do we know how teams are managing batters invoking a challenge?  I assume some batters are more trusted than others.

Considering this is brand new, there is almost nothing we can tell right now. Teams are not going to publicly state what or how they will use this. 

[Bertz]

Yeah I expect the rules to be pretty different team by team:

- How much more aggressive are you with the first challenge than the second?

- Do you let guys challenge any pitch, or only pitches that end a PA?

- Do you let guys challenge during any PA, or only those at a proper level of leverage?

- For the prior two questions, how egregious does a call have to be to throw the rules out the window?

- How much different are the rules for a guy like Bregman vs. a guy like PCA?

- On defense do you let pitchers challenge at all, or just catchers?

I think every team will be different, but I expect the league will be far too conservative for at least a few months, maybe a few years.

[Liam Neeson]

2 hours ago, Bertz said:

Yeah I expect the rules to be pretty different team by team:

- How much more aggressive are you with the first challenge than the second?

- Do you let guys challenge any pitch, or only pitches that end a PA?

- Do you let guys challenge during any PA, or only those at a proper level of leverage?

- For the prior two questions, how egregious does a call have to be to throw the rules out the window?

- How much different are the rules for a guy like Bregman vs. a guy like PCA?

- On defense do you let pitchers challenge at all, or just catchers?

I think every team will be different, but I expect the league will be far too conservative for at least a few months, maybe a few years.

It will probably be an in house thing as far as metrics go. Value / pitch. Yankees are probably one of the easier teams to perfect this. Just train Judge on what to call and look for. He already is probably at the highest value for the whole league if you wanted a batter to see another pitch. 

It will be fun to hear the hidden stuff of the kangaroo courts or if teams implement internal fines if the player deviates from the clubs thought process in the evaluation.

Edited February 20 by Liam Neeson

[Gjfificifjdej]

6 hours ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Having only 2 challenges in a sport like this is idiotic IMO.

2 seems fine, replay review (with any type of call) needs to be restricted someway to only blatantly incorrect calls that anybody could point out without a second look or slow motion imo. There needs to be a human element still, I really hate how college football and the NHL spend several minutes multiple times a game agonizing over every single angle for a call that really isn’t that egregious. 

[Geographyhater8888]

20 hours ago, CubinNY said:

 

I don't know the rules of MLB, but I don't understand why the Cubs don't invest in offseason programs for these guys. And by that I mean don't give them a to-do list. Get them a team of nutritionists and biomechanists, and keep them in Arizona for at least part of the offseason to monitor and manage them.  

Same with Mo. There is no reason he should come to ST grossly overweight. 

What gives you the impression that the cubs don’t already have these programs in place? 

[BigbadB]

22 hours ago, CubinNY said:

Same with Mo. There is no reason he should come to ST grossly overweight. 

Taco Tuesday is everyday where Mo lives.

[Radar3454]

12 hours ago, Gjfificifjdej said:

2 seems fine, replay review (with any type of call) needs to be restricted someway to only blatantly incorrect calls that anybody could point out without a second look or slow motion imo. There needs to be a human element still, I really hate how college football and the NHL spend several minutes multiple times a game agonizing over every single angle for a call that really isn’t that egregious. 

Agreed - should be 30 seconds. If you can't tell by then it isn't obvious and the call stands.

[CubinNY]

4 hours ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

What gives you the impression that the cubs don’t already have these programs in place? 

Fat ass pitchers who come to camp overweight and then have pulled muscles that never heal because they are out of shape. 

[Bertz]

LFG!

 

[Tryptamine]

Seiya in CF, they really don't like Taillon.

[chibears55]

WBC guys must be practicing elsewhere

[mk49]

2 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

WBC guys must be practicing elsewhere

I don't know how it goes.  Bregman, Jamo, Seiya and Amaya will play in WBC.  Only PCA is missing?