Guide to the World Baseball Classic

[Stratos]

12 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

So, that call to end the game was really bad. I'm going to start there. I also think some of these guys get a little too high on their own supply with the way they kick people out and grandstand (not last night, but we all have examples). 

However, I think we're being far too harsh. Let's remember, umpires are making more minute to minute calls than anyone. We're talking 250+ pitches every game for a home plate umpire. Add in check swings. And fiddly rules. With pitches that baffle the mind in how fast they are, and how fast they move, and how much they move. With catchers who are actively attempting to trick them every time. 

We have technology to fix that terrible call at the end of the game (and in four years we should at least have the ABS challenge in place and a few years of refinement). And that umpire missed that one. Badly. But I don't agree they're the worst; they just have more calls than anyone else. And they're doing a nearly impossible job. And yet some of them only miss one or two calls. In fact, the % of correct calls have been going up for years. 

I don't think they're nearly as bad as this post makes it out to be. And we're getting better and closer to using that tech to fix these bad calls.

ABS stats this spring show that only 52% of ABS challenges have been successful.  44% for hitters and 59% for catchers, who have a better view than umps.  If fans didn't have the K- zone box on TV and tried to call a game we'd probably all be a lot worse.

They have a tough job like you said.  Balls are moving through the zone too.  That pitch looked like a ball, but as people have shown with ABS, any 12-6 breaking ball at the bottom of the zone will show up on K-zone very differently depending if you're measuring the K zone on the front of the plate or middle.  They've shown how a curveball clipping the bottom-front of the zone can end up in the dirt.

And imagine having a job where hundreds of thousands of people, if not millions in some cases like this, are ready to jump down your throat when you make an error at work.

People seeking perfection will have their wish over the next several decades as most of our jobs can/will be replaced by machines.  People will disagree and that's fine but I'm on team human.

[Sammy Sofa]

 

[JHBulls]

4 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

So, that call to end the game was really bad. I'm going to start there. I also think some of these guys get a little too high on their own supply with the way they kick people out and grandstand (not last night, but we all have examples). 

However, I think we're being far too harsh. Let's remember, umpires are making more minute to minute calls than anyone. We're talking 250+ pitches every game for a home plate umpire. Add in check swings. And fiddly rules. With pitches that baffle the mind in how fast they are, and how fast they move, and how much they move. With catchers who are actively attempting to trick them every time. 

We have technology to fix that terrible call at the end of the game (and in four years we should at least have the ABS challenge in place and a few years of refinement). And that umpire missed that one. Badly. But I don't agree they're the worst; they just have more calls than anyone else. And they're doing a nearly impossible job. And yet some of them only miss one or two calls. In fact, the % of correct calls have been going up for years. 

I don't think they're nearly as bad as this post makes it out to be. And we're getting better and closer to using that tech to fix these bad calls.

Yeah, that’s fair Jason. 
 

I always appreciate your posts. You always know how to put things into perspective for hothead posters like me. 🙂

[Jason Ross]

39 minutes ago, JHBulls said:

Yeah, that’s fair Jason. 
 

I always appreciate your posts. You always know how to put things into perspective for hothead posters like me. 🙂

If it makes you feel better, I totally think Perdomo got hosed. The DR as a team have no one to blame but themselves for scoring one run, but I'd have lit that umo up if I were Perdomo.

[JHBulls]

USA vs Venezuela is going to be a fun WBC Final. 

[CubUgly]

10 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

If it makes you feel better, I totally think Perdomo got hosed. The DR as a team have no one to blame but themselves for scoring one run, but I'd have lit that umo up if I were Perdomo.

If the same call had happened to the U.S. I'd be pretty upset about it.  But as a person who was always taught to adapt and overcome by my coaches back in the day, I would have also pointed out the many missed opportunities we had to control our own destiny. 

[Jason Ross]

Just now, CubUgly said:

If the same call had happened to the U.S. I'd be pretty upset about it.  But as a person who was always taught to adapt and overcome by my coaches back in the day, I would have also pointed out the many missed opportunities we had to control our own destiny. 

I'm a full believer that if you leave a game's outcome up to the ref/ump's decision, than the ultimate blame relies with your team. I don't fault Perdomo; he did everything correct - he fouled out pitch after pitch and worked a walk. But as a team, the DR had the tying run on third base more than once, and you had plenty of opportunity to get him home and that's your fault.

[CubinNY]

17 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

So, that call to end the game was really bad. I'm going to start there. I also think some of these guys get a little too high on their own supply with the way they kick people out and grandstand (not last night, but we all have examples). 

However, I think we're being far too harsh. Let's remember, umpires are making more minute to minute calls than anyone. We're talking 250+ pitches every game for a home plate umpire. Add in check swings. And fiddly rules. With pitches that baffle the mind in how fast they are, and how fast they move, and how much they move. With catchers who are actively attempting to trick them every time. 

We have technology to fix that terrible call at the end of the game (and in four years we should at least have the ABS challenge in place and a few years of refinement). And that umpire missed that one. Badly. But I don't agree they're the worst; they just have more calls than anyone else. And they're doing a nearly impossible job. And yet some of them only miss one or two calls. In fact, the % of correct calls have been going up for years. 

I don't think they're nearly as bad as this post makes it out to be. And we're getting better and closer to using that tech to fix these bad calls.

Let's also remember there is no reason why a human should be calling balls and strikes in the first place. One can't get bent out of shape when they make an error, and also want them to call balls and strikes.

I think in this case, the ump got blocked out by the catcher while the ball was traveling, and when he made his decision, the ball was in the zone, but that was before it crossed the plate. There was some anticipation in the call.

 

[We Got The Whole 9]

Its pretty crazy to me that a pitcher with 50 career innings is gonna start the title game of the WBC

[PackLandVA]

Obviously a bad call.

But let's say the ump makes the correct call. The DR doesn't win the game.  Just means they have men on the corners with Tatis up to bat. Has Tatis been their best hitter in the WBC - sure. And he's a top-notch MLB hitter every year. But he's still got a less than 50% chance of getting a hit. And he's also facing an elite reliever. So I would still say the odds are he does not tie/win the game.

DR fans, and many/most baseball fans in general would've preferred that AB to happen. But a lot of people (not here) make it seem like the victory was stolen from the DR when that's just not the case.  And they had multiple opportunities and didn't capitalize. 

[CubinNY]

Lots of empty seats. Reason #1 not to have a baseball game in Miami

[Stratos]

Why hasn't Willson Contreras been playing 1b for Venezuela?  He hurt? They have Arraez there.  

[Stratos]

McLean throwing gas holy cow.  

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Stratos said:

Why hasn't Willson Contreras been playing 1b for Venezuela?  He hurt? They have Arraez there.  

Because Arraez has had a great WBC. 

[Tryptamine]

The US forgot to bring their bats

[Old Style]

BOR-ING!

[JHBulls]

If this was a regular season game, Aaron Judge would just have hit a 778 foot two run home run. But it’s not, so it’s still 2-0 to Venezuela. 

[JHBulls]

Ouch! Bryce Harper smoked that Baseball. 2-2. 

[Irrelevant Dude]

Love me some Skynyrd, but if I hear Free Bird one more time tonight...

[Stratos]

I think Bregman may see Palencia now

[sweetpeteman]

13 minutes ago, Stratos said:

I think Bregman may see Palencia now

I understand pinch hitting Henderson for Bregman, but boooo

[Jason Ross]

Can't be too mad as a Cub fan. Palencia looked like a monster. 

And as a personal aside, I wrote this in an article a month ago. So, I'm giving myself some back-apts:

---

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

So happy for Daniel

[Cubfanintheknow]

Not really rooting for Team USA... but if they were going to go down... certainly glad it was because Palencia dominated the ninth!

 

[soccer10k]

Not going to lie, don't necessarily mind losing to Venezuela after what we did in their country a couple months ago.