Yankees (Cole) vs Cubs (Rea): 8/2/26, 1:20pm

[JD94]

Obviously Nico should of challenged, but I’m more mad at that god awful AB by Bregman

[Derwood]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

I have no idea why our hitters are so reticent to challenge close high leverage pitches. Maybe every fan base feels like that but we've seen way too much of it

It's gotta be Counsell telling them to save the challenges for the catcher

[UMFan83]

Just now, Andy said:

I have no idea why our hitters are so reticent to challenge close high leverage pitches. Maybe every fan base feels like that but we've seen way too much of it

It bothers me that they seem to lack awareness of the situation.  If Nico’s thought was “oh well it’s still 3-1, I can still walk” then he’s probably not going after that next pitch which was well placed for a fly out if swung at. 

[JHBulls]

2 minutes ago, Andy said:

We have both of them, I don't believe we've even tried one since the first inning

So terrible. This ump has sucked all game and Nico just decided to let him off the hook. 

[chopsx9]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

I have no idea why our hitters are so reticent to challenge close high leverage pitches. Maybe every fan base feels like that but we've seen way too much of it

Was that pitch even all that close?

[Derwood]

1 minute ago, UMFan83 said:

See this is why the ABS system as set up is a brilliant move to take blame away from the umpires. The umpire terribly botched a call and everyone is yelling at the hitter. Don’t get me wrong that’s ridiculously bad of Nico but the umpire f’d up more

Especially when the ump has already called about 10 outside pitches strikes in this game

[Dfan25]

Just now, UMFan83 said:

See this is why the ABS system as set up is a brilliant move to take blame away from the umpires. The umpire terribly botched a call and everyone is yelling at the hitter. Don’t get me wrong that’s ridiculously bad of Nico but the umpire f’d up more

Thats the old 3-0 automatic call if it is close. Majority ofvumpirrs apply that rule

[Neuby]

I'd love to see a reporter ask  Counsell and Nico who that falls on with the lack of challenge ..

[Brian707]

If the Yankees weren't out of challenges the ump probably calls that a ball. Inexcusable by Nico not to challenge 

[Hortonhearsawho]

Just now, chopsx9 said:

Was that pitch even all that close?

Not really 

[mk49]

2 minutes ago, Derwood said:

It's gotta be Counsell telling them to save the challenges for the catcher

Yeah, but catchers can't challenge for hitters.

[Andy]

1 minute ago, chopsx9 said:

Was that pitch even all that close?

I'd guess about an inch off the plate. It probably fell just shy of the JD "egregious" standard but absolutely should've been challenged 

[UMFan83]

Just now, Dfan25 said:

Thats the old 3-0 automatic call if it is close. Majority ofvumpirrs apply that rule

Maybe but the fact is it wasn’t close at all.  I was laughing when the catcher challenged the 3rd pitch in that situation and pitch 4 was clearly more outside. 

[Derwood]

Just now, mk49 said:

Yeah, but catchers can't challenge for hitters.

I mean save the challenges for when the Cubs are pitching, not hitting

[mk49]

2 minutes ago, chopsx9 said:

Was that pitch even all that close?

About 2" outside.

[Dfan25]

1 minute ago, Derwood said:

It's gotta be Counsell telling them to save the challenges for the catcher

Nah hitters use it as well . PCA use one early and Bregman as well . Nico is just dumb using them . It’s not the 1st time he froze in an important situation 

[JHBulls]

3 minutes ago, Neuby said:

I'd love to see a reporter ask  Counsell and Nico who that falls on with the lack of challenge ..

Surely it falls on the player to challenge since he has 2 seconds to challenge. There is time to look over to the manager to ask if he should challenge. 

[Derwood]

2 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

Nah hitters use it as well . PCA use one early and Bregman as well . Nico is just dumb using them . It’s not the 1st time he froze in an important situation 

Bregman, Seiya, Happ and Nico all take A LOT of obvious balls for strikes without challenging

[Andy]

Just now, JHBulls said:

Surely it falls on the player to challenge since he has 2 seconds to challenge. There is time to look over to the manager to ask if he should challenge. 

They're not allowed to consult anyone, the ump can disallow a challenge if he thinks there was help

[abuck1220]

it’s dumb baseball just like forgetting how many outs there, throwing to the wrong base, missing cutoff man, etc is dumb baseball. they’ve had enough experience with ABS at this point that there is no excuse for screwing up like that. 

[UMFan83]

1 minute ago, JHBulls said:

Surely it falls on the player to challenge since he has 2 seconds to challenge. There is time to look over to the manager to ask if he should challenge. 

Do the managers have immediate pitch location data?  Because I can't see how the manager has a better look than the hitter and 2 seconds is almost instant.

[JHBulls]

2 minutes ago, Andy said:

They're not allowed to consult anyone, the ump can disallow a challenge if he thinks there was help

 

1 minute ago, UMFan83 said:

Do the managers have immediate pitch location data?  Because I can't see how the manager has a better look than the hitter and 2 seconds is almost instant.

Good point! I can’t wrap my head around not challenging that pitch, which is clearly a ball, when the count is 3-0, bases loaded and 2 out. Take the easy walk to tie the game and move on. Dreadful decision from Nico. 

[chibears55]

3 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Bregman, Seiya, Happ and Nico all take A LOT of obvious balls for strikes without challenging

Yep, and I bet it followed up with outs and leaving runs on bases that could of been difference in games that were loss

[Jason Ross]

Even though we're half a year into the ABS, I do think, especially for hitters, that it's fairly unnatural still. You can tell that some of the younger players who had it as they were developing in the minors feel a little more comfortable with it. 

It's very quick and in that moment it's easy think about how much they have to process:
1. Was it a strike?
2. But are you sure? 
3. What if I'm wrong?
4. How many challenges do we have left?
5. How sure am I? 

Are all questions you have to weigh. Like it sucks that Nico missed that, and I want to see him and guys get better at that snap judgement, but I also assume it's very unnatural for someone like him who's played a lot of baseball without it.

[KCCub]

Narrator: “Nico did not learn from it”