17 Seconds

Dare I? Of course I've seen the ________ play a thousand times but I don't think I've ever actually re-watched the entire 8th inning.

I see what you did there. You see, his name is actually Soriano....what you did was replace the "Sor" with "Suck", implying that he sucks. Brilliant.

BABIP-ster

What was it like when it happened live? What were people saying? I mean, I could imagine, but I'd still like to hear it.

I get the coldest, iciest chills up my spine when this sort of thing happens. My eyes see it, my brain processes it, but it's several seconds before I can gather up enough wits to shout profanity in response. Soriano's usually responsible. :| It was a bizarre feeling. For a second you actually don't believed it happened. I just put my hands on my head and felt my face get all warm until I finally realized that it actually happened.

The fact that he continues to receive regular playing time mystifies me. It shouldn't.

So the Reds are in the 17th and Aaron Harang just pitched his 4th inning in relief. Dusty was out relievers (and one other starter) by the 13th inning. Harang is now being removed for a pinch hitter so the only pitchers he has left are Arroyo, Volquez, and Cueto. Please please please let this go 20+ innings.

Haha, are you serious? He has a good arm, but he has never ever been a good fielder. He's terrible.

lol at the Pads/Reds bullpens today.

I would have rather faced Kershaw than Billingsley, who has been lights out over his last 5 starts.

Whatever, I don't even care anymore. All that matters is that we've now lost 4 of 5.

Cesar Izturis walks Cesar Izturis steals 2nd, advances to 3rd on throwing error by Martin Cesar Izturis scores on sac fly....tie game yup

Even so, you'd surely have to admit that he's not responsible for the Cubs losing, right? Only not winning in the 9th. Answer these 2 questions for me: If he catches that ball in the 9th, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? If Fukudome hit the ball into the river every at bat, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? Is Fukudome expected to hit the ball in the river every at-bat? Also, there is no guarantee the Cubs win if he hit a home run every at-bat. It's assumed, but not guaranteed. If Soriano catches the ball the game is 100% over. Expectations, salary, etc. have no impact on what actually happens in the game. If Soriano makes a single catch on a single play, there's no guarantee the Cubs win. The Cubs still would have had 27 or more outs and the Pirates still would have had 26 or more outs. Just because it could have been the final play of the game doesn't make it the only play of the game. Everything that came up to that point and everything that happened afterwards does not magically become a non-factor just because of what could have happened in a single play. And again, the drop only caused the game to be tied. The Cubs didn't even lose because of it. I'll ask this again. If Soriano makes the catch, do the Cubs 100%, without a doubt, win the game? Did the Cubs win the game? I'll answer only if you also admit that if Marmol had struck out the final batter, the Cubs would have won the game, so clearly the loss is on him. Or if Lilly had thrown a perfect game, the Cubs would have won. So we can blame him, as well. And Fukudome never hit those 5 HRs. What's up with that? Of course, if I say yes to those two questions, does that mean that Soriano is to blame? The answer would be no since all it proves is that the Cubs didn't win the game. Ugh. None of those things are routine. Catching a fly ball is routine. A player isn't expected to hit 5 home runs. A pitcher isn't expected to strike out every single batter or never have a bad outing. An outfielder is expected to catch routine fly balls.

I just listened to the Pat & Ron call of the Soriano play. Santo did the same "oohhhhh noooooo" as the Brant Brown play.

Even so, you'd surely have to admit that he's not responsible for the Cubs losing, right? Only not winning in the 9th. Answer these 2 questions for me: If he catches that ball in the 9th, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? If Fukudome hit the ball into the river every at bat, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? Is Fukudome expected to hit the ball in the river every at-bat? Also, there is no guarantee the Cubs win if he hit a home run every at-bat. It's assumed, but not guaranteed. If Soriano catches the ball the game is 100% over. Expectations, salary, etc. have no impact on what actually happens in the game. If Soriano makes a single catch on a single play, there's no guarantee the Cubs win. The Cubs still would have had 27 or more outs and the Pirates still would have had 26 or more outs. Just because it could have been the final play of the game doesn't make it the only play of the game. Everything that came up to that point and everything that happened afterwards does not magically become a non-factor just because of what could have happened in a single play. And again, the drop only caused the game to be tied. The Cubs didn't even lose because of it. I'll ask this again. If Soriano makes the catch, do the Cubs 100%, without a doubt, win the game? Did the Cubs win the game?

Even so, you'd surely have to admit that he's not responsible for the Cubs losing, right? Only not winning in the 9th. Answer these 2 questions for me: If he catches that ball in the 9th, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? If Fukudome hit the ball into the river every at bat, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? Is Fukudome expected to hit the ball in the river every at-bat? Also, there is no guarantee the Cubs win if he hit a home run every at-bat. It's assumed, but not guaranteed. If Soriano catches the ball the game is 100% over. Okay, replace the HR in every AB with Fukudome hits the ball 1/8 inch lower on the barrel on his deep flyout, then it becomes a HR and we have 2 runs we didn't before. Do we win then? Probably, but it's not guaranteed. Everything would be different. I'm not sure why you keep bringing this up anyways, because hitting home runs is completely different than catching routine fly balls. You still haven't answered my 2 questions.

The Dodgers are 0-16 w/RISP (0 for last 26 overall) against the Cards this series. Great. You know it will turn around against the Cubs though.

Even so, you'd surely have to admit that he's not responsible for the Cubs losing, right? Only not winning in the 9th. Answer these 2 questions for me: If he catches that ball in the 9th, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? If Fukudome hit the ball into the river every at bat, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win? Is Fukudome expected to hit the ball in the river every at-bat? Also, there is no guarantee the Cubs win if he hit a home run every at-bat. It's assumed, but not guaranteed. If Soriano catches the ball the game is 100% over.

Lifetime Cardinal fan Blake Dewitt helping out his favorite team.

Even so, you'd surely have to admit that he's not responsible for the Cubs losing, right? Only not winning in the 9th. Answer these 2 questions for me: If he catches that ball in the 9th, do the Cubs win? Did the Cubs win?

Why are you assuming that the replacement player wouldn't have done anything offensively?

If Marmol had struck him out, the Cubs would have won. Is the loss also entirely on him? Does nothing before that play matter? If not, how could the Cubs have the lead? A full game consists on more than 1 play. Again, I'm not saying they offset. I'm saying Soriano still came out ahead. What's your point then, that Soriano shouldn't be blamed for the loss? I see your logic, I just don't think it makes any sense. To me it's very simple... if he catches a routine fly ball, the game is over. It's his fault that the Cubs didn't win. No, it's not his fault the Cubs didn't win. There was more of the game to be played after the dropped popout. He made a play that greatly decreased the Cubs chances of winning. lololol. If he catches the all, the game is over. Period. Instead, we lost. It's clearly his fault since that play ultimately and completely decided the game.

So by Jon's logic, if a player goes 0-4 and makes the routine defensive plays, that was an okay day.

I'm having flashbacks to 2004. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT200405281.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT200405282.shtml

All he needs to do... ALL he needs to do, is catch a routine fly ball that he's caught 1,000 times before, and we're all celebrating. Yes, he hit the 2-run homer, but he also cost us the game, so that cancels out, don't you think? 2 runs > 1 run The difference is that he's expected to hit home runs. He shouldn't be congratulated for successfully doing the ONE thing he does well. He gets paid 18 mil a year, so he better hit home runs. Stop acting like it evens out, because it doesn't. So if Hoffpauir, making major league minimum, and hit a 2-run HR but dropped the same fly ball, he would have come out ahead? And I never said it evened out. I said he came out ahead. A player is expected to get hits sometimes. That's what they get paid to do. They're also paid to catch routine fly balls. Saying it's play to screw up a routine play because you did something else you're expected to do is silly.