pebadger

This proposed system is biased in favor of the offensive team. In the case of a blown call to the detriment of the offense, runners will be able to advance. In the case of a blow call to the detriment of the defense, the play will be deemed "dead" at the point of the blown call, with no opportunity to make further defensive plays. Indeed, you're willing to make assumptions that even if the play was made runners may be able to advance anyway. In any event, there is a whole lot of subjectivity in this system. It seems more than a bit counterintuitive to me to say the "We need a more objective way of making close calls, but the only way to make the system work is to inject a healthy dose of subjective after-the-fact conjecture." As for "ase runners aren't going to be venturing far anyway because they know it might be caught": Have you seen the (insert-a-team-here) baserunning this season?

While I do think they should probably shed a pticher and bring in another bench bat, it's pretty clear that Dm and RR are very concerned about not upsetting the apple cart a whole lot at this point. They're on a roll, and while they can certainly be better I think that the internal perception is that the tteam is where it is due in no small part to the internal environment. That's not to say that those intangibles come anywhere near being as important as Braun/Fielder, the starting pitching and the back end of the bullpen. But, apart from the really important stuff this is a team in which everyone knows their roles, everyone seems to be comfortable with their role and everyone seems to be having fun. This team doesn't really need a savior, and there isn't a savior out there anyhow. They may as well make sure they make a move they are happy with because whatever move they make will probably have minimal impact on what happens going forward in any event. It makes no sense to make a move just to make a move, and it certainly won't make sense in September to flood the clubhouse with a bunch of guys who are frankly just there for the ride. What this club need now, more than anything, is to focus on baseball and maintain the good vibe they have going. Introducing new elements into the mix without good reason will likely only distract folks from that goal. Do I wish they had maybe experimented more in the regular season with some other guys and looked for bench/lineup upgrades? Sure, but at this point I think that ship has sailed.

Why? Extra bunters.

First day since last Thrusday that the Number didn't move. In that span it dropped 10 notches.

Every time there is a close play at 1st for the third out, I'm telling my runners at third to make sure they score, taking out the catcher if need be. Heck, I'll probably send guys around from second, too, just to force the throw and see what happens. And I'm telling my catcher to not let that guy score because the first baseman will have to send the ball home to make a play at the plate, just in case. I'm sure that won't lead to injuries or hard feelings. And if my guy catches the ball, but it gets called a trap, I'm going to insist that I get the double or triple play credited to my team when they double off runners who think they have scored. Why should the defensive team be deprived of extra outs on a great play? Isn't it kind of insane to force the players to play out a play based on the initial erroneous call, and then try to wind everything back and "fix" it based on what "should" have happened if they had gotten the call right? If a guy knows he made a catch, why should he be forced to play it out as if he hadn't and for example, make a throw to second base, when he knows darned well that he should be making the throw to first to double off a runner? When an out isn't an out (only MAYBE an out), and there are runners on base, strange stuff WILL happen. That's fine. You just need a fair way to sort it all out after the fact if you indeed want to get into that business. Good luck with that. Except in the very simplest of situations, like the determination of a HR, the fluidity of play in baseball is a sever hindrance to coming up with a good replay system. It's all well and good to think that the guys at MLB and all the clubs are just hide-bound dunderheads, but it could also be the case that they aren't entirely stupid about this either. Just like with the to-do about a college football playoff system it's very easy to whine about what's wrong and suggest that all ills can be cured simply by spitballin' a solution. Then reality sets in and it's not so simple. Doesn't mean it can't be done, but it's never as simple as the loudest media complainers make it out to be.

Manager 1: But the runners were going with the pitch, and the batter is fast. I think both runs score and it's a double. We win. Manager 2: No way. I'll give you the first run, but we threw your guy out at third on the play anyway when he tried to advance from 1st. So the inning is over on that 3rd out. Game over Manager 1: Wait a sec. That play at third was pretty close. I think we should review that, too. Ump: I have an idea! Why not just let me make an arbitrary ruling and everyone will think it's cool! Bottom line: PROBABLY isn't good enough. Since replay is involved in the first place, we're most likely already talking about a controversial play. And now we want umpires to just sort of make an after-the fact ad-hoc ruling on subsequent results that are simply unknowable? There had better be ironclad rules in place if you want to go down that road that remove virtually ALL discretion from the umpires as to how to handle a given situation. Even the tiniest bit of discretion that will almost necessarily be left to them will cause controversey enough sooner or later. Frankly, I don't trust people enough not to screw this up worse than the occasional screw-ups we have to deal with now. God bless 'em if they want to try it. The best bet is to do this incrementally and learn from the process. Even starting out by allowing review of calls at first base will get hairy when you add another baserunner to the equation.

So, you would rather have the offensive team get punished with an out, or maybe two, instead of one of the teams maybe being punished by an extra base? They will obviously have to use their best guess, just like they already do on fan interference and obstruction calls.No, I would rather they get the call "right", but the fact that you have to add in the fudge factor after the fact means that there really isn't a "right" call here. Just one that is better and one that is worse. Again, I'm not saying replay is a non-starter. I'm saying replay needs to be considered very carefully. And you didn't answer the question: Where do you put the runners? What if a guy gets back to his base, tags up and is subsequently throw out on a tag play? Who bears the riskof advancement in that case? Is the rule going to be that the ball is "dead" at the point of the catch/non-catch? If so, does that rule make sense in all situations? If not, when and why will it not be the rule? How much discretion do we want to give to the umps in this case? The fact that the umps ALREADY blew it and now we age going to trust theri judgment to "make it right" will likely give some folks pause. The bottom line is you can't just make this stuff up on the fly. To do so invites chaos and introduces the potential for bigger prblems than currently exist, not least of which are questions about the legitimacy of the game that come with after-the-fact "fudging" of plays that have already been made.

Replay conundrum: Ball hit to the gap. OF makes spectacular diving attempt at ball. Umpire rules catch and out. Runners going on the play from first and second. Upon seeing the 'Out' call, the runners head back to their bases. Replay subsequently shows that the ball was not caught, and was instead trapped. Where do you put the runners? Does it matter if there was an apparent double play on the play? Does it matter if the apparent second out was made by simply making a throw that beats the runner back to his base? How about if the double play was made on a tag play after the apparent catch? There are a whole bunch of hypotheticals like this that can be posed that don't lend themselves to easy answers. Until somebody comes up with good answers to cover all the bases, I'm not very enthusiastic about a "general" replay system in baseball. The live ball/dead ball structure of the game is much different than football and as such does not lend itself to after-the-fact replay review as well as football. It doesn't mean you can't come up with a system, but I think it does mean it will be harder to do, both from the standpoint of constructing the rules of the system and then getting the public to embrace its legitimacy when controversy arises (as it certainly will).

Good new: up by 9.5 games. Bad news: you won't see a schedule like this in the playoffs Cubs Astros Cards Astros Cards Pirates Dodgers Mets Pirates It's nice to have a comfortable lead, but it's not like they're 10 up on the Braves or a team that would have a realistic shot at winning a playoff series. The Crew really is in a position right now of just not screwing it up down the stretch and then taking their chance in the postseason. If they're hot in October, they have a good chance. If not, they'll just be the lastest NL Central team to make a quick exit in the NLDS.

Better than a bunt!

Estrada and Narvy have been pretty good ML 5th starters all year long. In this series the Brewers have faced 3 minor-leaguers and will have lost to two of them barring a 9th inning comeback. This stuff does happen all the time. But that doesn't mean it's not also a failure on the part of the Brewers.

And if Marcum Ks absolutely nothing is accomplished. After the bunt the Brewers had two chances to tie the game with a single and guys that get paid to hit the ball failed, and the guy that had a chance to cut the lead in half with virtually any result other than a K failed miserably. Yet we continue to beat away at the bunt hobby horse. Oh, and topper, quite bringing facts to the argument.

Even with the roll they've been on (and maybe because of the roll they've been on), splitting this series can only be seen as a failure of sorts given the pitching matchups. Way too much feast or famine still going on with this group of hitters (and not only the guys we like beating on).

Looks like some of the kids at the LLWS copied the Prince celebration. How will Carpenter explain THAT?

2 of next 3 on WMLW. One of the signs of the apocalypse.

I know I'll be peppering the Brewers with e-mails demanding the Casey and Yuni not be included in the 2011 Division Champs team photo. Those guys stink!

They didn't show a replay of it, but BA and Bill sure make it sound like Windmill Ed cost them a run by not being a windmill.

Just because I can, I started looking at the schedules for both StL and the Crew, and I think the Brewers are most likely to clinch the division while on the 6-game road trip to Cinci and Chicago from Sept 16 through Sept 21. That's cool and all but you have to think it would be more satisfying if it happens at MP. A clincher at a Wrigley Field filled with Brew fans would be a nice twist of the knife as well. Maybe we should start a pool on the front page picking the clinch date. Yeah, go ahead and start the 'jinx' replies now. I don't care.

Baseball is a funny game. In a game with Narveson coming off the DL, with the lineup featuring Counsell and Kotsay, and with Morgan, Fielder and Braun going 1-15, the Brewers beat one of Pittsburgh's front-line starters. Then, with a Cy Young award winner on the mound and their top lineup at the plate, the Brewers get beat by a spot starter.

It's amazing how fast that inning got away, in large part because a guy couldn't get a bunt down. Greinke does seem just awfully snakebit at times. I may hve overstated it before, but I really do prefer Marcum and Gallardo in the 1 and 2 spots in the playoff rotation at this point. Especially against the Phillies. In a 5-game series against the Braves maybe you pitch ZG second (and 5th, if needed) in deference to his home-splits, but he just has a sort of bad juju about him at times.

There is just something about Greinke that makes me want him to be the #4 starter in October. He's really good, but sometimes good just ain't enough.

The cool thing about the Brewers right now is that they seem to be just totally focused on themselves and what they can do. It's like they aren't even worried about the opponent, but not in a dismissive or arrogant sense. They're just trying to play the game the best they can play it, almost like a golfer who is just trying to beat the game instead of worrying about the other guys in his group. Even their celebrations are pretty much self-contained. They aren't showing anybody up. They're just happy for eachother. It's just really fun to watch.

This lineup sucks. (Note: This is the new tradition and it cannot be messed with. Also, I will complain that Betancourt gets a place on the float as it rides down Wisconsin Avenue.) /knocking on wood //furiously

4 wins to another .500+ season!

Only 1 worse than Mr Braun, pending the 9th inning PA, so he has decent company. And yet they are up 6.