So, I was reading Tom Verducci’s article over at Sports Illustrated, which was a little unusual. Don’t get me wrong, Verducci is a great writer. However, his writing about steroids usually comes off a little too overly-moralizing. This piece, which I decided to read after seeing the praise given to it at Hard Ball Talk, is about a more-or-less career minor leaguer, Dan Naulty, who used, and the darker moments of his life and career (not all of them are steroid-related). It is interesting, I guess, if nothing else. There are a few issues and thoughts I have that I want to address, though.
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Showing posts with label Abbreviated Commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abbreviated Commentary. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Apparently, Bud Selig Reads This Site...
...Because the news today is that baseball is expanding instant replay in 2013, just days after I wrote this. The plan isn't identical to the one I proposed-there's going to be a central room with a team of umpires reviewing every game rather than an extra ump in each stadium-but it still gets the job done. It was about time. As a reward, I will create my own blue-ribbon panel to look into congratulating Bud Selig sometime, possibly in the future
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Bud Selig Thinks Instant Replay Is Some Newfangled Passing Fad, Or Something
Bud Selig apparently doesn’t think replay is that pressing, because no one he talks to has been pushing him for it.
Now, I know what everyone is thinking: this is the part where I virulently attack Bud Selig for having his head up a place where the sun don’t shine. (Greenland in winter, to be specific. If you were wondering.) However, I think he absolutely definitely has a point. Nobody wants replay in baseball. If they do, they have completely, totally silent on it. I can’t remember the last time I saw an article talking about how baseball needed instant replay. Googling “instant replay” and “baseball” yields absolutely no results. Besides, bad calls in baseball never happen. Ever. There’s definitely not any sort of solution that would get the calls right in a timely fashion, like a fifth umpire in the booth reviewing every play and signaling to the field if he notices an easily-fixable mistake.
And in any case, part of what I like about the game of baseball is that it’s like a three-way struggle between two teams and a third party that’s supposed to be an impartial arbitrator. It reminds me of The Iliad, what with the two warring sides and the Greek gods siding with one or the other to change what happens. Isn’t that why we have umpires in the first place? To offer a third choice to root for in the event that you don’t like either team playing?
On an unrelated note, this confirms my longtime suspicion that Bud Selig interacts entirely with imaginary friends.
Now, I know what everyone is thinking: this is the part where I virulently attack Bud Selig for having his head up a place where the sun don’t shine. (Greenland in winter, to be specific. If you were wondering.) However, I think he absolutely definitely has a point. Nobody wants replay in baseball. If they do, they have completely, totally silent on it. I can’t remember the last time I saw an article talking about how baseball needed instant replay. Googling “instant replay” and “baseball” yields absolutely no results. Besides, bad calls in baseball never happen. Ever. There’s definitely not any sort of solution that would get the calls right in a timely fashion, like a fifth umpire in the booth reviewing every play and signaling to the field if he notices an easily-fixable mistake.
And in any case, part of what I like about the game of baseball is that it’s like a three-way struggle between two teams and a third party that’s supposed to be an impartial arbitrator. It reminds me of The Iliad, what with the two warring sides and the Greek gods siding with one or the other to change what happens. Isn’t that why we have umpires in the first place? To offer a third choice to root for in the event that you don’t like either team playing?
On an unrelated note, this confirms my longtime suspicion that Bud Selig interacts entirely with imaginary friends.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Dylan Bundy Is Pretty Good, But...
Dylan Bundy, the Oriole's first round pick last year in the draft, is doing pretty awesome, if you haven't heard. Seriously, just look at this line: 19 years old, 30.0 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (0 earned), 19 years old, 2 walks, 40 (!!!) strikeouts, 0.00 ERA, .233 WHIP, and did I mention he's only 19 years old? There's just one question: why is he still in single A?
No, seriously; I know it's pretty cool to see a player post those numbers. But, at the same time, that's usually a good sign that the player isn't actually being challenged. Is dominating hitters at A really that much better for his development than doing reasonably well against AA batters? Why not call him up? You'll get a better idea of where he is in his rise to the majors. I would imagine keeping him in A is only slowing him down at this point.
No, seriously; I know it's pretty cool to see a player post those numbers. But, at the same time, that's usually a good sign that the player isn't actually being challenged. Is dominating hitters at A really that much better for his development than doing reasonably well against AA batters? Why not call him up? You'll get a better idea of where he is in his rise to the majors. I would imagine keeping him in A is only slowing him down at this point.
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