Mets

[Hrycaj]

I have seen Miami play twice this year. Bass has blown both games. McNeil hammered that ball.

[Westheim]

Well, that was bizarre!

I don't know the back pages of the rulebook well enough to argue this one

[Hrycaj]

What are the odds Conforto gets plucked tomorrow for that bush league move??

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Hrycaj

What are the odds Conforto gets plucked tomorrow for that bush league move??

Zero.

Tomorrow is an off day

[Hrycaj]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Zero.

Tomorrow is an off day

Fair enough. Horrible ending to a great comeback. Ruined the whole game for me.

[BBGiovanni]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Well, that was bizarre!

I don't know the back pages of the rulebook well enough to argue this one

You don't have to know much, you have to try to get out of the way of a pitch, within reason, and if you actually try to lean into it you're out. Nimmo got in trouble for that a couple of years ago when he had all those HBP. And apparently if your body is in the strike zone, it's a strike. Oh, and because I've watched the Giants a lot, I can tell you that Nate Schierholtz and Pablo Sandoval have demonstrated that if you swing at a pitch that hits you, it's also a strike. Call it an E-U on the home plate ump.

At least it was against the Marlins, they've hosed the Mets with enough stuff over the years and broken enough hands with beanballs so nice to see them on the wrong end for a change.

[dkgo]

Conforto is a cheater and the ump should be suspended for managing to not only miss the fact that he leaned in which would nullify a HBP, but it was an obvious strike anyway which also by rule means it can't be a HBP!

[Westheim]

So that leaves two questions (which is also what I meant with the rulebook):

A) Why don't they review it?

B) If so, why CAN they NOT review it?

Time and again I get the impression that the people that make the rules have no ******* clue what they're doing. Same in German tax law as in baseball.

Looks like Conforto found a loophole then. If he's out anyway, he can just go ahead and try it. Such a smart boy!

[cephasjames]

The umps can't review "intent." They can review whether he got hit or not, but they can't review why. They can't make assumptions. "Did he lean into it?" "Did he or did he not attempt to move out of the way?" Etc. They can only look at the facts.

[dkgo]

The intent is irrelevant though. His body starts out of the strike zone and then moves forward into the strike zone. That is an objective fact and there is a clear rule to apply to the situation.

It is such an embarrassment to the sport to reward bush league tactics like that and then watch a team of professionals celebrate like they actually accomplished something.

[Boomcoach]

I thought it was especially bad as the ump called the strike, then changed to the HBP. If the ball is in the strike zone, it is a strike, not a HBP. That should have been the call in the first place and the player's attempt or lack of attempt to get out of the way would be irrelevant.

[Déjà Bru]

The home plate umpire's name is Kulpa. He admitted his "mea culpa" after the game. Which always strikes me as strange; we spend millions of dollars for replay technology to determine whether a fly ball hits the foul line or not, but an umpire's call, making an obvious mistake, is irreversible.

In which case, I was thinking that Conforto should be honest and admit what he did. Instead, he said "I didn’t realize my elbow was so far out there. With two strikes, I went into battle mode and I tend to lean over the plate when I get into battle mode."

But then again, if he merely said "Yeah, I stuck my elbow out there in order to get a HBP because lately I haven't been able to do much else," it would make matters worse in a number of ways.

[BBGiovanni]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

I thought it was especially bad as the ump called the strike, then changed to the HBP. If the ball is in the strike zone, it is a strike, not a HBP. That should have been the call in the first place and the player's attempt or lack of attempt to get out of the way would be irrelevant.

Yep, and I'm surprised (well, not surprised) Mattingly couldn't get them to change it on the field. I"ve seen Bochy talk umpires out of something less clear before.

[Westheim]

Watching this team is like eating chocolate chip cookies with shards of glass baked into them.

[Westheim]

(checks in on how Jarred Kelenic is doing, just to get pushed over the brink)

[Déjà Bru]

Ooops, trouble in Mets-land. Stroman is barking about having to start a game in the pouring rain at Citifield, which lasted all of 7 minutes.

"Home teams decide whether to start games. Once a game has begun, umpires decide whether to stop play because of bad weather."

Which means Stroman is criticizing Mets management for starting the game. He threw nine pitches before the home plate umpire shut it down.

[Westheim]

Stroman has been trouble in Metsland ever since they got him... Nothing to see here, I guess...

[Westheim]

2021 Mets

@Gnats - PPD (the 'rona)
@Gnats - PPD (the 'rona)
@Gnats - PPD (the 'rona)
@Phillies - L (deGrom curse)
@Phillies - W
@Phillies - L
vs.Fish - W (by umpire's charity)
vs.Fish - L (deGrom curse)
vs.Fish - SUSP (rain)
vs.Phillies - PPD (rain)

They should just fold and try again next year. The baseball gods are OBVIOUSLY AGAINST THEM.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by westheim

the baseball gods are obviously against them.

[Westheim]

Do I want to thank you for this?

Verily.