***Official St. Louis Cardinals 2013 Postseason Thread***

['Hamas' Jenkins]

The Season thread has started crapping out. Post about the Birds here.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Even Craig would have made it home on his one leg if he didn't trip over Middlebrook.

This. The call is the right one. He makes it home safely if the fielder isn't in the way and it's not like it was small interference. Some people brought up the word intentional. That shouldn't matter. You don't want to encourage players to cheat and pass off intentional cheating as accidental.

Curious that Red Sox fans are this livid. They didn't seem to mind when arod was called out for punching a ball out of the first basemans glove in the playoffs a few years ago.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by Scott Pilgrim

As a former little league umpire... I made the call immediately

As a middle aged guy sitting in a bar about 10 beers in, Bob Dole made the call immediately.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Obvious call, enoforced correctly. I understand it sucks to lose a game that way, but it could have been avoided. Hell, both of their shitty throws to third that led to to losses could have been avoided by playing good fundamental baseball.

Game 2 - Salty makes a little league error by not coming off the plate to block Gomes throw, leading to the pitcher being a pitcher, and butchering a play they haven't practiced since March.

Same thing last night. Middlebrooks has to come off the bag to keep that throw from getting by. First priority. Instead, he stretches as if he's playing first base and finishing a force play, and the end result is the ball in left field.

Bad fundamental baseball. They have no one to blame but themselves - much like Detroit had no one to blame but themselves in 2006 when they threw the ball all over the lot.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Obvious call, enoforced correctly. I understand it sucks to lose a game that way, but it could have been avoided. Hell, both of their shitty throws to third that led to to losses could have been avoided by playing good fundamental baseball.

Game 2 - Salty makes a little league error by not coming off the plate to block Gomes throw, leading to the pitcher being a pitcher, and butchering a play they haven't practiced since March.

Same thing last night. Middlebrooks has to come off the bag to keep that throw from getting by. First priority. Instead, he stretches as if he's playing first base and finishing a force play, and the end result is the ball in left field.

Bad fundamental baseball. They have no one to blame but themselves - much like Detroit had no one to blame but themselves in 2006 when they threw the ball all over the lot.

It's interesting to look at the reactions. Ninety percent of the Red Sox fans don't know the basic rules of the game because they just started watching in 2004 when it became chic to be a Red Sox fan. The rest are secretly celebrating because they would rather lose so they can wallow in self-pity.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Obvious call, enoforced correctly. I understand it sucks to lose a game that way, but it could have been avoided. Hell, both of their shitty throws to third that led to to losses could have been avoided by playing good fundamental baseball.

Game 2 - Salty makes a little league error by not coming off the plate to block Gomes throw, leading to the pitcher being a pitcher, and butchering a play they haven't practiced since March.

Same thing last night. Middlebrooks has to come off the bag to keep that throw from getting by. First priority. Instead, he stretches as if he's playing first base and finishing a force play, and the end result is the ball in left field.

Bad fundamental baseball. They have no one to blame but themselves - much like Detroit had no one to blame but themselves in 2006 when they threw the ball all over the lot.

This is all true, but I LaMockYa has to keep that ball in his back pocket. He didn't have a shot at the runner at third, but he tried anyway, thus overthrowing the shit out of it and skipping it right into LF.

Just a ****ing brutal decision. Steck approved, but no one else did.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

This is all true, but I LaMockYa has to keep that ball in his back pocket. He didn't have a shot at the runner at third, but he tried anyway, thus overthrowing the shit out of it and skipping it right into LF.

Just a ****ing brutal decision. Steck approved, but no one else did.

I agree completely. Salty never should have thrown that ball.

Then again, he shouldn't have even been in the game in that situation, IMO. Farrell stepped on his own dick several times last night - Not using Napoli, letting Workman hit, then replacing him after one batter, etc.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I agree completely. Salty never should have thrown that ball.

Then again, he shouldn't have even been in the game in that situation, IMO. Farrell stepped on his own dick several times last night - Not using Napoli, letting Workman hit, then replacing him after one batter, etc.

Agreed. Completely.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I agree completely. Salty never should have thrown that ball.

Then again, he shouldn't have even been in the game in that situation, IMO. Farrell stepped on his own dick several times last night - Not using Napoli, letting Workman hit, then replacing him after one batter, etc.

One great comment from that Boston site: In the NL, managers actually have to manage.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I agree completely. Salty never should have thrown that ball.

Then again, he shouldn't have even been in the game in that situation, IMO. Farrell stepped on his own dick several times last night - Not using Napoli, letting Workman hit, then replacing him after one batter, etc.

Farrell got out managed by Matheny. Thats how bad Farrell's decisions were last night.

[Scott Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Farrell got out managed by Matheny. Thats how bad Farrell's decisions were last night.

Its been a common thing in this post season Mattingly keep getting out managed too.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Scott Pilgrim

Its been a common thing in this post season Mattingly keep getting out managed too.

From Joe Poz's blog

And that’s why the one complaint I’ve heard that stands above all the others is that the umpires should “Let the players decide.” The thinking is that umpires and officials should not interfere with the natural course of play. You hear this all the time in sports, all sports. It comes up whenever a foul is called in the final seconds of a basketball game, whenever a referee calls a penalty in a hockey overtime, whenever an official calls a holding penalty or something like it on the critical play in the final seconds. The whole “let the players decide” line of thought seem pretty suspect most of the time.


But in this case, it’s downright ridiculous. You will never see a game where the manager and players DECIDED more than this one. When Farrell decided to hit his pitcher, when he decided to leave Napoli on the bench to rot, when he decided to pitch to Jay, when Salty decided to throw to third, when Middlebrooks decided not to come off the bag and throw his body Secret Service style to stop it, the Red Sox decided to lose. And they did.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

From looking at the PBP, it looks to me like Matheny did a pretty flawless job last night. He got Choate in at the right time, even though it didn't work. He wasn't afraid to go to Siegrist, and he got Martinez out of there as soon as it was clear that he didn't have it.

[BIG_DADDY]

Didn't get to see all of the game but I loved the ending. It was the right call no doubt. Loved to see those bearded clams crying. You guys need a big game out of Lynn tonight.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

From Joe Poz's blog

And that’s why the one complaint I’ve heard that stands above all the others is that the umpires should “Let the players decide.” The thinking is that umpires and officials should not interfere with the natural course of play. You hear this all the time in sports, all sports. It comes up whenever a foul is called in the final seconds of a basketball game, whenever a referee calls a penalty in a hockey overtime, whenever an official calls a holding penalty or something like it on the critical play in the final seconds. The whole “let the players decide” line of thought seem pretty suspect most of the time.


But in this case, it’s downright ridiculous. You will never see a game where the manager and players DECIDED more than this one. When Farrell decided to hit his pitcher, when he decided to leave Napoli on the bench to rot, when he decided to pitch to Jay, when Salty decided to throw to third, when Middlebrooks decided not to come off the bag and throw his body Secret Service style to stop it, the Red Sox decided to lose. And they did.

In a nutshell.

[Scott Pilgrim]

So how healthy is buchholz?