That goes for you guys too, Mike Port and Steve Palermo. You really ought to watch a video of the game before embarrassing yourselves with statements like:
(Palermo) "I hope people realize that if we are able to clarify this, Doug Eddings did everything he was compelled to do and required to do. And he did all of those things consistently. He did his job."Umm, not quite, Steve.
(Port) "Summarily, Doug Eddings did nothing wrong. He gave the same signal for all swinging strikes. If the question is, 'Did he call Pierzynski out on strikes?' The answer is no. He was indicating the batter swung at the pitch."Hey Mike, can you tell me why his 'strike' call on every other third strike in the dirt all night wasn't given until AFTER the batter had been tagged? Betcha can't, because you're a hack. And you've always been a hack, which is why the Angels did crap when you were with the ballclub.
Meanwhile, everyone's (including me) favorite whipping boy is the voice of reason:
After arriving in Orange County on Thursday, in preparation for tonight's Game 3 between the White Sox and Angels, McCarver expressed his point of view.As much as I dislike listening to McCarver, he's right. And it's not the first time. In 2002, after two pitches, he predicted that if Felix Rodriguez missed to Scott Spiezio inside, Spiezio would hit a three run homer. Six pitches later, you know what happened.
"The most salient thing that comes to my mind is the catcher can feel he has caught the ball without it short-hopping into the mitt," McCarver said. "As a catcher you just automatically roll the ball back to the pitcher. Inning over.
"Josh Paul caught the ball. He knew he caught the ball. You know if there is leather between the dirt and the ball. As a catcher, he just knows that instinctively. I know Josh Paul has been taking some heat, but he shouldn't be.
"If anything, give credit to A.J. Pierzynski for running down to first base. He took a shot, and it worked out for him."
Eddings said after the game that the ball changed directions before it reached Paul's glove, meaning it hit the dirt.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see it that way," McCarver said. "Every replay I saw shows that ball was caught.
"I think the White Sox know they got away with one. But what are they going to do, not take it?"
Mark this day on your calendar. I may never agree with Tim McCarver and Joe Sheehan on the same day ever again.
8 comments:
Check out our man, T.J. today. He is bleeping brilliant.
Check out the Chicago Tribune on line with detailed pics of the "incident", looks like the ball did hit the ground. How do you like them apples?
That ball is not on the ground. It's pretty clear to me, as it has been in every single video, that Paul's glove *was* on the ground, with the top of the webbing laying on the ground. You can even see it right where the first finger hits that it's pressed to the ground. I'll admit, that's an ambiguous picture, though. I think it's much clearer on the video.
Typical of an anonymous commenter, though.
Watch the video a little more closely, LA Seitz. When you look at the video as an objective individual (and not as an Angels fan who is convinced that the Angels were somehow wronged), it is quite clear that the right call was made. While the call was unfortunately surrounded with a series of events (and inconsistencies), the bottom line is this: the right result was reached. Rather than blaming the call on a game official, maybe Angels fans should look at their own team members. The catcher should have done what every other catcher does in that situation---tag the batter. It wasnt done here....thats the catcher's fault.
While I really have no stake in the game (Yankees fan), it still bugs me that all of the Angels fans are so quick to blame everyone else for an allegedly bad call, when they should really look to members of their own team to find fault (see catcher comment above).
And to avoid any comments about annonymous posters (as you did for the previous poster), my email is tobygillan@yahoo.com. I simply have no interest in setting up a "blogger" account because, quite frankly, the drivel that is typically contained on these types of blogs is nothing more than bitter fans venting their frustrations about a loss and trying to figure out someone to blame for the loss (other than the team, itself).
First, you don't have to set up a blogger account to post under a name. There's a button marked "other" there, but whatever.
Second, I think you're the only person in the entire world who is sure he saw the ball clearly hit the ground. None of the players on the field did. None of the guys in the booth did. Nobody on the ESPN crew did. You know, the people with the huge TV screens behind them, who spend the whole season watching video.
And you're right, it's only Angels fans blaming Eddings. There's nobody else who thinks the ump made a mistake in this situation. It's just all us biased Angels fans.
Science should market the first ever baseball that does not cause a dust when it hits the ground.
If there is no dust, you must bust ... the umpire.
By the way, sweet Big Star reference in the hed.
Thanks. Pearly Gates already stole the Thompson Twins reference. I like Big Star better anyway.
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