Quote:
Originally Posted by Ockeghem 
Okay, I didn't realize something, but have now read the wrap-up. Nick Green had two throwing errors in that fateful inning last night. So Papelbon can't be blamed for that one, I don't think. He did walk a batter and gave up some hits, but without the errors, the BoSox might have won the game.
Okay, I didn't realize something, but have now read the wrap-up. Nick Green had two throwing errors in that fateful inning last night. So Papelbon can't be blamed for that one, I don't think. He did walk a batter and gave up some hits, but without the errors, the BoSox might have won the game.
I did not see the game...or the ninth inning. But here I go anyway:
If I owned a major league team, I would immediately fire any manager who allowed his players to employ "defensive indifference" when a player tried to advance a base in a late inning.
This is a technique I have NEVER understood and would not tolerate from any team of mine.
Also, in terms of scoring, I would insist that all baserunners be credited with a stolen base in those situations.
Let's look at last night's game as an example. From my understanding, here's how it went.
- Papelbon walks Cust to lead off the inning.
- Cust takes second on DI.
- Suzuki grounds out to 2nd base...advancing Cust to 3rd. (1 out).
- Sweeney pops out to shortstop (2 out).
- Then, double, single, stolen base, single, strikeout. Game tied. Sox lose in extras.
Do you see where I'm going here? By not allowing Cust to take 2nd base free-of-charge (because his run doesn't "mean anything"), the Sox would have kept the double-play in order and Sweeney's pop-up to short would have been the third out of the inning and the Red Sox would win.
I have seen this happen SO MANY times that I cannot understand why it continues to happen on a regular basis. You have professional players on the field who are being well-paid to "make the plays." If he's going to steal the base, so be it...at least you are getting beat while trying to prevent it. Allowing any runner a free base is completely against any logical sense of the game as I know it. I cannot imagine Earl Weaver ever would have even considered something as asinine as "defensive indifference."
Terry Francona should be ashamed of himself.
Maybe the Sox don't turn the double play on Suzuki's grounder (because you can't "assume it", after all--another stupid scoring rule), but maybe they would. We'll never know, though...because they NEVER HAD THE CHANCE!
