Matt Schezer
- Thread starter GregV814
- Start date
A bunt is a legal way to get on base. Dropping your elbow into a pitch that is otherwise NOT going to hit you is pretty mickey mouse. I believe the ump could have called the batter out in that situation.
I agree that a bunt is a legal way to get on base, but in that situation? One of those unwritten rules...
I wonder if the Pirate pitchers were just a little bit irritated with Tabata after the game.
The ump wouldn't have called him out, just made him stay in and hit. What if he would've then gotten a hit? Now THAT would have really been tough.
I hate that "unwritten rules" thing. Doesn't exist. A few years back, Tom Lasorda tore Jim Rome up during an interview when a batter bunted on with two outs in the ninth of a no-no to break it up in a 2-0 game. The pitcher and his team still won the game. Rome brought up the "unwritten rule" thing, and Lasorda just took him to task and embarrassed him, letting Rome know he as a manager would have done the same thing in trying to win a game. Lasorda called those "unwritten rules" BS.
Tough luck for Scherzer, but batters are allowed to crowd the plate, same as the pitcher is allowed to back them off. Still, a no-hitter is nice on the resume.
There is a rule that is rarely enforced from high school ball on:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/batter_6.jsp
6.08(b) He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (1) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball;
If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a strike, whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if he makes no attempt to avoid being touched.
The ump could have called it a strike, or a ball, seeing the batter made no attempt to avoid being hit.
Umpires just do not want to make it harder for the batter, and at that level up, the pitching just gets harder and harder to hit.
Tough break for Scherzer, but it be over.
I understand the rulebook. But it's one of baseball's rules of etiquette. There are many of them. For example, you don't go hacking on at a 3-0 pitch when up a bunch at the end of the game. Or you don't bunt to break up a no-hitter.
Yes, he could've called him out but it was well sold. The reality is he had ample time to get out of the way, made no effort to do so, and even dipped his elbow into the pitch. It's a common tactic when trying to get on base. But, in this situation, it's bogus. Had it been a 1-0 game (or even 2-0 or 3-0) where one runner could change the tide, I would've chalked it up to "doing what you gotta do to get on." However, with two outs and the game in hand, you don't poke your armor plated elbow into a ball.
Hell, if he leaned into a 97mph fastball and took one on the back of the arm, I'd probably be more OK with it. At least he earned the trip to first by taking the brunt of the pitch.
As I said earler, Gio (or someone) should've put one in his back the next day. If he wants to get on first, at least make him endure the tradeoff of the free pass. If you're willing to take the pain, have at it.
That is such BS. The unwritten rules (or more importantly "baseball etiquette") are very much in play but only "dont exist" when you don't follow them in order to steal a win. And as is the case, when you break them, there are often penalties for it.
Granted, I don't have an issue "doing what you need to do" when down 1-0 or 2-0 late in the game (as a baserunner can change the game) and I don't think many players would take much issue with it.
It's never called and hitters do in fact take advantage of it. So be it. It wouldn't have been called on Max Scherzer because he threw an inside slider which starts out being thrown at the guy. This effectively 'locks' the guy up (his feet/hips) when thrown right. At that point, the hitter can lean back or turn away (what you're taught to do). He simply turned "away" from it but did so by leaning in and rolling his hips and dropping his elbow - while turning towards the ump. Perfect "taking one for the team." He knew what he was doing. Watch the replays. His eyes are on it the whole way in and you see him dropped that guard to the ball. He EASILY could've gotten out of the way.
I don't buy the "unwritten rule" at any time. It is there for whiners, wanna-be's, the "but what iffers" - akin to the mulligan in golf or the free do-over. The rule has been in place forever. I umped little league/Pony through high school, and once at the HS level, the pitching is so much better that if any umpire called the strike zone as written in the rule book, and called every batter crowding the plate, then there would be no-no's and perfect games everywhere. It would only get worse at the college and pro level.
I've seen the replays, and yes, the batter could have avoided the pitch. The pitch could also have been called an inside corner strike or ball by the ump as well because the batter made no attempt to get out of the way. Neither happened.
Scherzer just pitched the best two games back to back ever in the most dominating fashion, ever. In baseball history. Even better than Vander Meers back to backs. Vander Meer had , I believe, 11 walks and about 8 K's combined in the two games. What did Scherzer have? He gave up a broken bat blooper in the 7th in the first game with one walk, and had a combined 26 K's, one hit, and one walk in 18 innings.
The best ever.
Not disagreeing with you about Scherzer. They were fantastic games. Absoleutely dominating. I am just ticked off that perfection was taken from him (and deserved) because a guy threw his elbow (heavily padded) into the pitch. It wasn't even an issue of avoiding it. He went to it. That is BS.
OldHillcrestGuy
Well-Known Member
I don't know if any of you noticed but when Tabata had 2 strikes on him he stepped back out of the batters box, and looked over to his dugout and had this ####ty grin on his face like he was up to something. If this was back in 60's or 70's when he came to bat the next day he would have been drilled right between the numbers. I was hoping that maybe Gio would have done it on Sunday.
Think Nats have a series in Pittsburgh later in the year, maybe Scherzer will have a start in one of those games, maybe his 97mph fastball happens to slip and he drills Tabata.
Nats fans couldn't ask for better pitching in that series from Ross, Scherzer and Gonzales. GO NATS
Think Nats have a series in Pittsburgh later in the year, maybe Scherzer will have a start in one of those games, maybe his 97mph fastball happens to slip and he drills Tabata.
Nats fans couldn't ask for better pitching in that series from Ross, Scherzer and Gonzales. GO NATS
Beta
Smile!
So at what point are you supposed to lay down and give the pitcher a perfect game and/or no hitter because it's "not winnable"? Is that the way you want pitchers to get perfect games, by having the opposing team give up because they're down a few runs? Plenty can happen in a game, even with 2 outs and a hitter down 0-2 in a 10-0 game. You just never know. Giving up at ANY point, especially when a hugely important feat is about to be accomplished, is pathetic. The pitcher should WANT to EARN the victory by getting the best effort from every player. If they expect any less then they don't deserve it.
Unwritten rules = bull####.
