Sports Then and Now

While the 2012 MLB season has come to a close, general managers across baseball are busy planning for next season, and the 2013 class of free agents presents some names of intrigue for sure.

Here are five names that GMs would love to add this off-season.

 1. Josh Hamilton: Texas Rangers

While there is no question that Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will demand attention this offseason as a free agent, opinions have varied widely as to his value.

A former AL batting champion and MVP Award winner, Hamilton leads the majors as of Aug. 30 with 112 RBI, but after a torrid start to the season has cooled considerably. Injuries are always a concern, and teams may be wary of committing $100 million or more to a player with a sordid past.

 2. Michael Bourn: Atlanta Braves

Center fielder Michael Bourn has been everything the Braves wanted thus far in 2012—a .283 average, nine HR and 55 RBI (both career highs) and an NL-leading 37 stolen bases.

Bourn’s agent is Scott Boras, who almost always encourages his clients to test the free agent waters. The Braves would love to keep Bourn long-term, but the Washington Nationals are known to have a huge interest in his services. It very well could come down to a bidding war.

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Crosstown rivalries like the White Sox and the Cubs won’t be the only imbalanced part of the 2013 MLB schedule.

The Balanced Schedule

The 2013 MLB season will be like none other in history. For the first time there will not be an even number of teams in each league. At least one inter-league series will take place all season long. All divisions will have teams playing inter-divisional rivals 19 games each.

There will be twenty inter-league games that will be divided rather unevenly by playing six teams; four teams three games each, and two teams four games each.

The sixty-six games remaining will be divided up with some teams six games (four teams) and others seven (six teams).

This 2013 schedule is not balanced at all.

If baseball is going to have twenty inter-league games, why don’t they divide up the games by playing one complete division four games each?

The first year the American League East would play the National League East, and the next NL Central, followed by NL West.

Every three years every team would play in every park.

The proper way to divide up twenty games is to play four games with five teams.

The 142 games that remain should be divided up with 72 divisional games, or 18 games each and 70 same league games would then be divided up seven games each.

Here is the complete balanced schedule for 2014.

72 Interdivisional – four teams 18 games each
70 same league- ten teams seven games each
20 interleague- one complete five team division four games each

Here is the unbalanced one MLB will use in 2013

76 Interdivisional – four teams 19 games each
66 same league- ten teams six teams seven games, four teams six games
20 interleague- six teams, four teams three games, two teams four games

If you compare the 2013 schedule to this 2014 model which one would you prefer to play?

Now if we could change the Wild Card one game playoff to a three game Wild Card Series, use instant replay, and get rid of the DH, baseball would be the perfect sport.

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When you evaluate the home plate umpires for the World Series after two games, clearly Dan Iassogna called a better game than Gerry Davis did.

Overall the Umpire Strikezone Scores on Close Calls, Iassogna had .923 and Davis had .838 correct.

When you look at the split between left and right handed batters Davis was not very consistent.

On left handed batters Gerry Davis had 33 pitches within six inches of the plate where he had to make a call.

He called seven pitches strikes that were off the plate, and two pitches balls that were really strikes. Nine wrong calls out of 33 game him a USS.727.

On RHH Davis missed only four pitches total for a USS of .915.

If Davis ever looked at these numbers and graphics he would see that he always calls a pitch that is really outside a strike, but he only does this with left handed batters.

Home plate is 17 inches across for both right and left handed batters.

Why do many umpires continue to make the plate wider for left handed hitters than they do for right handed hitters?

Iassogna is in the lead for the best ball and strike umpire of the 2012 World Series. His .923 total is going to be the number to beat.

What do you think the umpires would do if these graphics were shown in every park while each game was being played?

Do you think they would learn to call that outside pitch to left handed hitters a ball, if everyone saw how they missed it so many times?

Gerry Davis 2012 World Series Game 1

USS total .838. 80 close call pitches 13 incorrect calls

LHH USS .727 33 close call pitches: seven balls called strikes, two strikes called balls

RHH USS .915 47 close call pitches four balls called strikes, zero strikes called balls

Dan Iassogna Game 2 2012 World Series.

USS total .923 91 close called pitches seven incorrect calls

LHH USS .857 28 close call pitches: three balls called strikes, one strike called a ball

RHH USS .952 63 close call pitches: one ball called a strike, two strikes called balls

Replay Will Cut Down On This.

The non-call at second base during Game One of the NLCS was another example of not using replays to make the right call.

Clearly Matt Holliday was past the bag, and he used a barrel roll into Marco Scutaro. Any competent umpire should have called runner interference, and ruled it a double play.

How could Rich Gedman be called for being out of the baseline (in 1988 ALCS) for what he did, when Holliday was past the bag when he started to slide?

He should have been ejected and banned from the next game.

One look at the replay and you could see he broke the rules. It was a dirty play. Umpires need to follow the rules, and then don’t.

If you looked at a replay you can tell in one look if he made the wrong call.

Just give each manager three chances a game to use instant replay.

If you get them all right, you can keep using them all game.

Each time a manager throws the red ball on the field he will be challenging a call. No need to argue, just toss the red ball and we all get to use instant replay.

The umpires will turn and everyone in the park will watch the big screen and in 10 seconds there will be four angles of the questionable play, and at the end of ten seconds the ball, glove, and player will be frozen on the screen.

The umpire will either raise his hand in an out signal or signal safe with both hands.

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The Yankees lost Derek Jeter for the rest of the season with a broken ankle in the 12th inning of game one of the ALCS.

The New York Yankees suffered two significant losses in opening game of the League Championship Series. Not only did the Yankees drop a 6-4 decision in 12 games to the Detroit Tigers, but they also lost their captain, Derek Jeter, for the rest of the season with a broken ankle. Losing Jeter is not just a major blow to the chances for the Yankees, but also a huge loss for Major League Baseball.

Even for baseball fans whose two favorite teams are the squad they follow and then whoever is playing the Yankees, this isn’t the way you want to see the Yankees go down. Only fans that have far crossed the line can be pleased to see the symbol of the franchise for the last 15+ years lying on the ground agonizing in pain.

In an era where star power is a major driver of fan interest, Derek Jeter has been among the steadiest players in the game. Though he has never been the league MVP or posted lofty power statistics, Jeter has been a key member of five World Series Champions and collected more than 3,000 career hits. In just the last few weeks some were debating whether he might be the one to break the all-time hit mark held by Pete Rose.

After Jeter went down while diving for a ground ball in the 12th inning of the opening game against the Tigers the thoughts are no longer about potential records, but instead of what baseball will be like without the Yankee captain.

That is something the Yankees have little time to digest as they will be back in action today for game two against the Tigers and must try to overcome not just his loss, but also the fact they are trailing in the series. Read the rest of this entry →

The Baltimore Orioles are in the post season for the FIRST time since 1997. They won their first playoff game since the 90’s by defeating the Texas Rangers in the inaugural A.L. one game Wildcard game.

So has O’s MANIA taken over Baltimore yet? If not, their anthem “Black & Orange” will get you excited.

The AMAZING thing is Jay-Luv & D-Boi made this video in 2011. They knew BETTER days were in store for Baltimore’s Black & Orange!

Beat The Yankees Boys!

H/T To Reddit!