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Another lousy call in Chicago

#1 - October 24, 2005 @ 3:39 AM EST

Portland Sea Dog

84 Posts

I know this'll sound sacralige, but Instant replay in Baseball is getting a big to do from me. It was clear that Jermain Dye was not hit by that pitch, and the Stros should have tied the series.

#2 - October 24, 2005 @ 4:28 PM EST

BosoxBob

Pawtucket Red Sox

206 Posts

Although the ump might have blown the call, that doesn't mean that it cost the Astros the game. It wasn't a safe/out call after all. Had it rightly been ruled that it hit the bat, Dye would still have been at bat with a 3-2 count. Given that: a) Pettite was on the ropes and was around 100 pitches, b) Dye was one ball away from a walk, and c) Dye has hit Pettitte about as well as anybody (.333 lifetime average), it's a very good possibility that Dye still would have reached base and Konerko would still have gone deep. One other note about last night's game. Scott Podsednik became a media darling after his walk-off HR last night, as Fox tabbed him as player of the game (this despite the fact that Konerko's blast was the key hit in the game, and lead-off man Podsednik had gone 0-4 before that). The Fox commentators went on and on about how he's now hit 2 HRs in the postseason after having none in the regular season. (Again, the Fox guys show their ignorance by making it seem unusual for this guy to go deep. Podsednik hit 12 HRs last year, but clearly changed his hitting approach this year to focus on OBP, raising last year's horrendous (for a lead-off hiiter) .313 OBP up to .351. But I digress...) What went virtually unnoticed was the fact that Podsednik nearly cost his team the game (and definitely cost Buehrle a win and Jenks a save). His incredibly poor throw on Vizcaino's single in the ninth allowed the tying run to score, when any kind of decent throw would have had the runner dead to rights for the last out. When Podsednik fielded the ball (hit right to him and not very deep), Chris Burke had not even touched the bag at third. I was somewhat surprised that the third base coach sent him (images of Denny Doyle getting nailed at the plate flashed through my head). Podesdnik not only failed to get off a strong throw, but threw it on the first base side, making it nearly impossible for Ausmus to get the runner. Hell, even I could have nailed Burke at the plate!

#3 - October 25, 2005 @ 2:41 AM EST

Rox49

Portland Sea Dog

84 Posts

Well its a case of what ifs. The major one being that if it was ruled a foul, what the chances are that he could have fouled out/ Struck out/ or even poped out, or any other out. The fact would be then in a 2 out situation, Konerko would not have had the chance until next inning, the game would have been at least a 6-3 win for the Stros.

#4 - October 25, 2005 @ 11:53 AM EST

nyys

Pawtucket Red Sox

211 Posts

Time to play devils advocate...

...Dye has hit Pettitte about as well as anybody (.333 lifetime average), it's a very good possibility that Dye still would have reached base...

But the percentages say that he was still more likely to make an out. As well all know 3 out of 10 is considered very good, but you're still more likely not to reach base... :D I agree we have no idea what would have happened had it been ruled a foul ball as it should have, but I would have liked to know. Think Konerko up his price tag just a bit in this post season? Yikes!