The Hey its 2021 now guys MLB thread

[Dish]

It's unfathomable that MLB assigned Laz Diaz to a home plate assignment in the playoffs.

[Dr. Blackheart]

It's unfathomable that MLB assigned Laz Diaz to a home plate assignment in the playoffs.

It's time for AI to primarily replace the home plate umpire. MLB talks about wanting to speed up the game but this level of inefficiency (incompetence) is no longer acceptable with technological advances.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxsports.com.au/baseball/baseball-news-2021-playoffs-boston-red-sox-vs-houston-astros-game-four-laz-diaz-home-plate-umpire-mistakes-nathan-eovaldi-pitch/news-story/86162e234663080b18b815bc72483a2d

[CTWarrior]

It's unfathomable that MLB assigned Laz Diaz to a home plate assignment in the playoffs.

The strike 3 that would have ended the 9th was bad and Diaz missed pitches all night   I'm a big Sox fan, but if Eovaldi doesn't hang a slider after that pitch, no one would remember the missed call.

[MU82]

It's time for AI to primarily replace the home plate umpire. MLB talks about wanting to speed up the game but this level of inefficiency (incompetence) is no longer acceptable with technological advances.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxsports.com.au/baseball/baseball-news-2021-playoffs-boston-red-sox-vs-houston-astros-game-four-laz-diaz-home-plate-umpire-mistakes-nathan-eovaldi-pitch/news-story/86162e234663080b18b815bc72483a2d

That was an interesting piece. Thanks for the link. I knew Diaz was bad, but I didn't know he was that bad. I can't argue with your view that it's time to use AI for ball/strike calls. You're probably right. A lot of players wouldn't like the results, especially at first, but they'd get used to it fairly quickly.

As for the Eovaldi curve that has so many up in arms ... the ball caught the very top outside corner. Some people are acting as if it was right down the middle, an obvious miss, but it was an inch inside the zone. And it got there from further outside; when I saw it live, I also thought it was outside because of its trajectory. That's not to excuse Diaz -- he is a high-paid professional and shouldn't have missed so many pitches, but it's not like that one call, in and of itself, was an egregious mistake.

Oh, and Eovaldi also is a high-paid professional; there was no rule that once Diaz missed that call by an inch, Eovaldi and a bunch of Red Sox relievers had to give up a bazillion hits.

[CTWarrior]

That was an interesting piece. Thanks for the link. I knew Diaz was bad, but I didn't know he was that bad. I can't argue with your view that it's time to use AI for ball/strike calls. You're probably right. A lot of players wouldn't like the results, especially at first, but they'd get used to it fairly quickly.

As for the Eovaldi curve that has so many up in arms ... the ball caught the very top outside corner. Some people are acting as if it was right down the middle, an obvious miss, but it was an inch inside the zone. And it got there from further outside; when I saw it live, I also thought it was outside because of its trajectory. That's not to excuse Diaz -- he is a high-paid professional and shouldn't have missed so many pitches, but it's not like that one call, in and of itself, was an egregious mistake.

Oh, and Eovaldi also is a high-paid professional; there was no rule that once Diaz missed that call by an inch, Eovaldi and a bunch of Red Sox relievers had to give up a bazillion hits.

It was just one reliever, Martin Perez, who let in all the runs.  Weird choice to bring in the last guy in your bullpen to keep a one run deficit with two outs in the ninth.  I agree that the missed strike wasn't egregious.  Eovaldi was dealing at that point and I am sure if he had to do it again he'd have elevated a fastball rather than throw a slider to Castro.

[MU82]

It was just one reliever, Martin Perez, who let in all the runs.  Weird choice to bring in the last guy in your bullpen to keep a one run deficit with two outs in the ninth.  I agree that the missed strike wasn't egregious.  Eovaldi was dealing at that point and I am sure if he had to do it again he'd have elevated a fastball rather than throw a slider to Castro.

Thanks for your correction on Perez being the bullpen culprit, and I totally agree about both the managing and Eovaldi's hanging meatball.

[CreightonWarrior]

Andy Haines fired. Maybe whoever they bring in next can fix Keston.

[4everwarriors]

I can fix da dude. He's trying to lift every pitch outta da park. Upward motion to his swing, hey?

[tower912]

That is the modern swing. 

[The Sultan]

I mean, maybe Keston isn't that good after pitchers adjusted to him.  Wouldn't be the first.

[wadesworld]

I believe Keston's mother was diagnosed with some kind of cancer and he talked about it really affecting him personally.  Hopefully she can find good health and hopefully that lifts a weight off of Keston's shoulders.

[MuggsyB]

So much for the Dodgers rolling the Braves.  I'm very surprised

[Dish]

Braves are one semi-flukish home run away from having swept the Dodgers.

[The Sultan]

Braves are one semi-flukish home run away from having swept the Dodgers.

Wonder who's going to replace Dave Roberts?

[MU82]

Braves are one semi-flukish home run away from having swept the Dodgers.

True, but the Dodgers were one play away from winning either of the first two games.

It's 3-1, and that's what it should be.

Meanwhile, Dusty has the Astros within a game of another WS appearance. I hope it doesn't get messed up. I find myself rooting for him.

[Jockey]

True, but the Dodgers were one play away from winning either of the first two games.

It's 3-1, and that's what it should be.

Meanwhile, Dusty has the Astros within a game of another WS appearance. I hope it doesn't get messed up. I find myself rooting for him.

I don't know if Dusty is a "great" manager. He may be.

But, remember how people used to say that "Bill Clinton was always the smartest guy in the room? Well, when Dusty enters, he is always the coolest guy in the room. Maybe that's why guys love playing for him so much.

[4everwarriors]

edit: really?

[wadesworld]

Who the fook referred to Clinton as "the smartest guy in the room?"

Were he so smart, he'd never have married horse face. I will give the ass hole credit for cheating on her, doe, hey?

Classy stuff all around.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Classy stuff all around.

Thanks for quoting before he deleted it lol.

[The Sultan]

Thanks for quoting before he deleted it lol.

He didn't.  A mod did.

[MU82]

I don't know if Dusty is a "great" manager. He may be.

Dusty is great at what is probably a big-league manager's most important job: dealing with the various egos of multimillionaires and uniting them for a common cause. It's why over and over and over again, he has gone into difficult situations and helped turn things around very quickly.

But while he has proven himself as one of the few managers who always gets a team from Point A to Point B, he has yet to get any team to Point C (as in Championship), with many of his postseason exits having been gut-wrenching. That suggests something less than greatness in actual game management against an opponent with top-quality talent and a good manager.

Baker is a good guy with an interesting life story, and a baseball man through and through. I'm rooting for him to finally get the title this year. It won't be easy.

[The Sultan]

Dusty is great at what is probably a big-league manager's most important job: dealing with the various egos of multimillionaires and uniting them for a common cause. It's why over and over and over again, he has gone into difficult situations and helped turn things around very quickly.

But while he has proven himself as one of the few managers who always gets a team from Point A to Point B, he has yet to get any team to Point C (as in Championship), with many of his postseason exits having been gut-wrenching. That suggests something less than greatness in actual game management against an opponent with top-quality talent and a good manager.

Baker is a good guy with an interesting life story, and a baseball man through and through. I'm rooting for him to finally get the title this year. It won't be easy.

I said here that hiring Dusty was a bad idea.   But it turned out to be a very good idea because they are letting Dusty do the things that Dusty does best (the things you mention) but he is surrounded by people who better do the things he doesn't do well (like game management, pitching management and use of analytics.)

[shoothoops]

Anything can and does happen in short 7 game playoff series (or less). Regular season is regular season. Post season is post season. They are two very different things.

[MU82]

I said here that hiring Dusty was a bad idea.   But it turned out to be a very good idea because they are letting Dusty do the things that Dusty does best (the things you mention) but he is surrounded by people who better do the things he doesn't do well (like game management, pitching management and use of analytics.)

Perhaps this is a sign that he has finally fully bought into that stuff and is really listening to those people. I'm not close enough to the situation to know, but he's obviously doing something right.

Houston's starter was totally dealing yesterday, so I'm glad Dusty let him go 8 innings instead of pulling him "just because." They won't need Valdez again until the World Series (if they're good and lucky enough to get there), so why not give your bullpen the day off?

Anything can and does happen in short 7 game playoff series (or less). Regular season is regular season. Post season is post season. They are two very different things.

Yes. That certainly is a fact.

[muwarrior69]

Braves are one semi-flukish home run away from having swept the Dodgers.

Then on to Colorado to play the World Series.