Holy crap, I’m waking up in Europe and getting my coffee and checking the overnight result, and the game just ended a few minutes ago?
Yep. It went 15 innings; and was a little over five hours.
The ALCS will match up the '77 expansion teams, which I think is pretty cool.
Well then. Congrats to my former hometown Mariners, then!
Here’s to hoping for Seattle’s first-ever World Series.
I’m only a casual fan but am rthinking that the 15 innings marathon could hand the ALCS to the Blue Jays as the Mariners pitchers are all exhausted. Is that correct does a game like that make the Blue Jays strong favorites?
The Blue Jays were already favorites. Both teams have today off. Then 2 games in Toronto, where the Mariners starters had better be able to chew up innings. If they get a split, Seattle will be in good shape.
In any event it promises to be a hard fought series with lots of drama.
I’ll be rooting for the Cubs or Brewers to go all the way. I think I’m going to be in for a disappointment. Can’t root for the Dodgers or the Jays and all the Big Dumper talk has got me annoyed with the Mariners.
It’s clearly to Toronto’s benefit, but it doesn’t change the odds THAT much. The effect won’t be felt past Game 1, wherein Toronto was a favourite anyway. Very slight effect.
We don’t even know what players these two teams will have available. The Mariners may or may not get Bryan Woo back. The Blue Jays may or may not get Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt back.
Um, doubtful. The teams played six extra innings. The Mariners used 3 extra pitchers: one pitched 2 innings, the second pitched 2.2 innings, and the third pitched 1.1 innings. They don’t play again until Sunday evening, by which time all relief pitchers should be ready to go.
But, as @silenus noted, it would be a Good Thing if the Seattle starters can go deep into the games in Toronto. That, however, is a tall order, given how the Jays tore up the Yankees pitching.
A question: in the 12th inning, the Detroit batter hit a chopper to short. The runner at 3rd broke home and was thrown out with plenty of time.
Back in the day, the runner would have plowed into the catcher in an attempt to dislodge the ball. But the runner just gave a halfhearted dodge and accepted his fate.
Is there a rule now against running full steam into the catcher, or is this more a reflection that players have recognized the small chance of success isn’t worth the high risk of injury to either player?
I could be mistaken, but I believe MLB rules will now call it an out if a runner initiates what is considered a “clearly avoidable collision.” At the same time, a catcher is not permitted to obstruct the runner’s path to home plate.
I didn’t see the play that you mention, but was the catcher in the path of the runner and preventing him from fairly being able to reach home plate?
Yes, there is.
From the MLB rule book, Rule 6.01(i)(1):
A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher, or otherwise initiate an avoidable collision. If, in the judgment of the umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher in such a manner, the umpire shall declare the runner out
…
Rule 6.01(i)(1) Comment: The failure by the runner to make an
effort to touch the plate, the runner’s lowering of the shoulder,
or the runner’s pushing through with his hands, elbows or
arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated
from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in
violation of Rule 6.01(i), or otherwise initiated a collision that
could have been avoided.
If I’m not mistaken, it was imposed shortly after SF Giants catcher Buster Posey broke his leg blocking the plate. I feel that rule was an overreaction, but I get it.
I’m watching the games on MLBTV. The bad, I can’t watch the games live, so I have to avoid any sites that may spoil the games for me. The good, I can listen to the radio broadcasts and not listen to the likes of Pierzynski and Smoltz.
I would imagine Pete Rose (running over Ray Fosse in the 1971 All-Star Game) then would have been called out under said new rule.
Depends on ‘shortly’. Posey suffered the injury in 2011. The rule was instituted in 2014.
They probably should have changed the rules back then. Was there ever a good reason to allow violent collisions in baseball? Trying to knock the ball out of the catcher’s glove isn’t very sporting. Why not smack the baseman’s glove in a close play at first, a la Arod? The new rules make a lot more sense. Does anyone want to see Cal Raleigh out with a concussion because Aaron Judge ran him over?
I think the idea - wrong though it was - back at the time - was that violent collisions just show good hustle and drive to win and fiery competitive spirit. Who cares about a few concussions, fans want to see passionate gameplay.
Likely so. Consider that it was also the era in which NHL players generally didn’t wear helmets or masks, and NFL play was even more brutal than it is now. Take a look at this video, which is the intro for CBS’s “The NFL Today” pregame show, from 1977: nearly every clip shows a collision or tackle which would be incredibly illegal in the game today.
Yeah, 0:17 has the infamous “spike” of Terry Bradshaw by Turkey Jones–Bradshaw could have easily broken his neck.