# MLB: August **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 1, 2014, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563 "2014-08-01T09:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/61 "2014-08-06T17:48:20Z")
[Indians runner out after mistaking a loose ball from the bullpen for the live ball](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/bizarre-play-leaves-reds-indians-in-disbelief?ymd=20140805&content_id=88143102&vkey=news_mlb). I’m shocked this turned out this way. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/62 "2014-08-06T17:54:48Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I remain mystified as to why the Blue Jays, plagued every single year by a seemingly “unlucky” string of injuries, have yet to fire the head trainer. At some point it isn’t luck anymore. Some of it is the hard plastic turf there, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/63 "2014-08-06T18:00:04Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > [Indians runner out after mistaking a loose ball from the bullpen for the live ball](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/bizarre-play-leaves-reds-indians-in-disbelief?ymd=20140805&content_id=88143102&vkey=news_mlb). > > I’m shocked this turned out this way. How is that not reviewable? There’s no doubt there’s a second ball on the field, are the umps that powerless? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/64 "2014-08-06T18:07:33Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How is that not reviewable? > There’s no doubt there’s a second ball on the field, are the umps that powerless? Seems like since it’s clearly determinable which team is at fault, the other team shouldn’t be penalized. It baffles me. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/65 "2014-08-06T23:14:47Z")
We’re starting Haren against the Angels. Please, just walk Trout. I don’t care the game situation. I don’t care if the bases are loaded, _walk_ him. Don’t pitch to him. In fact, please walk him, **especially** if the bases are loaded. Please, Haren, surprise me? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/66 "2014-08-07T00:12:38Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > We’re starting Haren against the Angels. > Please, just walk Trout. I don’t care the game situation. I don’t care if the bases are loaded, _walk_ him. Don’t pitch to him. > In fact, please walk him, **especially** if the bases are loaded. > Please, Haren, surprise me? You know, the other big Dodger fan in the office and I had this conversation earlier today. Haren feels like an automatic loss these days. But the last time he pitched against someone where it really and truly SHOULD have been an automatic loss (Corey Kluber), he was like Haren of old out of nowhere. So maybe he’s got some of that magic tonight. I also buy lottery tickets, if you’re wondering where I get my optimism. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/67 "2014-08-07T00:50:15Z")
If Haren has another bad outing, I’m really hoping they bring up Zach Lee and give him a few of Haren’s and/or Beckett’s starts. Couldn’t do any worse, and probably has some upside that Haren, at least, seems to have permanently misplaced. Maybe if they rest Beckett some more his hip will improve. That said, I’d love to be surprised by Haren tonight. It’s baseball, stranger things have happened. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/68 "2014-08-07T01:10:07Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > We’re starting Haren against the Angels. And hit the ball to _left_. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/69 "2014-08-07T03:55:21Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Some of it is the hard plastic turf there, isn’t it? The injuries start in spring training every year, where they play on grass. If it was a succession of knee injuries, I might buy that it’s the turf (which is due to go in a few years, thankfully.). But it’s not - it’s training injuries, lazy injuries, stuff like pulled quads that turf really shouldn’t affect, and pitching injuries. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/70 "2014-08-07T04:37:38Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How is that not reviewable? > There’s no doubt there’s a second ball on the field, are the umps that powerless? The umpires completely blew this one. There is no rule in the rule book about a second ball on the field; therefore, the rules say that the umpire should make a ruling. Now the umpires could make the ruling they did (I think it’s wrong but that’s not the point). What they can’t do is say “We understand your frustration. There’s nothing we can do.” That is simply wrong. They are empowered to rule on things not covered in the rule book. It seems to me the simple thing would have been to put Murphy back on third base which is where he was and presumably would have stayed if the errant ball wasn’t on the field. Incidentally something similar happened back in 1958 or 9 to the Milwaukee Braves. In that case it was even the umpire’s fault since the home plate umpire handed the catcher a new ball when the original one was still live. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/71 "2014-08-07T04:43:22Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How is that not reviewable? > There’s no doubt there’s a second ball on the field, are the umps that powerless? I believe the answer to this specific question is there is a list of types of plays that are reviewable and “amazingly” no one thought to add to the list “second ball in the field of play” They didn’t cover runner on second suffers spontaneous human combustion either. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/72 "2014-08-07T06:02:56Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > I believe the answer to this specific question is there is a list of types of plays that are reviewable and “amazingly” no one thought to add to the list “second ball in the field of play” They didn’t cover runner on second suffers spontaneous human combustion either. Maybe the play should have been called dead when the second ball entered the field? Batter would have been awarded first and Murphy awarded 2nd? ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/73 "2014-08-07T06:08:46Z")
Haren comes through big time tonight, 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Angels, thanks in part to Puig’s arm. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/74 "2014-08-07T06:13:16Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > We’re starting Haren against the Angels. > Please, just walk Trout. I don’t care the game situation. I don’t care if the bases are loaded, _walk_ him. Don’t pitch to him. > In fact, please walk him, **especially** if the bases are loaded. > Please, Haren, surprise me? And yea verily didst i glimmer into the mists of the near future\< and what i perceived was not good\< and did i lose faith in the haren\> and was i humbled\< as an over\_certain child\< for yea\< this indeed whyforest they playeth thou"s game\> and so am i humbled\< and thus do i rejoice\< and repent\> ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/75 "2014-08-07T14:34:03Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > And yea verily didst i glimmer into the mists of the near future\< and what i perceived was not good\< and did i lose faith in the haren\> and was i humbled\< as an over\_certain child\< for yea\< this indeed whyforest they playeth thou"s game\> and so am i humbled\< and thus do i rejoice\< and repent\> I have a future in prognostication. I think I’d better check the results of last night’s lottery. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/76 "2014-08-07T16:52:59Z")
If I send you $5, can I be in a lottery pool with you? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/77 "2014-08-07T21:52:40Z")
Cubs hot young prospect Javier Baez has now played three major league games. He has 4 hits and 3 of them are home runs. #winning e: he’s 21 ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/78 "2014-08-08T15:49:04Z")
Marlins pitcher Dan Jennings took a [line drive straight to the head](http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24652221/marlins-dan-jennings-carted-off-the-field-after-line-drive-to-side-of-head) in last night’s game, but seems to have gotten away with a concussion. Very scary stuff. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/79 "2014-08-08T16:17:34Z")
Are \*any \*pitchers wearing those helmets that were introduced in spring training? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563/80 "2014-08-08T17:22:02Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Are \*any \*pitchers wearing those helmets that were introduced in spring training? One of them is. I think a pitcher for San Diego. Can’t think of his name. It looks really funny, but I sure as hell don’t blame him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august/694563.md?page=5)