KAZMIR GETS SQUEEZED

While most of the umpiring at this year's Worlds Series has been dismal, last nights performance by Bruce Kennedy was the worst job behind the dish I've witnessed since Big Eric Gregg's hose job on the Braves vs the Marlins as Livan Hernandez could have rolled it up to the plate and get a strike.
Great game until the rain came as Kazmir was getting out of jams and Hamels was dialed in. Too bad it rained.

 

No KIDDING! That was some of the worst "home cooking" I'd seen. What about the missed tag call the night before? Longoria made the tag right, smack dab in the center of .. whomever that was...'s BUTT!!! I mean...it was an anema right in front of the UMPS face and he missed it. good grief!!!

 

There was an interesting book by former umpire Ken Kizer. He explained, in his opinion, why major league umpires are so bad. I hate to watch umpires squeeze the plate. There is no point in doing that. Batters already have an advantage.....make them go up swinging.

Speaking of that, here is something I have noticed the whole post season. Many of the best hitters are forgetting they are facing some of the best pitchers in the league. These guys throw strikes!! So what are they doing? Watching two strikes right down the middle and swinging at the next one down and out. It's what caused Howard and Longoria to extend the strike zone and put them in a slump. Jimmy Rollins finds himself doing this, also. Once he shortened his swing and became agressive in the strike zone, he was swinging at better pitches. I understand trying to work the count and getting the starters with high pitch counts, but when you have a pitcher pounding the strike zone, you better be up there looking for any pitch that you can drive.

 

Infuriating!

 

btw

Even though I knew it was dangerous - I was sorta diggin' watching the guys play in that driving rain.

 

You mean like a wet T-shirt contest for the women?

 

LOL...was THAT it??? I wasn't sure why I was disappointed it had to end.

 

Don't you think some of that is from the Moneyball, Billy Beane philosophy of working the pitchers and trying to increase OB% with walks. I'm with you, pitchers want to work ahead so you know you are going to get a strike early. Swing away!

 

One thing you can count on in professional sports. They will always follow the new flavor of the month. You're right. It is a hitting philosophy and there are certain pitchers and certain teams that can make it work. But in many cases when one reaches the playoffs, you're facing many of the best pitchers in baseball that are strike machines....and there are very few hitters that are great 2 strike hitters. There are times you want to work a pitcher (Kazmir is a good example), but if you are intent to work the pitch count on Cole Hammels, it's going to be a quick game. I hate to see any batters, no matter what level, to WATCH a belt high fastball and not make the pitcher pay for that mistake....and do it twice? Man, too much thinking going on for that to happen.

 

The best worst call of the season was when Kerwin Dailey called a Rays player out on a swinging strike three, then asked for help. That was an oh s*** moment for him I bet. But these guys are the best, except I don't see how Angel Hernandez weasel his way in on the Rays-Red Sox series. I know he was only there for one game and was stationed in right field. glad it wasn't the Braves playing, Bobby cox would have blown a gasket. Angle Hernandez and CB Bucknor are year in, year out the two worst MLB umpires there are. And they are seriously bad!