Jack Morris’ top 7 seasons (ERA+) had a 124-69 record ~ Verlander’s 7*-year run has a 124-65 record…so he can league levelly leak rancidity for the next decade and be Jack Morris!
Because there is a place on the Internet for everything statistical in baseball, there – of course – exists a website that measures an umpire’s performance. It is called Brooksbaseball.net. And if you click the tab marked “Strikezone Map Tool,” and tap in the date of Saturday’s first game of the American League division series, you will see that home plate umpire Jim Reynolds called 10 strikes outside of a typical strike zone against the Oakland Athletics.
These pitches would be up to a foot outside of the normal zone and they were all thrown by Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander to Oakland’s left-handed hitters.
This would explain why several of those hitters stalked away from the plate, muttering at Reynolds, after striking out on strikes that were not strikes.
But it also explains part of the brilliance of a man who is probably the best pitcher in baseball: When given the gift of a strike zone wider than it should be, he knows just how to exploit it.
“To his credit, he utilized the strike zone he was given,” said A’s right fielder Josh Reddick after Oakland lost the first game of this series 3-1 to Verlander and the Tigers.
Few pitchers are as gifted as Verlander. Few can heave a baseball as hard as 100 mph to a spot outside the strike zone and make it look so good the umpire will call it a strike every time. Most pitchers struggle enough to regularly get their pitches to go over home plate.
Repoz
Posted: October 07, 2012 at 06:59 AM |
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1. RMc is not going to get into too many specifics Posted: October 07, 2012 at 07:49 AM (#4257601)A poor craftsman always blames his tools, Mr. 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts.
Pretty much a must-win for Detroit: at home, with their ace on the mound. Still can't score any runs, but we'll take it. Oakland needs Game 2; it wouldn't be cool to go down 0-2 even headed home, with Verlander lurking for a Game 5.
12 noon (and 9am in Oakland!) on the MLB Network. Will anyone other than A's and Tigers fans be watching?
(Then again, I'll admit: I want a Oak/Bal ALCS.)
I agree. He consistently called the outside pitch but not the inside pitch. I noticed a few inside pitches that were considered a strike by the K-zone but not called as such by the ump.
Yep. I bet we're not more than a couple of years away from seeing an NFL Wild Card round game on the NFL Network. (Note - though now I'm thinking they just signed a new media deal, so it may be not until the next deal.)
Going better than expected so far!
It's much better than the Rockies-Phillies playoff game a couple years back that started at 10:20 Philadelphia time on a Sunday night.
Maybe ... but part of the reason that a playoff game is on MLB network is because the big boys are all obsessed with football.
This was also my impression. I really don't think MLB wanted to have a playoff game on the MLB Network. There's got to be more benefits to having it on basic cable in both the short and long term.
Will anyone other than A's and Tigers fans be watching?
You know what's really sad? The fact that the A's are still going to leave that tarp up on the upper deck. Your team is finally in the postseason, but one of the games is being played at 9 AM on a weekday on a network that most people don't get. Then, when the team comes back home, it will leave 20,000+ seats unsold for no good reason.
What should be a great chance to rebuild the fan base is going to fail miserably -- especially if Detroit takes Game 3.
The umpire is screwing him, Al Alburquerque is disrespecting him, blah, blah, blah...
Try focusing on playing baseball. Just a thought.
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