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Monday, February 18, 2013

Morosi: Showalter balks at new pickoff rule

Buck: The Balk Call of the Wild.

Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter said over the weekend that eliminating that move from a pitcher’s repertoire could change the way baseball is played.
“Watch the stolen bases jump this year,” Showalter predicted.

He has a point.

“Relief pitchers are really squawking about it,” Showalter said. “I chuckle when these announcers always say, ‘Oh, that never catches anybody. Why do they ever do it?’ The things that keeps from happening were huge. These guys sit up there and say, ‘Why are they doing that?’ It shuts down the first and third. A right-handed pitcher had to have that move. Otherwise, you’re giving up 90 feet all the time.”

...“You’d better be able to defend the first-and-third offense this year,” Showalter said. “That’s one of our points of emphasis. You’d better be able to offense it, too. It’s going to be a big play.

“There are ways to find out if they’re covering (second base on a steal) by some things you can do. It’s a gimmie bag in some cases.”

So, what might Showalter’s Orioles do in an attempt to take advantage?

“It’s limitless,” Showalter said.

Curiosity piqued. We need to pay attention at Camden Yards this year.

Repoz Posted: February 18, 2013 at 10:03 AM | 17 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: orioles

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1. What did Billy Ripken have against ElRoy Face? Posted: February 18, 2013 at 10:45 AM (#4371304)

Care to place a small wager on that, Buck?

2. john_halfz Posted: February 18, 2013 at 11:18 AM (#4371323)

...“You’d better be able to defend the first-and-third offense this year,” Showalter said. “That’s one of our points of emphasis. You’d better be able to offense it, too.

What the hell does this mean?

3. Bruce Markusen Posted: February 18, 2013 at 11:31 AM (#4371334)

Going back to his days with the Yankees, Buck has always been obsessed with the running game. He had Yankees pitchers constantly stepping off, faking pickoffs, staring endlessly at baserunners. I honestly think it hurt some of the young Yankee pitchers, who seemed distracted from their main objective of trying to retire the hitter.

4. What did Billy Ripken have against ElRoy Face? Posted: February 18, 2013 at 11:32 AM (#4371335)

It means Showalter is verbing former nouns. There will be a place for him in corporate America.

EDIT: As Mr. Deal has pointed out, I am honored to have unwittingly borrowed from Calvin.

5. Dunn Deal Posted: February 18, 2013 at 11:38 AM (#4371340)

It means Showalter is verbing former nouns. There will be a place for him in corporate America.

Verbing weirds language.

Calvin link

6. What did Billy Ripken have against ElRoy Face? Posted: February 18, 2013 at 11:40 AM (#4371346)

It offenses it too.

7. puck Posted: February 18, 2013 at 12:57 PM (#4371373)

I wonder how many times this season a pitcher will forget the rule change and balk in a run?

8. Hecubot Posted: February 18, 2013 at 01:07 PM (#4371378)

What the hell does this mean?

He's saying that the now-balkable move was the best way to keep baserunners in check from stealing in first and third situations. He's suggesting that it's going to be like Little League where with first and third, you almost concede the stolen second base bag to the baserunner at first.

I don't know if that's true, but that's his argument.

9. Crispix Attacksel Rios Posted: February 18, 2013 at 01:18 PM (#4371385)

He's suggesting that it's going to be like Little League where with first and third, you almost concede the stolen second base bag to the baserunner at first.

Great, now Ben Revere is even less valuable.

10. Fancy Pants Handle struck out swinging Posted: February 18, 2013 at 01:20 PM (#4371387)

He's saying that the now-balkable move was the best way to keep baserunners in check from stealing in first and third situations. He's suggesting that it's going to be like Little League where with first and third, you almost concede the stolen second base bag to the baserunner at first.

Or, you know, just throw pickoffs to first...

11. SoSH U at work Posted: February 18, 2013 at 01:20 PM (#4371388)

He's saying that the now-balkable move was the best way to keep baserunners in check from stealing in first and third situations. He's suggesting that it's going to be like Little League where with first and third, you almost concede the stolen second base bag to the baserunner at first.

I don't know if that's true, but that's his argument.

I'm probably the biggest opponent to this rule change you're going to find, and I think he's out of his mind. Pitchers will step off a few more times. They'll throw over a few times. There's no reason to think allowing the fake-to-third, throw-to-first move was anchoring guys to first.

12. Baldrick Posted: February 18, 2013 at 01:35 PM (#4371402)

If it caused more stolen bases...cool. Stolen bases are fun.

13. Bob Tufts Posted: February 18, 2013 at 02:08 PM (#4371431)

Buck Showalter's minor league stolen base stats - 44 SB's, caught stealing 37 times.

14. Best Regards, President of Comfort, Esq., LLC Posted: February 18, 2013 at 02:24 PM (#4371433)

“Watch the stolen bases jump this year,” Showalter predicted.

That's probably the idea.

15. Shockliacci Posted: February 18, 2013 at 02:50 PM (#4371445)

I have a feeling he orioles will be running into a lot of outs this year.

16. cardsfanboy

Posted: February 18, 2013 at 08:13 PM (#4371590)

12. Baldrick Posted: February 18, 2013 at 02:35 PM (#4371402)
If it caused more stolen bases...cool. Stolen bases are fun.

Sums it up for me.

Just because the optimal strategy has been get on base and hit the homerun, doesn't mean that is the best way to keep fans interested in the game. Anything that helps improve the fan experience by making you watch more that is going on is a good thing.

Of course I love the running game growing up with Whitey Ball.

17. cardsfanboy

Posted: February 18, 2013 at 08:15 PM (#4371591)

“You’d better be able to defend the first-and-third offense this year,” Showalter said. “That’s one of our points of emphasis. You’d better be able to offense it, too.

What the hell does this mean?

It means that according to Buck, people are going to steal more often and that the running game is going to come back into style and if your team can't defend against the run, you are going to be behind the times and struggle against other teams that are ready to take advantage of the changes in the game.

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Morosi: Showalter balks at new pickoff rule

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