54-51, A Few Game Notes
by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 2, 2009 8:57 PM PDT
in Seattle Mariners Game Recaps
- The outcomes don't really matter much to me anymore. The Mariners are out of it - pretty much 100% out of it - and if anything I'm rooting for the Rangers to pass the Angels in the division. And so with that in mind I don't think it should come off like sour grapes when I say that Texas got a big break there in that final at bat with Jack Wilson. Not only did home plate umpire DJ Reyburn call a strike on a 1-1 fastball six inches inside, but then on 1-2, he ruled that Wilson didn't make contact with a slider in the dirt. Wilson was adamant that he caught the top of the ball and replays showed that the ball changed direction, but Reyburn would have nothing of it, and he called it a game.
On the one hand, yeah, it's only two pitches. There's no guarantee that Wilson gets a hit or reaches base if he gets ahead 2-1 or if that alleged foul is called a foul. But on the other, those were two significant pitches. 2-1 is a hitter's count, while 1-2 is not. And then one pitch later, 1-2 looks a lot better than 0-0 when 0-0 means the game is over and you lose. Wilson's a .280 career hitter against lefties, and all he needed was a single to tie it up. And he didn't get a proper chance, because Reyburn sucked. Cheers to CJ Wilson for throwing a 1-2 slider that apparently fooled everyone, but jeers to DJ Reyburn for being a pile of crap with bad timing.
- Jack Hannahan vs. LHP, career: .245/.313/.343
Franklin Gutierrez vs. LHP, career: .295/.350/.492
So why did Hannahan hit against CJ Wilson with Gutierrez available on the bench? Because
"The biggest reason was that Hannahan's hit about .330 over the last seven games and I felt that he'd been having some good at-bats,'' Wakamatsu said. "It gave me the luxury of maybe having (the other bats) for somebody else. But I felt good with Hannahan right there.''
Having the other bats available for somebody else doesn't matter if you can't get to them, and in that situation, with the tying run on second, one out, and a lefty on the mound, you have to go to your bench. To hell with the pinch-hitting penalty. Gutierrez would have a long, long way to fall before he ever looked like as bad a bet there as Jack Hannahan. I don't criticize Don Wakamatsu very often, but that was a bad move. Or non-move, as it were.
- In the top of the fourth, Jose Lopez came up with one down and Ichiro on first. He hit a high pop-up behind second, but as the ball was coming down, Omar Vizquel pulled his hands back, let the ball drop, and threw to second to erase Ichiro by a mile. Who even thinks of these things? If Vizquel were some teenager in A-ball that split-second decision would've gotten him promoted. What a heads-up play, the likes of which you wouldn't see from many other infielders in the league.
Betancourt: Why would he do that?
Coach: To get Ichiro off the bases.
Betancourt: But that would've been easy to catch.
Coach: Yes, but because it was so easy to catch, Ichiro had to stay near first, making him an easy target at second.
Betancourt: But he just had to put his glove out there and the ball would've fallen into it for an out.
Coach: But then you have two out and Ichiro on instead of two out and Lopez on.
Betancourt: But why would you ever let a ball like that fall? It was a routine pop.
Coach: Ichiro is a great deal faster than Lopez.
Betancourt: But don't you want there to be two outs?
Coach: By dropping the ball and then throwing to second, you get the second out anyway, with the added bonus of having less speed on the bases.
Betancourt: So you're saying he let it drop on purpose...
Coach: Yes.
Betancourt: ...because he could get an out at second?
Coach: Correct.
Betancourt: Okay.
Coach: Got it?
Betancourt: I think.
Betancourt: But then why wouldn't he just catch the ball?
- A mixed bag for Ian Snell, who came out after six innings and 84 pitches having struck out four, walked three, and allowed two solo homers. He topped out at 95 on the night, and the homer by Michael Young was on a high-inside slider off the plate that Young just turned on like a crazy person, but the homer by David Murphy was on a bad pitch, and altogether both Snell's strengths and weaknesses were readily evident.
By my count, he threw 39 fastballs, 21 sliders, and 24 changeups (Update: upon further review, Snell's velocity dropped in the second half of his game, so he threw more fastballs and fewer changes than I noted here). What's interesting is that, while only one of his first 46 pitches was a change, he went to that pitch 23 times over his final 38. Rob Johnson certainly had a plan to show the Rangers something different the second and third times through the order. My reviews of his pitches:
Fastball: Pretty good velocity, can throw it for strikes, but not a real hard pitch to hit
Slider: Good, sharp break with a broad range of velocity. Struggled to throw it for strikes today, but a few of those misses were deliberate. Strikeout pitch
Changeup: Movement's fine but the consistency's not. Wasn't being located. Work in progress
Nothing in there we shouldn't have expected. Snell's change has never been a plus pitch and he's always struggled with lefties, even when he was really good. So the key for him will be limiting the damage done to him by righties, and upon first viewing his slider appears more than capable. He's going to be an interesting one to follow, and with a little better command than he had tonight, he has it in him to be a big value.
Any idea why he was pulled so early?
Mariner John - August 2, 2009
Baker
Jeff Sullivan - August 2, 2009
Thanks
Mariner John - August 2, 2009
What do you have against Rafael Betancourt anyway?
Bearskin Rugburn - August 2, 2009
it's yuni, not rafael.
Seany91 - August 2, 2009
Eventually we're going to have to do away with sarcasm altogether
Graham MacAree - August 2, 2009
Which would be the greatest thing ever
Graham MacAree - August 2, 2009
Was this sarcasm
gregrabble - August 2, 2009
Anymore I find it's easier just to ignore those type of comments altogether than to try and figure it out.
Goose - August 2, 2009
If we do away with sarcasm my wife and I will never speak.
Sec 108 - August 3, 2009
Is it just me...
…or does everyone else expect us to score zero runs when we have the bases loaded and nobody out?
Kyle Rancourt - August 2, 2009
It's just you.
ThundaPC - August 2, 2009
I actually expect this.
Anything more than a GIDP is a pleasant surprise.
Fin - August 2, 2009
I remember watching the team score on a GITP once in 2006.
That was funny.
ThundaPC - August 2, 2009
Ahh...
Here it is.
ThundaPC - August 2, 2009
What makes this even worse?
I just went through that game log, and we had bases loaded in the first with nobody out and proceeded to watch Sexson, Everett, and Beltre all strike out swinging.
naviomelo - August 2, 2009
Boof Bonser'd
ThundaPC - August 2, 2009
About the picture
for some reason in these pictures, the camera is always focused on the guy running the bases, not the facepalm on the mound. I’m assuming this is an autofocus issue, because I’m pretty sure everyone is more interested in human misery than a guy in high socks jogging.
Bearskin Rugburn - August 2, 2009
Great recap Jeff
I didn’t see the Visquel play, that sounds awesome.
vivaelpujols - August 2, 2009
Omar did a good job faking the catch before taking a step back to watch it bounce.
yuniform - August 3, 2009
I was wondering why infield fly rule wasn't in effect for that play.
Slow Country - August 2, 2009
Wasn't Ichiro the only runner?
I’m pretty sure you have to at least have guys on first and second for the infield fly rule to take effect.
Humongo - August 2, 2009
1st and 2nd
Has to be less than 2 outs and runners at first and second
tkballer22 - August 2, 2009
Or bases loaded.....sorry...with a force at either third or home
tkballer22 - August 2, 2009
6.05(1)
This is the rule that I thought should have been enforced…
“A batter is out when a fielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases.”
In this situation, the batter is not out if the fielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except when the Infield Fly rule applies. The key word here is untouched.
The umpires make the determination as to whether or not a fielder intentionally drops a fly ball. In relation to 6.05(1), the umps could kill a play by calling “time” immediately if they think a fielder has intentionally dropped the ball.
If Vizquel, dropped the ball intentionally, the umps could have protected Ichiro at first by calling Lopez out and stopping the action. But since Omar wisely allowed the ball to fall to the ground untouched, the ball remained alive and in play.
tkballer22 - August 2, 2009
Where in that rule does it say 'untouched'
hcoguy - August 2, 2009
I think dropping a fly ball implies that it was touched
Missing a fly ball would be untouched
d0nkey - August 3, 2009
Atleast the rotation has somewhat stabilized now
with Ian Snell and the re-emergence of Ryan Rowland-Smith. Both won’t be superstars, but atleast they will be solid starters behind Felix. Also hopefully Luke French can do a good Washburn impression with the Mariners defense.
Fin - August 2, 2009
2009 Washburn impression*
Fin - August 2, 2009
I'm wondering who gets the boot when Bedard comes back
Humongo - August 2, 2009
Like we'll have to worry about that.
Matthew - August 2, 2009
Speaking of which.
Do you think the Mariners will keep Bedard for 2010, since they can probably low ball him in the arbitration hearings?
Fin - August 2, 2009
He's worth the risk.
Slurvey - August 2, 2009
No control
he’s a FA after this year. Can be offered arb, but he doesn’t have to accept.
seattlebruin - August 2, 2009
Probably better to not offer arb but try to resign
2 years, innings based pay. The thing with Bedard is I hate the uncertainty.
Bearskin Rugburn - August 3, 2009
Olsen(god no)/Vargas/Jakabauskas.
Fin - August 2, 2009
You don't want Olson to get the boot?
Mariner John - August 3, 2009
Yeah Olson is probably the first player that I would like to see get the boot upon Bedard's return.
Kirk - August 3, 2009
He can be a decent lefty in the bullpen.
He’ll definitely get the chance to prove if he can stick there before Bedard comes back.
yuniform - August 3, 2009
I'm just not too high on all of his home runs.
He’s really a boring and sometimes painful pitcher to watch. At least as a starter that is. Maybe I’d like to see Jak go down though becuase he really has been shittastic lately.
Kirk - August 3, 2009
Not possible.
ThundaPC - August 2, 2009
I wish I were as cool as Omar Vizquel.
Fearless Frog - August 2, 2009
2009
The team seems to have more potential to win now than we did before all of the recent trades. Too bad we’ve had some losing streaks and all the other playoff teams have had winning streaks.
But I wouldn’t call it 100% out of it, some players need to pick it up again like they did in parts of the first half.
fortyniners - August 2, 2009
10 games out
with 57 to play? That’s about as close to 100% as you’re going to find!
naviomelo - August 2, 2009
I bet if we could pick up Halladay through waiver trade our chances would leap all the way up to like 3%.
Bearskin Rugburn - August 2, 2009
Three aces!
I Lick Squirrels - August 2, 2009
Our odds of making the playoffs are around 1.5%.
Teej - August 2, 2009
So 98.5% out of it
Poochie - August 2, 2009
That's not 100%, I guess
Gihyou - August 2, 2009
So you're sayin' there's a chance...
Kyle Rancourt - August 3, 2009
They will probably be a better team with a better chance next year.
Fin - August 2, 2009
To go from what, 61-101 to being over .500 now
Is hellaciously good. I know, not good enough when a division looks winnable, but one has to be impressed with the volume of the turnaround.
Ed Coffin - August 2, 2009
Sticking with Hannahan in that situation really baffled me. I like Hannahan, but Gutierrez is a much better hitter, especially against lefties as you pointed out.
gregrabble - August 2, 2009
A guy has to hav a day off once in a while.
kevin_ess - August 2, 2009
Fucking fingers.
kevin_ess - August 2, 2009
It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools.
waldo rojas - August 3, 2009
Rednecks love Michael Young
I was at the game tonight and I was explaining to my girlfriend why Michael Young is one of the more overrated players in baseball… the redneck in front of me turned around and looked like he was going to kill me and then Young hit a homer on the next pitch. Double ouch.
Yoyogi - August 2, 2009
That's gotta hurt.
Sinking Away - August 2, 2009
This is why I don't speak around strangers.
Teej - August 2, 2009
I hate it when things like this happen.
Kind of like when you explain to someone why losing Ibanez wasn’t a big deal, and then he hits more home runs than anyone else in baseball at one point in the season and nobody believes you.
naviomelo - August 2, 2009
And another...
In the Young homer AB, Snell came up and in with a botched 78 mph change/slider that brushed Young off the plate. Instantaneously, a 350 lb fatty redneck male three rows in front of me jumped out of his seat and went ballistic. “EJECT HIM UP! EJEEEEEECT HIM!!! HE IS THROWING AT OUR GUY! HE IS GOING TO HURT HIM!!!” Every time I go to Ameriquest I find new reasons to wish they built is as far away from Ft. Worth as possible…
Yoyogi - August 2, 2009
Nice to see other Metroplex LLers around.
Last time I went, I found the fans were pretty nice. I was even wearing all my M’s stuff. This was the game that we lost in extras in May. Worst I heard was, “Oh well. Try again tomorrow!” with a few pats on the back.
Young is having an unbelievable year with the stick this year, though. He might even earn his contract this year.
naviomelo - August 3, 2009
Texas is a shitty place.
BrettJMiller - August 3, 2009
Word.
Except for Austin. But I think this has been discussed plenty of times here already.
Fin - August 3, 2009
"throwing at our guy"
Chances are he’s doesn’t even know who Young is.
Goose - August 3, 2009
I dunno...
…I know that Young won’t come close to living up to the contract he signed and that his Gold Glove was a complete mockery, but I’m beginning to think the blogsphere is a little too hard on the guy. For instance, this year he’s having a good year (especially with his recent hitting streak) and his defense has been improving as he learns a new position. He’s still a bad defender there (-10 runs, 2nd worst in the Majors), but that’s better than he was in April and May. And he’s been one of the best 3B at the plate this year with a .394 wOBA, 3rd behind Youkilis’ .427 and Mark Reynold’s .402.
So far he’s been a 2.8 WAR player this year, worth $12.2 million, and giving him a chance to be worth his $16 million this year. I’m sure the contract will look awful for the last 2-3 years, but I’m hoping he plays close enough to it over the next couple years.
GhettoBear04 - August 3, 2009
Arlington
it’s all about Arlington for Young. I know FG adjusts for that a little, but I’ve heard their factors leave a little to be desired. Young’s OBP away is .333 – 80 points below his home OBP. Also, he’s got a .400 BABIP at home, which is kinda crazy.
He’s having a good year and he’s not the most overrated player in baseball, but I doubt that contract is going to work out as well as the Beltre deal, for example.
Bearskin Rugburn - August 3, 2009
That dialogue gives Yuni too much credit
lemonverbena - August 3, 2009
.
CapSea - August 3, 2009
That's just cruel.
They should at least bring in someone to translate.
I Lick Squirrels - August 3, 2009
This is awesome in its realistic-ness.
Sam Regens - August 3, 2009
Glad to see the end of that joke of a Ballpark in Arlington.
They should put asterics next to all the Rangers’ batting stats.
Also those farking Yankees and Red Sox.
Sam Regens - August 3, 2009
Vizquel has done that before
Came here to see how Snell did, saw the Vizquel story. He and Robbie Alomar both did that at least once as an Indian.
nickjs21 - August 3, 2009
I'm trying to think of the last time the Mariners had a shortstop that smart.
Hey, funny story!
Kermit. - August 3, 2009
Jack Wilson?
Fin - August 3, 2009
Well sure there's Jack, but I meant Omar used to be a Mariner.
Bad joke
Kermit. - August 3, 2009
I got it
pdb - August 3, 2009
So base on what you guys saw will Snell be a legit number 3-4 guy?
InSpokane - August 3, 2009
*Will* he?
I don’t know. But he could. I’d say very very good odds he’s a #4, and pretty good odds he’s a #3. But he’ll always be inconsistent and vulnerable to lefty-heavy lineups.
Jeff Sullivan - August 3, 2009
Regarding Visquel's Intentional Drop
Ok, this isn’t as thoroughly researched as I’d like, but your description of Vizquel’s play rang a bell for me. Back in the 90’s I was at a game at the Kingdome. I remember leaving early, and that while in the parking lot on the way to my car hearing that a triple play had been turned. I vaguely remembered that Jeff Nelson had been involved.
Some googling turned up this game:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA199507130.shtml
Now, what struck my memory about the game was that I seem to remember the fielder intentionally dropping a fly ball in order to turn it. According to the play-by-play, here’s what happened:
Triple Play: Bunt Groundout: P-SS-2B
Jeff Nelson came in, threw one pitch, and got three outs. Now, I don’t know how that play works if he intentionally dropped a fly ball, so I’m probably remembering another play from another game and getting it confused with this one.
BrianV - August 3, 2009
I believe it was a short fly on the infield and Nelson intentionally let it drop to try and get two outs
and somehow, they ended up with three
seattlebruin - August 3, 2009
With that many on base, you can't just intentionally let it drop.
Unless the umps decided against calling the infield fly for some reason.
marc w - August 3, 2009
If the ball does not go above the fielders head you do not call the infield fly.
I think this was hit right at Nelson but very softly. The runners held giving him the opportunity to knock it down and go to 2nd base.
Sec 108 - August 3, 2009
I'm pretty sure umps can't call the infield fly rule on a bunt.
I swear I read that in Watching Baseball Smarter, but I may be wrong.
yuniform - August 3, 2009
This is indeed correct. If you pop up a bunt, there's no infield fly rule.
joof - August 3, 2009
And it wouldn't really matter; it wouldn't have to be an 'intentional' drop...
a bunt in the air will make the runners hold, even if it’d be a tough catch, right?
(I’d think a bunt pop-up would go above fielders’ heads, but I guess Nellie was pretty damn tall…)
marc w - August 3, 2009
Vizquel
This seems like one of those cases where people don’t do it solely because they’d get crucified if they screw it up somehow. You forfeit a guaranteed (not really, but whatever) out in exchange for a high probability chance that you’ll have a slower runner on 1st with 1 out. The risk is really tough to quantify (what if it hits a rock, or has more spin than the fielder expected, etc.), and it actually may NOT be the smart play. I mean, what really IS the difference in run expectancy with Ichiro on 1st, one out versus Loafie on 1st, one out?
Still, it seems to me that on a major league field, the risk is acceptably low and the reward is, while small, real. But every SS knows that if it does kick away and they get runners on 1st and 2nd, he’ll be lambasted as a lazy player (he had a sure out and he didn’t take it!), a show-off and a guy who hurts his team by overthinking routine plays. Vizquel (like Alomar before) has reached a point where nobody could possibly say anything bad about him as a fielder, so he’s free to do whatever he wants.
What I want to see is a situation with runners on 1st/2nd (or bases loaded) and the batter hits a line drive right at a fielder. The fielder drops it and then turns two. Yes, technically, the ump may call the play dead or retroactively call infield fly (though I don’t know that this would actually happen). In that case, you’re not harmed. If the ump isn’t paying attention or believes that he CAN’T call IFF in that situation, you’ve got two easy outs.
marc w - August 3, 2009
The umpire should call a dead ball on a line drive that hits the glove and is "dropped".
d0nkey - August 3, 2009
They've done that before.
I remember Mike Lowell tried doing that on a liner hit right at him with first and second and they called him out on it. I think that was 2 years ago? Something like that.
Jack Moore - August 3, 2009
Again though, the downside risk is zero, and if you get an umpire who doesn't quickly grasp what's happening on a quick play....
marc w - August 3, 2009
Its kind of weird how Omar did that because
My friend and I were discussing what would happen, or could possibly happen, with bases loaded on an infield fly and such.
Pessimistic Optimist - August 3, 2009
Upon further review
I’m no longer so certain about those fastball and changeup counts, because something happened to Snell’s velocity after the third inning. But the overall message remains the same.
Jeff Sullivan - August 3, 2009
Forearm tightening up because of the line-drive that hit it last month?
Decatur - August 3, 2009
Don't know, not worried
Jeff Sullivan - August 3, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.