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Feliz's 9th inning single

Frayed Knot Jul 08 2008 07:29 AM

- Bruntlett shouldn't have run - Beltran shouldn't have thrown it - Reyes should have cut it - Wright should have knocked it down instead of attempting a swipe-tag - and Wagner should have backed up 3rd ... other than those minor details it was a good play all around.

Centerfield Jul 08 2008 07:32 AM

And Wagner shouldn't have given him such a good pitch on 0 and 2.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 08 2008 07:36 AM

Beltran in the papers today refused to admit it was a bad play. He was CAHNfident Bruntlett was out had Wright made the catch (which he could've were he not squatting like Duffy Dyer). Mostly though I blame Wagner because I hate him

AG/DC Jul 08 2008 07:45 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 08 2008 07:57 AM

I thought Wags was back there but didn't get to the ball because Wright deflected it. I just checked the play, and I was absolutely wrong. Wags was three or four steps from the mound and deserves severe fining.

Frayed Knot Jul 08 2008 07:53 AM

I wonder about Beltran's baseball IQ sometimes. At times he seems like a reasonalbly smart guy and certainly didicated to baseball and all that. But then he'll come up with the occasional air-mailed throws over the cut-off man, inappropriately-timed bunts, or overly deep shading in the OF, and then combine those with an inability to ever say anything other than; 'That's part of my game' - and it makes it seem like he either doesn't know the difference or is just overly reluctant to admit it when he screwed up.

AG/DC Jul 08 2008 07:59 AM

I wonder how trashed Bruntlett would have been this morning. That was the dumber move, to me. Well, Wagner standing around is the dumbest, but that was dumber than Beltran throwing.

Centerfield Jul 08 2008 08:05 AM

I think Beltran was right to throw the ball. He absolutely had a shot to get him at third, and as long as he doesn't miss the cut-off man (which I don't think he did) then trail runner doesn't move up to second. If the runner took off during the throw, Reyes could have cut it off and thrown him out easily at second. Because he didn't go (at least I think he didn't go), Reyes let it go. If Wright catches it, or Wags backs it up, the runner doesn't advance. (If the trail runner did break on the throw, then Reyes should have cut it off and taken the easy out at second.)

Fman99 Jul 08 2008 10:03 AM

Frayed Knot wrote: I wonder about Beltran's baseball IQ sometimes. I think he's letting his giant ear-mole do the thinking for him. But what does a mole think? "Geez, you'd think I'd have been lopped off by now."

soupcan Jul 08 2008 10:21 AM

The mole's name is Enrique by the way.

HahnSolo Jul 08 2008 10:26 AM

AG/DC wrote: Well, Wagner standing around is the dumbest, but that was dumber than Beltran throwing. Really, though, why whould Wagner think to back up third? The throw never should have gone there. It should have gone right to second, then none of this discussion occurs.

AG/DC Jul 08 2008 10:34 AM

Gotta disagree. Backing up is the first thing you do with men on base. You run toward the third-base dugout, turn, and then figure out where the throw is going.

AG/DC Jul 08 2008 07:00 PM

They just showed footage of Manuel addressing his troops, specifically regarding their mental errors in the second half of last night's game. It's probably nothing, but Reyes was looking in every direction but at Manuel.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 08 2008 07:08 PM

He's probably just a fidget.

Elster88 Jul 09 2008 05:53 AM

Lemme get this straight. On a seeing eye single with runners on first and second, Wagner is supposed to back up THIRD? Shouldn't he be backing up home? Either way he screwed up but he's not responsible for the throw getting by Wright. And the only reason Young David shoulda knocked it down was to keep the trail runner from going to second, which according to the broadcast team had already happened. If the guy's gonna get second, the only thing you knock the ball down for is to keep the (unimportant) run from scoring. And Beltran had that guy by a mile if he throws it straight. The exciting NL East standings is bringing out my inner homer.

AG/DC Jul 09 2008 07:22 AM

Wagner's job is to head between third and home and then see where the play is going to and back up accordingly. If Wright was watching where the runner was between first and second, he certainly wasn't doing his job, but if you watch this clip ( http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200807073088609 ), you see Feliz only gets to second a half a step before Bruntlett scores. (And Bruntlett had to get back up after sliding.) There's no mile also between the arrival of Beltran's throw and Bruntlett's arrival at third. The throw would have had to have been* right on the bag (or much harder) to catch Bruntlett. * What tense is "would have had to have been"? Conditional past perfect imperative?

batmagadanleadoff Jul 09 2008 08:31 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 13 2008 07:59 PM

According to my copy of Yogi Berra's Baseball Guidebook - Basic Plays and Playing Techniques for Boys (Featuring Yogi in a MFY uniform on the cover even though the book was published in 1966: - Yogi is pictured as a Met on the back cover though, with this caption: "Seen in this picture is Yogi and his youngest son and Junior Met, Dale, 9. Yogi's two older sons, Larry Jr. 16, and Timmy, 14, are good ball players too". Dale is in one of those period correct Little League style faux Mets uniforms that all the players' kids wore to Family Day at Shea in those days what with there being no Authentics or authentic looking uniforms available in 1966 that would fit a little kid). Anyway, Yogi said this in the Pitcher's section about backing up third: ="Yogi"]BACKING UP THIRD With runners on base, a hit to the outfield sets everybody in motion. This includes the pitcher. On a long hit to rightfield, the runner on first may try to reach third. The pitcher has to hustle over into foul ground behind third base, to back up the third baseman in the event of a bad throw from the outfield. Being there in the right place can mean the difference between a run scoring or the base runner staying put on third. In the event of a bad throw to third base, which the pitcher fields, it is possible that the base runner on first may try to run to second. The pitcher must be alert to make the play. Inconclusive or what? Should a pitcher back up third only when the hit is to rightfield? When the hit is a long hit? Did Yogi really write all that? Did Yogi ever even read this book? Here's a mid-60's printing of a 50's Yogi book by Joe Trimble. The cover went from MFYish to Metly after the (pre) Amazins acquired the HOF bound catcher:

soupcan Jul 09 2008 08:46 AM

"Forward by CASEY STENGEL" I can only imagine... "Well, Yogi's a good ballplayer and knows what it takes to be a good ballplayer and I know Yogi and he knows that being a good ballplayer is good and the book here is a book that tells you that Yogi knows how to be a good ballplayer..."

Benjamin Grimm Jul 09 2008 09:45 AM

I'll bet Casey used the word "splendid" at least a few times.

batmagadanleadoff Jul 09 2008 11:10 AM

I'm back from a search and destroy mission where I almost destroyed one of my toes finding my Yogi Berra by Joe Trimble book (1965 Revised Edition, Metly Hardcover). There are no splendids to report in Casey's foreword, but there is this ironic pot calling kettlish quote: ="Casey Stengel"]Some people maybe thought he was a clown but Berra earned the respect of his teammates and his rivals in the American League. The book itself, at 224 pages, is almost entirely a Berra as Yankee read, with a brief final two page chapter covering Met Yogi added for the '65 edition.

Frayed Knot Jul 09 2008 12:19 PM

No matter which play should have been made, years of baseball watching have confirmed to me that since baserunners virtually NEVER run towards the mound that was the one place Billy-boy should NOT have been when Beltran let that throw loose.