And it was offsides.

I don't buy the crap about the umpire intentionally calling it wrong on purpose. And... If you foul it off, he is irrelevant. If you don't, he calls what he sees. There's no arguing the fact that your only way to influence that is to foul it off. And I am not assuming anything. Just stating a fact.

I see lots of bad calls. There are probably over 500 judgment calls in each basrball game at any level.

Let's lose the butt hurt and focus on the next game. .

How in anyone's right mind is a group of people being blatantly wrong multiple times "beautiful"?

Also, the umpire had shown in the pitch before that under his interpretation of the strike zone, that pitch was outside. So Hinsley was going off the umpire's interpretation, and then the interpretation changed.

And THAT is what makes this game beautiful?

There are many things that make baseball beautiful. Being wrong, heavily influencing the game, and everyone having to live with it is not one of them.

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No matter what level it is, baseball has nothing to do with whining about the umpires. They do the best they can. I didn't see the game cause I was coaching 11U baseball myself this evening. But, one thing that amazes me is that folks at all ages and levels think their opinion of where the strike zone should be, matters.
I got news for ya....unless you wear the black mask and chest protector that night behind home, your opinion isn't worth a crap. Almost all umps have their own known interpretation of the strike zone. The team that can usually figure out where it is sloppy, and capitalize on it, can sometimes make that the difference in a tight game. Control what you can control, in baseball. And it is not the umps. Get RISP and get timely hits. Work ahead in the counts and play solid defense on the ones that come to ya. Don't watch anything close with 2 strikes. I don't care who you are and what field you play on. If someone beats ya, don't whine about the umps. Tip your hat, tell em good game, and get up the next day and beat them back.

It's the greatest game there is, for a reason. If you don't like it, go back to football where a catch is not really a catch. Or the NBA or Soccer where the floppers are. That's some real sportsmanship! LOL

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One of the best posts I have read in a bit. Thank you!

It's a good post other than it somehow equates fans whining to players whining. Misinformed fans can whine all they want. Commentators and other talking heads can watch slow-motion replays and question calls. Flattop wearing forehead oil dripping color guys can disagree with conclusive video evidence. None of that matters as the players can say good job ump.

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You keep saying two strikes but not 3 balls and bases loaded.

You dont have to give into the pitcher there, he has to give into you.

Right decision.
Terrible call.

Youre saying a guy shoulnt have left it up o the umpire in a total hindsight little league way.

It was a ball. That is a go ahead rbi. Got robbed.

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What? Neither the pitcher nor the hitter has to give into the other. Its a ball, or its a strike- its not a tie goes to the hitter (runner) situation.

Both sides simply have to weigh the situation and take on some kind of risk. A pitcher can take a chance and throw one on the edge or off the plate, and hope for a strike out but maybe walk in a run, or he can try to pitch to contact and hope his defense makes a play. A hitter can take a chance, and maybe get run up, or he can swing and hope to foul it off or find a hole in the defense.

I don't think anyone is saying you have to "give in" to the pitcher, they're just saying you take a lot of risk that may not be worth it when you don't swing at a close pitch with 2 strikes.

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How in anyone's right mind is a group of people being blatantly wrong multiple times "beautiful"?

Also, the umpire had shown in the pitch before that under his interpretation of the strike zone, that pitch was outside. So Hinsley was going off the umpire's interpretation, and then the interpretation changed.

And THAT is what makes this game beautiful?

There are many things that make baseball beautiful. Being wrong, heavily influencing the game, and everyone having to live with it is not one of them.

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I definitely agree the subjectivity of it is not what makes baseball "beautiful".

As far as the bolded part, maybe the umpire saw the first pitch wrong. Or he just saw the second pitch wrong.

It doesn't establish he "changed his interpretation", it just establishes he saw one of the pitches wrong.

The angle makes it impossible to tell if either was a strike for sure.

First pitch was called a ball because the catcher did a horrible job of framing the pitch. He stabbed at it making it appear further outside than it was. It was probably pretty close given where the batter was standing before the pitch.

With the second pitch the catcher also did a bad job framing the pitch. Hope he is a good hitter because he ain't helping his pitcher. Now was it a ball or strike?...

Well the angle makes it difficult to tell and there is also no way of knowing whether the catcher is in the same position as before. Catchers will move their feet and body a few inches every pitch to better frame an inside or outside pitch. It looks like the catcher stayed pretty consistent in his positioning, within an inch between the first and second pitches.

The batter usually stays pretty consistent in his distance from the plate. It is tough to tell here since the batter dove in a little on the ball but assuming the batter lined up in the same position, that second pitch is closer to the plate than the first by a couple inches.

Sorry guys, but unless that first pitch was a long way off the plate, that second was too close to take. And I am guessing that the reason the batter dove on the ball was because he knew he was fooled and he was trying to buy a walk.

Looks to me like the catcher cost the pitcher the first call with horrible framing and the batter cost himself the walk by acting. Umps HATE that and will always ring you up on a close one.

Those saying the two pitches are i the exact same spot are homers. They aren't.

I looked a couple times more and the catcher clearly moved a few inches over for the second pitch. Look at the letters behind him, the catcher moved over and even if he caught it in the same spot compared to his body, he wasn't lined up in the same spot. Second pitch was a couple inches over from the first, without a doubt.

Everyone saying he should have protected the plate are the same ones that would have been ripping him for swinging at ball four had he struck out. Plain and simple, he got hosed!!

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Everyone saying he should have protected the plate are the same ones that would have been ripping him for swinging at ball four had he struck out. Plain and simple, he got hosed!!

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I guess the lesson is don't strike out.


Seriously, though, I'm not sure your assumption is correct. Personally, nothing drives me more crazy than a player watching strike three with your bat on their shoulder.

I appreciate guys that can draw walks, but part of that skill is being able to foul off close pitches with two strikes.

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Everyone saying he should have protected the plate are the same ones that would have been ripping him for swinging at ball four had he struck out. Plain and simple, he got hosed!!

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I guess the lesson is don't strike out.


Seriously, though, I'm not sure your assumption is correct. Personally, nothing drives me more crazy than a player watching strike three with your bat on their shoulder.

I appreciate guys that can draw walks, but part of that skill is being able to foul off close pitches with two strikes.

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But he didn't watch strike 3. He watched ball four. Watch the umpires enthusiasm on calling him out see that he did everything he was supposed to that at bat. The umpire blew the call and the game.

There were some terrible calls in game 1.. No denying the video evidence.

I have come to expect it out of LSU though. Similar to when we play the sips in anything.

you don't bail him out on a ball by trying to 'protect the plate'.

the odds do not favor swinging at that pitch.
Batting Averages are significantly lower than 50%,
In 2 strike situations, they average below the Mendoza line.
They lower considerably again on pitches outside the zone. Especially with an arm angle like that corn dog had. This is why pitchers like to pitch away so much...

catchers perspective.



a in-depth nerd look at this situation here: Patience is a virtue (even on a 3-2 count)
'Fighting off pitches' is a ridiculous suggestion. You're trying to hit the ball, not foul it off.

I think the umpire was more influenced by the bases being loaded as he probably did not want to be the cause for either team to win by a base on balls score. If the bases were not full it would have come closer to being called a ball but the pitch was close enough for the umpire to make the strike call.