Doesn’t Matter Who Wins the K Race; We’re All the Same

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Baseball query. Read this. I don't get it. What were the Sox doing wrong? Swinging at the first pitch in the late innings against a tired pitcher who you think will be throwing strikes? The writer seem to think the Sox were intentionally making non-K outs, but that's loopy.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Baseball query. Read this. I don't get it. What were the Sox doing wrong? Swinging at the first pitch in the late innings against a tired pitcher who you think will be throwing strikes? The writer seem to think the Sox were intentionally making non-K outs, but that's loopy.

i can’t imagine why any Red Sox would care. It’s not like he’s beat out a Sox pitcher for top SO, just an individual feat.

Different if it was a race for top numbers. When Cabrera was chasing the Triple Crown the only thing in doubt on the last day was HRs. Granderson was in second maybe 1 back. The Yankees pulled him before his last at bat; class act.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

i can’t imagine why any Red Sox would care. It’s not like he’s beat out a Sox pitcher for top SO, just an individual feat.

Well, no one likes to strike out, and players can get kinda cranky towards the end of a season when they're underperforming. So if you start to think that the other team is trying to strike you out instead of winning the game, I can see getting annoyed.

Not saying they should be annoyed -- I just don't even understand why Deadspin thinks the Sox were doing something wrong. Because batters were swinging at the first pitch? Really?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Well, no one likes to strike out, and players can get kinda cranky towards the end of a season when they're underperforming. So if you start to think that the other team is trying to strike you out instead of winning the game, I can see getting annoyed.

Not saying they should be annoyed -- I just don't even understand why Deadspin thinks the Sox were doing something wrong. Because batters were swinging at the first pitch? Really?

It may be the pitcher has money on the line, too. That 200 K number could affect a bonus, or it may just be perceived to give him more negotiating leverage.

The don't-swing-at-the-first-pitch is Red Sox religion, and it's odd to see it broken by more than one player (certainly, not everyone has Wade Bogg's discipline, and they never have). But I'm not sure why they'd care, unless the guy did something like pitched at one of them.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Well, no one likes to strike out, and players can get kinda cranky towards the end of a season when they're underperforming. So if you start to think that the other team is trying to strike you out instead of winning the game, I can see getting annoyed.

Not saying they should be annoyed -- I just don't even understand why Deadspin thinks the Sox were doing something wrong. Because batters were swinging at the first pitch? Really?

The Sox did nothing wrong, just showed no class. Like I mentioned the Yankees showed. Or in 1968 Mickey Mantle is at bat for the final time in his career. Denny McClain is pitching- 31 game winner that year, Mick knows he has no chance. But Denny groves a big pitch straight down the middle. Mick takes it for strike 1. Looks at Denny, who nods and gives the exact same pitch. Last HR of Mick’s career.

Tigers and Yankees classy. Red Sox?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

The Sox did nothing wrong, just showed no class. Like I mentioned the Yankees showed. Or in 1968 Mickey Mantle is at bat for the final time in his career. Denny McClain is pitching- 31 game winner that year, Mick knows he has no chance. But Denny groves a big pitch straight down the middle. Mick takes it for strike 1. Looks at Denny, who nods and gives the exact same pitch. Last HR of Mick’s career.

Tigers and Yankees classy. Red Sox?

bucky fing dent

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

The Sox did nothing wrong, just showed no class.

By swinging at the first pitch? Seriously? When you've got a tired pitcher who wants to throw strikes, of course you're going to swing.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

By swinging at the first pitch? Seriously? When you've got a tired pitcher who wants to throw strikes, of course you're going to swing.

Have you ever actually played a sport? If you take the first pitch, what is that tired pitcher going to be on the next pitch? That’s right; more tired. You guys swinging gave him 3 pitch innings.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Have you ever actually played a sport? If you take the first pitch, what is that tired pitcher going to be on the next pitch? That’s right; more tired. You guys swinging gave him 3 pitch innings.

This exchange would be more useful if you knew something about baseball. Thanks for trying to answer my question.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Have you ever actually played a sport? If you take the first pitch, what is that tired pitcher going to be on the next pitch? That’s right; more tired. You guys swinging gave him 3 pitch innings.

I am confused by this entire conversation. If you see a guy going for a strikeout goal, you know he's coming with a fastball. Fuck your stupid goal. I want a hit. Why shouldn't I take advantage of your stupidity? This "play the right way" bullshit, which amounts to "give me a strike so I can reach my goal" is ridiculous. This huge "book" of unwritten rules is stupid. If you can strike me out, I will shake your hand. If you can only do it if I give you the first pitch for free, you can't fucking do it, so shut up.

TM

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

By swinging at the first pitch? Seriously? When you've got a tired pitcher who wants to throw strikes, of course you're going to swing.

The writer seemed to be suggesting that they weren’t swinging at good pitches, thus the weakly balls, and using “contact swings”. Didn’t see it but can imagine preferring a ball in play to deny a strikeout.

[Icky Thump]

Originally Posted by Adder

The writer seemed to be suggesting that they weren’t swinging at good pitches, thus the weakly balls, and using “contact swings”. Didn’t see it but can imagine preferring a ball in play to deny a strikeout.

The writer is a loser idiot who never watched a game where deGrom, Verlander, Cole or some other great pitched.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Baseball query. Read this. I don't get it. What were the Sox doing wrong? Swinging at the first pitch in the late innings against a tired pitcher who you think will be throwing strikes? The writer seem to think the Sox were intentionally making non-K outs, but that's loopy.

This is the dumbest shit I've ever read. You want 200 Ks, but you're upset because people are swinging and making contact? Wtf? If they make contact such that you can't strike them out, you didn't strike them out. Imagine Pedro or Johnson or Ryan or Verlander or Clem[...er, nevermind on that last one] reacting like this. What a joke.

TM

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

This is the dumbest shit I've ever read.

TM

Don’t you really keep having your standards exceeded or are you prone to hyperbole?

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Don’t you really keep having your standards exceeded or are you prone to hyperbole?

Sorry. Let me revise. On the list of dumbest shit I've ever read, that is now second.

TM