MLB Off-Topic 2013

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

Dallas Braden retires.

There just somehow must be some link between him and A-Rod here...

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

So Kershaw is on the brink of the richest deal in MLB history or at the very least biggest deal of any pitcher in history.

Honestly, I would not give that kind of crazy money to a pitcher. I mean, they could very easily blow out their arm and never be the same again.

[kehlis]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

Dallas Braden retires.

There just somehow must be some link between him and A-Rod here...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wLKNUuQwFAA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

Instant replay approved unanimously. Thank God.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

Are there any articles highlighting how it's going to be implemented? Or are they just expanding the current system to cover more situations?

EDIT: Nevermind, I've seen some now. They took a page out of the NHL's book, which is very good. Much more streamlined and consistent. The NFL needs to adopt this as well.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=66737984&partnerId=as_mlb_20140116_17156534&vkey=pr_mlb&ymd=20140116

I feel like the Kermit the Frog GIF.

[areobee401]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

That sounds much better than what was being discussed at first.

[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

I've heard Griffey was pretty lazy when it came to conditioning and such. (This comes from Lou Piniella (sp?)) So it wouldn't be completely out of the realm of possibility that Junior may have at least dabbled in it.

I've spoken to a former teammate of Griffey, Mark Wooden, and he said as far as he knew and witnessed, Griffey was 100% natural.

He said the guy was The Natural. He wouldn't touch a weight and barely did any off-season work and yet he'd come into camp and the first time in the batting cage he'd say "I'm going to bang one out" and would on the first pitch.

He said the game was truly effortless to him. And judging by his body, I don't think he spent much time in the weight room, haha.

I'd be shocked if anything came out against Griffey.

But I echo the sentiment that baseball is rotten with cheaters. And not just baseball but all sports.
I'm a hockey fan as well and I find it very suspicious that players such as Erik Karlsson (Achilles tendon slashed) and Steven Stamkos (broken fibula) were/are able to return after a very short while. Especially when the history of identical injuries suggests months of rehab, not weeks.

Or look at Ray Lewis. That same injury meant a full season of rehab and recovery, yet he came back after 6 weeks. Okay.

I think that's why guys like Griffey are considered so special. If he truly is clean, then what he was able to accomplish on a ball diamond is amazing.

[ubernoob]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

I hate the fact that people who take steroids get labeled a cheater.

They don't make you better at baseball. This isn't a Mr. Olympia where the best body wins.

Label them a felon, perhaps, due to the legality of it but you can take extra protein, testosterone and a boatload of supplements and not be labeled a cheater. Same damn thing.

[Steven78]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

Major League Baseball announced Thursday that expanded instant replay had been approved for the 2014 season by owners, players and umpires.
Here are the complete details of the new system:

Managers will have at least one challenge to use. If any portion of a challenged play is overturned, then the manager who challenged the play will retain the ability to challenge one more play during the game. No manager may challenge more than two plays in a game. Once the manager has exhausted his ability to challenge plays during the game and after the beginning of the seventh inning, the Crew Chief may choose to invoke instant replay on any reviewable call. Home run and other boundary calls will remain reviewable under the procedures in place last season.

A designated communication location near home plate will be established at all 30 MLB ballparks. There, the Crew Chief and at least one other Major League Umpire will have access to a hard-wired headset connected to the Replay Command Center, which will remain at MLB Advanced Media headquarters in New York. Major League Umpires will be staffed as Replay Officials at the Replay Command Center. After viewing video feeds, the Replay Official will make the ultimate determination of whether to overturn the call, based on the continuing standard of whether there is clear and convincing evidence.

Instant replay will be utilized during some televised games in Spring Training for the purposes of educating on-field personnel on the rules of the new system.

Other protocols of the new system for instant replay are as follows:

PLAY TYPES

The following play types will be subject to review:

Home run
Ground rule double
Fan interference
Stadium boundary calls (e.g., fielder into stands, ball into stands triggering dead ball)
Force play (except the fielder's touching of second base on a double play)
Tag play (including steals and pickoffs)
Fair/foul in outfield only
Trap play in outfield only
Batter hit by pitch
Timing play (whether a runner scores before a third out)
Touching a base (requires appeal)
Passing runners
Record keeping (Ball-strike count to a batter, outs, score, and substitutions)
All other plays will not be reviewable; however, the Umpires may still convene on the field at any time to discuss the play.

INITIATION OF INSTANT REPLAY

Field managers may initiate replay review on one reviewable play per game by verbally indicating his intention to challenge, in a timely manner, to the Crew Chief. Guidelines will be established to determine whether a challenge is timely.
The manager may request that the umpire review multiple portions of the same play, but he must specify exactly which portions of the play he is challenging.
If any portion of a challenged play is overturned, the manager who challenged the play will retain the ability to challenge one more play during the game. No manager may challenge more than two plays in a game.
Once the manager has exhausted his ability to challenge plays during the game and after the beginning of the seventh inning, the Crew Chief may choose to invoke instant replay on any reviewable call. In that circumstance, the Crew Chief is not obligated to invoke instant replay if requested by the manager.
Home run calls that are currently subject to instant replay review will continue to be reviewed at the Crew Chief's discretion. Managers may request that an Umpire review a home run call, but managers cannot challenge home run calls.

REVIEW PROCESS

Once instant replay review is invoked (either by the Manager or the Crew Chief), the Crew Chief will signal to the official scorer that the play is under review.
The Crew Chief and at least one other umpire will then move to a designated communication location near home plate, where they will have access to a hard-wired headset connected to the Replay Command Center in New York.
Major League Umpires will be staffed as Replay Officials at the Replay Command Center, located at MLB Advanced Media headquarters, for all Major League games.
The Replay Command Center will have direct access to video from most cameras in the ballpark in real-time, regardless of whether they are shown on the live broadcast.
The Replay Official will look at the video feeds and determine if there is clear and convincing evidence to overturn the call on the field. If the Replay Official overturns a call on the field, he will also use his judgment to determine where to appropriately place runners if the play had been called correctly on the field.
The umpires on the field will not have a monitor to review the play and they will not leave the field at any time.
The Replay Official will make the ultimate determination of whether to overturn the call.
On-Field personnel may not argue with the decision of the Replay Official.

CLUB ACCESS TO VIDEO

To determine whether to challenge a play, personnel in the dugout will be permitted to communicate with a video specialist in the Clubhouse who has access to the same video that is available to Replay Officials. This communication will occur via the dugout phone.
Both the home and visiting Clubs will have standardized technology to ensure each Club has equal access to all video.
No monitors or additional electronic equipment will be permitted in the dugout.

SCOREBOARD REPLAYS

Clubs will now have the right to show replays of all close plays on its ballpark scoreboard, regardless of whether the play is reviewed.
"I am very pleased that instant replay will expand to include additional impactful plays," said Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. "The new system will give managers valuable recourse in potentially game-changing situations. The opportunity for our fans to see more replays in our ballparks is also an important modification that the Clubs and I favored.

"I thank the Major League Players and Umpires for their cooperation with this change, which will serve our shared game well. I also extend my gratitude to John Schuerholz, Joe Torre, Tony La Russa, Peter Woodfork and Chris Marinak, all of whom worked extremely hard to make this highly complicated task a reality."

Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/newswatch/24...#ixzz2qbW6eIls
Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter

[kehlis]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...b&ymd=20140116



I feel like the Kermit the Frog GIF.

I knew it was inevitable, I still don't like replay but I seem to be in the minority on it but I AM glad they listened to what the fans, players and owners seemed to want.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

Apparently Tanaka has added Chicago to his ideal destinations, and the Cubs are "major players". Someone said they'd "be surprised if [the Cubs] don't get him".

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

That'd be awesome if the Cubs got him, because I'm sick of hearing about this mascot and all the dumb jokes about it.

[dickey1331]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

I hate the fact that people who take steroids get labeled a cheater.

They don't make you better at baseball. This isn't a Mr. Olympia where the best body wins.

Label them a felon, perhaps, due to the legality of it but you can take extra protein, testosterone and a boatload of supplements and not be labeled a cheater. Same damn thing.

I disagree. Heres an article that helps explain some things

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-rod-steroids-better-athlete

[ubernoob]

Re: MLB Off-Topic 2013

I disagree. Heres an article that helps explain some things

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...better-athlete

That article just reinforced my view even further.

You have an admitted steroid user saying he'd take the supplements available legally today over taking steroids.

All steroids do is make it easier to use more protein, promotes muscle growth/recovery by allowing you to work out longer and has the effect of making it easier/more likely to convert into muscle instead of fat - plus all the negative side effects.

Steroids have been around since the 1930s - and they were legal. I highly doubt throughout history and the periods everyone who want there looks back so fondly on, even though they weren't there, there weren't players juicing. Maybe not abusing them like today, since it was legal and accepted, but juicing nonetheless.