IdahoBert

It’s almost as if a robot that doesn’t give a damn about the excitement of divisional races created the schedule. Almost…

9 of the Tigers last 24 games - all in September - are against National League opponents

I was listening to this game driving up to the mountains in Central Idaho for the day and just when the Tigers had a 3–2 lead in the eighth I thought OMG they’ll bring Kenley out! Then I drove into a kind of ravine where there was no cell phone signal, and when the signal finally came back, it was the last pitch for Finnegan. So I missed two runs being scored in the top of the ninth and all of Finnegan but for the last pitch, and the joy of no Kenley, but dammit it was sweet.

I’m driving up to Donnelly Idaho to open up my friends’s place in the mountains to make sure the winter didn’t destroy anything there. I’m kind of glad that I’ll run out of cell phone towers making radio coverage of the game, impossible so I’ll be forced to contemplate the scenery up there instead. Of course if something good happens I’ll miss it and I hope something good does happen.

I’m having a bad feeling about this game. Riley strikes out runners on second and third.

Apparently, Camden Yards has the most home run robberies while Wrigley Field has had none.

The MLB app on my phone keeps excitedly broadcasting news about another dramatic “Home Run robbery!” My natural suspicions aroused I decided to “ask the Internet” and this is what I found. 1. Declining Fence Heights and Distances. Modern ballparks have trended toward shorter and more uniform fence heights, making robberies physically possible for more outfielders. Direct Impacts: Specific renovations have directly led to more robberies. For example, lowering the center field fence at Rogers Centre (10 to 8 feet) and Comerica Park (8.5 to 7 feet) immediately resulted in several successful "thefts" that would have been impossible with the old dimensions. Average Heights: The average wall height in center field is now 8.4 feet, making it the primary zone for robberies. In contrast, stadiums with higher walls, like Wrigley Field (up to 16 feet), are often "dead zones" where robberies almost never occur. 2. Increase in Fly Balls and "Wall Action" The "launch angle revolution" has resulted in more balls being hit in the air with enough distance to clear the fence, increasing the opportunity for a catch at the wall. Frequency: In the decade from 2005-2014, robberies occurred roughly once every 60 games; by 2019, that frequency increased to once every 29 games. 3. Advanced Defensive Positioning Teams now use Statcast data and analytics to position outfielders more effectively. Deeper Positioning: Outfielders are often positioned deeper than in previous eras (sometimes 5-9 feet deeper on average), which actually shortens the distance they must run to reach the wall in time for a jump. Training and Technology: Players receive detailed reports on their jump times, routes, and catch probabilities, allowing them to refine the "science and art" of tracking both the ball and the wall simultaneously.

The thing that gets me is that if you wanted to get good relief pitchers, they might like the idea of playing half of their games in what is generally considered - rightly or wrongly - a pitcher’s ballpark. But that just doesn’t seem to happen. Maybe there just aren’t that many good relief pitchers and they’re mercurial and flame out anyway. After all, almost relief pitchers are just failed starters. (and Jansen, cruelly, is the exception of the rule). I just wish there was a real way we could buy our way out of this situation.

He’s not going away. They’re gonna do this all year until it’s obvious to everybody that it’s unworkable.

BOOOOOOOOOOO

I hate baseball…

Bottom of the ninth one run lead, razor thin…

Boy Perez wastes no time one pitch and out

Do something Tork