GOD, I LOVE BASEBALL!!

[bertha katzenengel]

http://anaheim.angels.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20050606&content_id=1078577&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana

Darin Erstad:

"I came around third and I looked back. I saw the relay guy had the ball and you just get to that point where you have to make a play," said Erstad, a former college football player at the University of Nebraska. "Being the go-ahead run late in the game, I made a decision to score the run. That's great and all, but I just hope {Estrada's} OK."

video clip available at link

[HopeReasonTruth]

1. The Great Game

Erstad plays the game the way its meant to be played!

Are the Angels your team? It looks as if they and my Texas Rangers (I ignore whom the former minority partner was) will have quite the battle for the AL West this season. Much fun!

[bertha katzenengel]

4. Yep, I'm a Halos fan. The Rangers look great --

it's going to be a great season for us. :7

[Patiod]

21. It's been fun beating the Rangers in interleague play

especially because of who their former minority partner was.

Went to see them last night in Philadelphia.

[TomInTib]

2. That's not baseball

That's a mugging. Erstad made no play for the plate, only at Estrada's head.
If I played short for the Braves (who, by the way, I cannot stand) the next time good ol' Darin rounded 2nd he would be looking for his kneecaps.
I love baseball, too. But the plate is at ground level.
If you love this, you must have really loved A-Rods baserunning in the Series. That stunt had the same amount of class as this one except no one got hurt.

[bertha katzenengel]

3. It's the way the game is played, Tom.

:shrug:

[bertha katzenengel]

5. answering your edit

Rodriguez was a wimp and took a coward's move in slapping that ball away.

There's probably at least one home-plate collision every single day in MLB. At least one. It is part of the game.

If the league finds that Erstad was malicious, they'll fine or suspend him. Other than that, you and I just have a difference of opinion.

[atre]

19. You must not watch much baseball

There is no way that there is a home plate collision every day. At most, there are about a dozen in a season. And even those involve baserunners who aim for the ball, not for the catcher's helmet.

[bertha katzenengel]

20. No. I don't watch much baseball.

Who has time? But I'm a player and a lifelong fan of the pros. Collisions at the plate are common.

BTW watch the replay again. He didn't go for the head.

[kick-ass-bob]

10. The runner made a play that hundreds or thousands have before him.

It's just that the guy's head was in the way of the intended target (see my post below for more explanation).

[HopeReasonTruth]

16. Play it Hard

Sorry man. I saw that as hard play. I truly doubt Erstad had any mind to intentionally harm anybody. He was just playing balls-out.

[trotsky]

6. That would have drawn a flag in the NFL.

Slamming into a guy's arm or body to get him to drop the ball, I can see. But he went right for the guy's HEAD. That is stupid and dangerous and should not be glorified.

[kick-ass-bob]

8. Sorry - he didn't "go for his head"

I have no attachment to either side, and looking at the replay the runner would have been going for his body if the catcher wasn't down so low - there was no way the runner could get to the body - even though that is where he was aiming. He got as low as he could.

Just a bad accident.

[Ekirh]

12. As a Braves fan...

I have nothing against how that went down. It was just how the play happen.. how the game is played. Sucked that Estrada did get hurt though... last thing we Braves need... is more damn injuries. In any case.... colisions can and will happen at home plate... and at times there are injuries and consequences of it. . .

[bertha katzenengel]

14. I'm glorifying nothing.

See other comments. They've answered better than I could. :hi:

[SteppingRazor]

7. Um... then don't you really love football, not baseball?

Football. Now there's a great game. You get to see stuff like this every single play, not a dozen times in a season. And when it happens, it's expected, not criticized. Baseball's just a couple steps quicker than golf.

Not that I don't still root, root, root for the home team, but gimme a football game over baseball any day. Oh, how long, Lord? How long must we wait until the season is upon us once again?

[bertha katzenengel]

9. Um, nope. This is baseball.

:hi:

[kick-ass-bob]

11. .

:nopity:

[MaineDem]

13. Now rugby! That's the sport!

Faster than football and no pads or helmets!

I love baseball but rugby's a good second.

Apologies to Berta for hijacking her thread. Sorry. :)

[bertha katzenengel]

15. hijack away!

I love the bumper sticker that reads "give blood - play rugby." I'd probably watch it on TV if I had someone to watch it with who could explain it to me. :hi:

[Patiod]

22. Hey marylandcatlady, 'splain somethin for me

You seem to know what you're talking about re: baseball.

I've been going to Phillies games for 40+ years, but I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer sometimes about sports.

Last night, the home plate umpire got hit by a foul ball.

The dad behind me explained to his two little girls (cute kids wearing full baseball attire) that when the ump is hit by a foul ball, the catcher, as a courtesy, will usually walk out to the mound to "talk to" the pitcher, allowing the ump time to get himself together, and not forcing the ump to "look like a bad guy" (?). Once the ump has his head back on straight, he'll dust off home plate, which seves as a signal to the catcher to come back and resume play.

Never heard that before, but it all unfolded as he described.

Is this true?

[HopeReasonTruth]

17. MLB should...

...add the interception into the rulebook. If a runner can catch an errant throw or hit, the guy who threw it loses the next AB.

I also advocate the hip-check being added to basketball (ok- veteran NBA players already get away with it anyhow.)

[Maestro]

18. Whether you like it or not

lowering the shoulder and trying to knock the catcher silly when there is a play at the plate is legal in professional baseball. We also have the brush back pitch. Hell Clemons has made a career of brushing people back that try to protect the plate too much. It's baseball. The best freakin' sport! It's so difficult to play that if you hit only a third of the time you bat, you are considered an above average player. You hit nearly a quarter of the time you bat and you are a god!!!!!!!!!!!