Comments on: Random observations from Game One

By: awineguy

awineguy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:14:03 +0000

Or I can read the post where despite your statement regarding blame, you question the strike zone with the line “aided by what looked to my untrained eye as a really poor effort by home plate umpire Randy Marsh”.
Marsh’s zone was the same all night it just wasn’t what Kershaw wanted that’s not a poor effort by a home plate umpire. Ask 90% of pitchers, catchers and managers what they want out of a home plate umpire and they’ll say consistency.

By: chris

chris — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:53:04 +0000

Kershaw is a good pitcher, but he is young. Can’t get away from it. He is not savvy enough to work around the situation as the more mature pitchers do on a regular basis. He’ll get there. Hamels also exhibited his youth…waving his arms in middle of the field! Puhlease! He just seems ‘off’ to me, but that’s me!
Park showed experience as did Lidge. You can’t make it up, it comes with time.
The series is going to be tough. I would not jumpt to conclusion based on that one game. Although I would love the Phils to run away with it, it does not seem in the cards. It is going to be a knock down, drag out fight.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:24:45 +0000

Or you can read the post and acknowledge that I wrote “But this can by no means be blamed on Marsh.”
Kershaw was dealing with a zone he didn’t like. He didn’t react positively to it, and he cost his team. A better, more experienced pitcher adjusts.

By: awineguy

awineguy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:21:19 +0000

Marsh’s zone was the same all night and that’s all a pitcher can ask for, most power pitchers love the high zone.
It’s a lot easier to get the bat on 90+ at the knees than it is at the letters.
Hey the Dodgers lost, let’s blame the strike zone.

By: chiliD

chiliD — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:26:16 +0000

From all the games I’ve seen Randy Marsh as plate umpire, the more I think he’s GOTTA be the worst ball/strike calling ump in the league.(even in games between teams I don’t care about)I’ve seen Little League umps be more accurate with ball/strike calls.
If the MLB umps are REALLY rated like NFL & NBA officials, I don’t see how he hasn’t been canned by this point, much less allowed to work post-season games.

By: jonny5

jonny5 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:21:10 +0000

JUGGS!!! What's new? So, tell how much better it feels to be back. You are back, right? Cole is an emotional guy at times, and it is his Achillies heel. It's the playoffs and Chase will forgive him. I figured he'd be on shaky ground over his low change up being taken away. I predict if he plays again this postseason, he'll excel. Here's where the old crew is at bud. Hope to see you there. http://pbsmb.proboards.com/index.cgi

By: Kjuggs

Kjuggs — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:58:25 +0000

Jonny5-what’s up?! Where are you guys posting these days? Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how the national media jumped on the Dodgers bandwagon prior to this series…”it will come down to the BP, and the dodgers are unhittable after the 6th…; The Dodgers have Homefield advantage…” Whatever- the Fightins will take this series in 5 games- nobody seems to remember except for Philadelphia that the Phillies were the best road team in baseball this year. BTW, Cole Hamels showing up Utley was garbage- that guy needs to get a clue that he is no longer the ace on this team and that Chase always comes through- after all, he is the man, according to Harry Kalas.

By: jonny5

jonny5 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:30:55 +0000

“Kershaw was 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA against the Phillies this year, and he is 0-3 with a 6.64 ERA vs. them in his career.” This was before last night. I think that it’s pretty clear that they have his number.

By: jonny5

jonny5 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:20:41 +0000

Seriously, the Phillies have wiped up against Kershaw in the past.I guess Marsh umped then too??? LOL ;>)~ This is what happens with the Phillies. They have more heart. Please take note that Hamels had the same strike zone as Kershaw, I also noticed by the strike zone on the tv that Hamels had plenty of strikes get called as balls, One right before the first home run of the game. I could see Hamels wanted to throw the ball at Marsh’s head after that ball went into the stands. It’s funny to me how the media loves their hollywood team…. But as pretty as the LA Dodgers are? The Phillies are even prettier…

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:34:53 +0000

Good observation on Ibanez, Mo.
As for Kershaw’s reactions, I was wondering the same thing myself. Fair or not, we all know that umps will give way more leeway for bitching to veterans than they will for young guys like Kershaw. Maddux used to get more calls than anyone, but in the rare instances he didn’t, he’d drop an audible F-Bomb and look pissed. You’d think that would piss off the umps (who always went out of their way to give him borderline calls). Nah. They let it go and he’d go right back to painting corners.
Young pup does it? He gets squeezed.

By: Mo Green

Mo Green — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:28:31 +0000

The last thing Sherill wanted to do was to have to pitch to Jayson Werth, known lefty-killer. But Ibanez is an unknown lefty-killer, .998 OPS against southpaws this year. It’s no fluke either, he had better splits against LHP in 2008 as well.
I almost got the feeling Marsh didn’t like Kershaw’s reaction to not getting his low-end strikes called, and dialed it up a notch. Oh, you didn’t like that call? How about this one?