Comments on: Baseball to put a stop to the Yankees' mound meetings — in the offseason

By: chelsea players

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By: Angelo Andradez

Angelo Andradez — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:43:09 +0000

Very good post. Thanks for sharing.

By: BillyBeaneismyHero

BillyBeaneismyHero — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:06:22 +0000

Slanted and Enchanted is easily the best album in their catelog. Other than “Chelsea’s Little Wrists” every song is great.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:33:41 +0000

One of the reasons people hate the Yankees is that they make games interminably long.
This has improved since the Joe Torre “institutional rain delay” era, when you could be guaranteed 2-3 “time” calls during each Yankee at-bat and huge amounts of out-of-box time spent adjusting everything that could possibly be adjusted, but holdovers like Posada and Jeter learned the tricks and still use them. They value “grinding out” the game, and feel it “gets the other team out of their rhythm” (“rhythm,” of course, being defined as “any pace that could be described as anything other than ‘excruciatingly slow’”).
What umpires need to do (surprise, surprise!) is enforce the rules currently on the books, which spell out how many and how long players may visit the mound.

By: Shely

Shely — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:22:50 +0000

OK Craig, on this one you have earned your money. Have you raised this question just to see how many comments you can get? This issue is as old as baseball. I go back a long way, and my father talked about this when I was a young boy. You ain’t going to stop this thing unless you put a limit on it as in the regular season. If after two trips to the mound, you have to change the pitcher. Make that a rule for players as well as the bench. That ain’t going to happen soon, so why bring it up?
Shely

By: Crash

Crash — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:50:02 +0000

Maybe Bowa’s comments are merely a reflection of his actions when he was manager of the Phillies.

By: John

John — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:32:17 +0000

Wow, you created a user name just for me… *sheds a tear*
Phillies in 2010, a three-peat would indeed be great but we’ll worry about that next year. PHILLIES IN SEVEN!!! MARK MY WORDS!!!

By: Had enough of "John"

Had enough of "John" — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:20:11 +0000

hey John: Phillies in…. 2010

By: John

John — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:58:18 +0000

With every visit to the mound the Yankees are simply trying to prolong the inevitable. PHILLIES IN SEVEN!!! MARK MY WORDS!!!

By: John

John — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:57:54 +0000

With every visit to the mound the Yankees are simply trying to avoid the inevitable. PHILLIES IN SEVEN!!! MARK MY WORDS!!!

By: cosmic charlie

cosmic charlie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:49:35 +0000

Posada has a bad shoulder; maybe he’s trying to minimize his throw count.

By: E

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:52:57 +0000

Forget mound visits, why not complain about the absolutely HEINOUS umpiring that has been going on? In more than one game this post-season completely bogus umpiring has effected the outcome of the game. That’s okay though, an extra couple minutes of an inning is muuuuuch worse than an ump completely blowing a safe call at home when the runner was clearly out.

By: Pilothawkeye

Pilothawkeye — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:41:56 +0000

I also agree that the number of visits to the mound is utterly ridiculous. I wonder, however, if we have not created our own monster. We all have gotten used to the center field view of the pitcher pitching to the batter, and we all have commented on our opionion of the ump’s strike zone more times that we care to shake a stick at. The technology is so great that we can see the catcher flash through the signs (although they go by WAY TOO FAST for me). I am wondering out loud if a coach of the team at bat has enough time to view the monitor, and eventually send a sign to the batter as to what to expect. I realize that this is extreme, but maybe that is what all pitchers and catchers are worried about. If so, then perhaps we do away with the centerfield camera, and go back to the ‘behind the plate’ view. Like I said, just wondering.

By: mkeryan

mkeryan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:33:24 +0000

this has been driving me crazy throughout the playoffs. the worst are Burnett and Molina.
I know you think no rule is needed, but even in high school we had a 3 trip limit per inning. any trip after 3 forced the team to remove that pitcher. Not saying this is the answer, but the number of trips has really been infuriating. It needs to stop.
Part of the game is being prepared beforehand. what is the sign sequence with a runner on 2nd, etc.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:15:17 +0000

Jonny5, sorry, I missed it. Bottom line (and we agree) “Joe Buck Sucks!”

By: jonny5

jonny5 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:59:48 +0000

Eric, I guess you didn’t sense my sarcasm??? I am A Phillies Phan to the core and Buck hates the phills, I agree. And he isn’t rooting for the Phillies, never has he been excited when the Phillies won. And when Utley hit that 3 run bomb, Buck was definitely not happy. That’s what I heard.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:59:27 +0000

I agree 100%. Bowa is an old manager with an axe to grind who probably likes to see his name in the press. This discussion (with Bowa), as well as the complaining of the frequent mound visits, reminded me that CC and Jorge were going with 3 to 4 signs – as well as mound visits to discuss this – during Game 4 with the bases empty.
This just brings to light the fact that there is no legit reason why Jorge would be doing this. I’d understand if one was for pitch and the other were for location but that wasn’t the case. McCarver even brought this up but like I said before, it was almost like his head was about to explode because he couldn’t comprehend why it was happening.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:46:48 +0000

Jamie — I’m not denying that sign stealing could be happening. I just live by a few simple rules in life, and one of those rules is “don’t make your mind up solely on what Larry Bowa says.”

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:45:47 +0000

Forgot the link. Here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhWYrmcSDAU

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:45:40 +0000

I find it funny that Jonny5 doesn’t like Joe Buck for seemingly rooting for the Phillies. Last year, he made no bones about rooting for the Rays, so much so that my favorite sign at the parade was “Joe Buck Sucks!” Feel free to display that sign at Yankee Stadum!

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:44:36 +0000

Just for good measure, here’s the Mauer link for those who haven’t seen it. I’m not saying there IS visual evidence of any Phillies player doing this (I do not have the time or resources to look), but going out to the pitcher to change up signs HAS to be done if they think the opposing team is stealing them.
Oh and a response to this comment above by reader James:
“Don’t you think by now the pitcher know’s the signs. And, if a person is trying to steal the signs you already have in place and set of signal’s? No, wait a minute it’s the yankees and they can do WHATEVER they want.”
Uhm, no the pitcher and catcher are changing up the signs BECAUSE they think they are being stolen by the runner on second base. Your second sentence doesn’t even come close to making sense. And as for the third sentence, I’m not even going to respond to that garbage. Formulate an intelligent and well thought out post or don’t post at all.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:39:57 +0000

Craig,
With all due respect, look at this with a grain of salt? Really?
Can you please tell me WHY then, would Jorge and CC be going with second and third signals WITH NO RUNNERS ON BASE?
Maybe you’be been living under a rock, but stealing signs has already been documented this season with Mauer stealing signs off the Tigers. As a result, the Tigers had to come out to the mound at least twice during the inning to change up the signs.
Please, enlighten me.

By: Cru11

Cru11 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:30:26 +0000

Someone just please tell Jorge to grow up and act like a pro for once. On every called strike against him in this series, he has winced, bitched and acted like a complete horses ass in the box. Just get it together and act like a veteran…I won’t even get into his awful baserunning habits he has.
Jorge never met a called strike he liked.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:15:44 +0000

Inadvertant, Comedy: I really didn’t think too hard about it. I’ll change it to be a bit more accurate. Apologies.

By: James

James — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:14:04 +0000

The Comish dosen’t want to change the fabric of the game. But, it is ridiculous that a catcher got to go to the the mound that many times. Don’t you think by now the pitcher know’s the signs. And, if a person is trying to steal the signs you already have in place and set of signal’s? No, wait a minute it’s the yankees and they can do WHATEVER they want.
Signed, YANKEE HATER.

By: Comedy

Comedy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:09:18 +0000

Headline: Baseball to put a stop to the Yankees’ mound meetings.
Reality: They’re going to “discuss it in the offseason”.
Author: Please explain why you used a misleading and untrue headline.
Thanks.

By: jonny5

jonny5 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:51:38 +0000

As mentioned on that other blog……… What the heck is Fox doing zooming in on the pitchers grips??? Maybe this is part of the reason?? I noticed this first in NY and it has continued throughout the series. ………………………………………………………………… Joe Buck sounded sooooo thrilled when Utley hit that 3 run homer btw. LMAO!!!! What a a-wipe that guy is. He can’t even act impartial???

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:44:02 +0000

Good call. I like Slanted & Enchanted better myself.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:42:23 +0000

Easily “Slanted & Enchanted.” I know you’re supposed to say “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” is better, but CC doesn’t look like the kind of guy who gives in to that sort of pressure.

By: Kage10

Kage10 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:33:26 +0000

And the Commissioner is afraid that instant replay is going to slow down the games? Oh wait, it’s okay if the Yankees slow down the game. Ridiculous.