Balk three times ... and bye bye

[HanSenSE]

Minor league coach, forced to use position players as pitcher as a game goes into extended extra innings, is suspended for year after asking pitchers to balk on purpose to speed up the game.

http://blog.sfgate.com/athletics/2012/07/03/as-minor-league-coach-banned-for-throwing-game/

 

[Double J]

I thought the lyric was "balk three times on the ceiling if you want me."

 

[deskslave]

So, if minor-league baseball uses seven-inning doubleheaders, why doesn't it have an extra-innings limit? The guy's right: There is no developmental benefit to having some hotshot shortstop blow his arm out pitching in the 19th inning of a meaningless California League game.

 

[hondo]

So, if minor-league baseball uses seven-inning doubleheaders, why doesn't it have an extra-innings limit? The guy's right: There is no developmental benefit to having some hotshot shortstop blow his arm out pitching in the 19th inning of a meaningless California League game.

I'm with the manager on this, as long as the parent club is putting their pitchers on strict pitch counts in the minors. There should be some kind of gentleman's agreement that if a guy runs out of arms one night, he simply concedes the game. All the minors are for is to develop these kids. It hasn't been about winning or losing for a very long time, at least since Joe DiMaggio played in the Pacific Coast League.

 

[steveu]

So, if minor-league baseball uses seven-inning doubleheaders, why doesn't it have an extra-innings limit? The guy's right: There is no developmental benefit to having some hotshot shortstop blow his arm out pitching in the 19th inning of a meaningless California League game.

You never know when fans will boo at you for stopping the game.

(Seriously... I TOTALLY see your point. There are just some nuts out there that would complain because the game ended in a tie.)

 

[crimsonace]

Reminds me of a high school softball game that happened my first week as a reporter. 90-something degree, really hot day (myself and virtually everyone else looks like a lobster at this point), second game of the day for both teams, and one team is ahead 8-0, needs 2 runs to trigger the mercy rule. The losing team has no chance of coming back.

First two batters in the inning get on base. Coach walks out to the circle. Next pitch goes 3 feet wide of the plate to the backstop to advance them into scoring position. Next pitch goes exactly the same place, and the catcher just stands and watches the two final runs score.

Winning coach was a bit upset, but the losing coach's attitude was "look, it's a hot day, we're not going to win, why should we continue this charade of being out here for another hour playing two more innings?"

 

[crimsonace]

So, if minor-league baseball uses seven-inning doubleheaders, why doesn't it have an extra-innings limit? The guy's right: There is no developmental benefit to having some hotshot shortstop blow his arm out pitching in the 19th inning of a meaningless California League game.

Good point, but this rarely happens as most minor-league teams have at least one or two really crappy arms in the pen that can't get through an inning without giving up a run. What would the inning limit be? 12? 14?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Suspend the game until another date and offer all fans who are remaining a free ticket and a beverage to another game.

Problem solved.

 

[jr/shotglass]

So, if minor-league baseball uses seven-inning doubleheaders, why doesn't it have an extra-innings limit? The guy's right: There is no developmental benefit to having some hotshot shortstop blow his arm out pitching in the 19th inning of a meaningless California League game.

Good point, but this rarely happens as most minor-league teams have at least one or two really crappy arms in the pen that can't get through an inning without giving up a run. What would the inning limit be? 12? 14?

At least for night games, it's easy to institute a time curfew, such as no inning shall begin after 11:59 p.m.

But, of course, that doesn't address the problem for day games.

 

[deskslave]

Suspend the game until another date and offer all fans who are remaining a free ticket and a beverage to another game.

Problem solved.

Not unless you're allowed to reinsert pitchers or call up an entire new bullpen.

There was a minor-league game a few years ago that went 26 innings. Ended up 6-1 when one of the teams had to put an infielder on the mound. That's crazy.

I would think 16 or 18 would be fine. Makes it so that it would very rarely be an issue.

 

[Bubbler]

Reminds me of a high school softball game that happened my first week as a reporter. 90-something degree, really hot day (myself and virtually everyone else looks like a lobster at this point), second game of the day for both teams, and one team is ahead 8-0, needs 2 runs to trigger the mercy rule. The losing team has no chance of coming back.

First two batters in the inning get on base. Coach walks out to the circle. Next pitch goes 3 feet wide of the plate to the backstop to advance them into scoring position. Next pitch goes exactly the same place, and the catcher just stands and watches the two final runs score.

Winning coach was a bit upset, but the losing coach's attitude was "look, it's a hot day, we're not going to win, why should we continue this charade of being out here for another hour playing two more innings?"

That would never happen to me in a million years.

The times I've been on the verge of the mercy rule only to have some horse**** team score a run or two in the fifth and hold serve have taken years off my life.

Oh ... and Indiana needs the running clock mercy rule for football. It's about 20 years overdue.

 

[turski7]

The baseball overlords said it violated the integrity of the game. B.S. Minor league fans go to the games to see stars of tomorrow today. I've yet to meet someone who said my minor club team won the championship. Get over yourself baseball. This manager did the right thing and protected his players.

 

[Starman]

Minor league games should be capped at 12 innings.

If it's a tie, it's wiped off the books -- no game.

 

[SoCalDude]

A friend sent me this story yesterday morning. He knows Steverson and I know Blaney. Steverson is a good guy. Blaney is a first-class asshole. I side with Steverson. I know people who coached in that league. Bottom line: it's "developmental" and you're not developing anything if you get guys hurt.

 

[MightyMouse]

Is there a rule against intentionally walking guys to lose the game? I guess there probably is, if there's a rule against intentionally balking in runs.

I realize your position player is still throwing, but if they're IBBs, then he's really just having a game of catch with the catcher.

He probably should've been a little more creative. Walk a guy, hit a batter, balk to advance the runners, then a wild pitch to let the run score.

 

[dixiehack]

Slow pitch.

 

[jr/shotglass]

I think minor league baseball should be played without a scoreboard.

 

[MightyMouse]

I think minor league baseball should be played without a scoreboard.

And they should all get trophies. They work so hard.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Nice touch.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Am reminded of something kinda similar. Staffed a wood-bat collegiate league for a few seasons back in the day. My beat team had to play a impromptu one-game playoff the day after the regular season concluded ... complete farce. Coach/manager of the team I'm covering knows it. Puts pitchers in the outfield with orders not to fire to the plate on singles with runners on second, etc. Puts some position players on the mound with the understanding that they don't need to be trying anything that will make them sequels to the Jose Canseco pitching fiasco.

Blazing hot day, and it was a day game because the postseason tournament started the next day. Lost the game ... didn't matter to the team I was covering, which was in the postseason tourney anyway. Got down to talk to the coach after the game, who was careful but still let the league have it postgame. Wouldn't have argued any word or point he made even if I had editorial power to say anything.

Team made it to the championship despite using up much of his pitching staff and having at least three starting position players get hurt. How much worse had it been if he had to throw out an arm or three in a pre-tournament game that otherwise meant absolutely nothing? Funny enough, he's now at a decent D-II school with his own program ... good for him ...