Quote:
Originally posted by senior
I have contended for a long time that if we weren't to call high strikes, the rule should have been changed. Barring that, we may hopefully call all parts of the game according to the book.
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Please say it isn't so, senior? You want "all parts of the game" called "according to the book"? Now let's see:
For one thing, that means that F3, F4, F5 and F6 will generally not be counted as "infielders" for any potential Infield Fly! Lots more simple popups will be turned into easy doubles by fielders refusing to catch the ball. That's certainly not in the spirit of the game we all know and love, is it?
For another thing, that means that the umpire will need to decide whether the runner beat the ball or the ball beat the runner before deciding which of those is required for an out or safe call on tag ups versus advances and returns, etc. Whew! Maybe we're all gonna need TV replays to do our jobs!
It would also mean that a force isn't ended when the runner slides past a base without touching it and attempts to scramble back, etc. How long have we been requiring tags for such plays?
No, senior. Calling strictly by the book might open up a much bigger can of worms than even someone of your maturity can imagine. (grin) There are lots of things about the rules that need changing. No matter what the book says about the strike zone, it will still be defining a PROFESSIONAL ZONE, and those amateur leagues that use the pro book will still need to adjust for the level being called. SO WILL THE PRO'S!
I don't believe the Major League pitcher should have the same zone as the Rookie or A league pitcher. The "Show" is a special circumstance that will always require adjustment from what's in the current edition of the book in order to give their customer base (the fans) what they want; a show.
You didn't
really mean what you said, did you senior?
Cheers,
Warren Willson
[Edited by Warren Willson on Nov 20th, 2000 at 07:19 PM]