Are you going as your IAABO Board's rules interpreter, Chuck? Let us know if anything good or interesting comes out of the meetings.

And see if you can get MTD Sr.'s autograph for me and Dan....

My wife and I are visiting with our son and "new" daughter-in-law in Olympia, WA this week and my son and I are going up to Seattle tomorrow night to watch the M's and the Orioles. Will be my first time at the new stadium.

Well, I just saw something that I've never seen before. Ever. With 2 outs in the Red Sox half of the fifth inning tonight and Gabe Kapler on 1st base, Tony Graffanino lifted a deep fly ball to left field. Kapler takes off from 1st and is running hard. The ball goes out for a home run, but as he rounds 2nd base, Kapler turns his ankle and goes down in a heap. He can't continue. The trainers come out to look at him as Graffanino stands on 2nd base, not wanting to pass Kapler.

It's decided that Kapler can't continue and a pinch runner is brought in to finish Kapler's trip around the bases. The pinch runner comes in from the dugout and just jogs to third and home, Graffanino right behind him.

Unbelievable. I've never seen a pinch runner inserted during a play on the field. I love baseball.

FWIW
 

<B><font color = red>OBR 5.10(c) The ball becomes dead when an umpire calls "Time. The umpire-in-chief shall call "Time" (c) When an accident incapacitates a player or an umpire; (1)If an accident to a runner is such as to prevent him from proceeding to a base to which he is entitled, as on a home run hit out of the playing field, or an award of one or more bases, a substitute runner shall be permitted to complete the play.</font></B>

That's pretty cool, Chuck!
I always like Gabe. Liked him right away as a young Tiger cub (with hair). Hope it isn't bad.
mick
Hop

Re: FWIW
 

Just heard. Ruptured Achilles. :(

Hmmm...can you imagine how that would work in basketball? A player is driving down the lane, twists his ankle, and goes down (dribbling the whole time, so there's no traveling). The refs call time, replace the injured player on the floor (literally) with their replacement while everyone else has to hold their spots. Then once the injured player is off the court, and the replacement player is given the ball at the same spot lying on the floor, the ref chops time back in, and away we go...

That's what makes baseball interesting. Just the fact that the runner still has to touch every base in order on a home run, instead of just awarding the team the run(s). Or, on an intentional walk, the pitcher still has to throw 4 balls instead of just pointing to first and telling the batter where to go (so to speak).

I'm thinking about getting a pinch runner for myself for fast breaks in the games I officiate.

So what did Randy Johnson do over the weekend? I heard somebody railing against him about it, but they never said what he did.

Frustration?

http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/teams/report/NYY/8864287

I had heard the "same" pitch was called a ball both times, and he got upset on the second one.

2-2 count, he hit the catcher's glove on a low inside pitch.

Very, very close, from my TV-eyed view I thought it was good. Then you could hear someone yell something, and the HP ump stepped out, took his mask off & started going off on Johnson.

Johnson apologized publicly the next day. He also said he was still PO'ed about a pitch call in the first inning.

Apparently the umpire, Feldin Culbreth, warned Johnson in the first inning to knock it off. Also, according to the stories I read, there were a few F-shots thrown the ump's way by Johnson before he got tossed too. Iow, it was pretty much a righteous dumping. Johnson is kind of a whiner imo.

That last weekend in Boston could be kinda interesting now. :D

Bubba Crosby?

<b>The</b> Bubba Crosby?

We'll take it.

:p

Looks like both sets of Sox -- in Chicago and Boston -- are getting a little worried. . .

Today's test:

What is a <i>hyzdu</i>?:
(a) A member of the elk family found only on the island of Madagascar.
(b) A Chinese dialect spoken only in the province of Kuomintang.
(c) The latest street talk for <b>Wassup</b>.
(d) A right fielder for the BoSox.