John Miller, who is playing and coaching for the Brussels Kangaroos in the Belgian 2nd Division and is a reporter for a big American newspaper, is now also the Little League Commissioner for Belgium. He is also back chronicling the 2010 season in his “Old World Pastime” column on Mister-Baseball.com for a third straight year.
This is my third year of writing this column. I treasure my hour a week (more, sometimes) with you, reflecting on baseball my mistress and her place in my life. Sometimes, you write to me. Here are some highlights from reader emails. Thanks!
“I envy the traditionalist, of which I used to consider myself one,” writes a European scout for a Major League team. “Had you asked me about replay 2 years ago you would have gotten a definite NO! Now I’m just not convinced it isn’t a decent idea if implemented properly.”
He lists two reasons replay would work:
“1. The game is played by players and the result is determined by their actions. We know they will make errors, strikeout, and walk people. That’s why we play, to see who does this less and who can capitalize on those mistakes. The problem with bad calls is that they change everything that happens after they occur, from the measureable statistical probabilities to the emotional state and confidence of a team. Getting calls wrong changes things.”
“2. We can’t erase the technology we have. When an umpire makes a bad call we can see it and will continue to see it over and over again.”
There are two ways, he says, to bring in replay:
“1.Define which plays are reviewable and which are not. I would suggest you can’t argue called balls and strikes or any play which would have a direct impact on future actions in the same play. This latter point would include something like a trapped ball with a runner on base which is ruled a catch. The runner has to take action based on the call that was made, we couldn’t possibly assume what the runner would have been able to do after that action.”
“2. Take five umpires and five MLB scorekeepers at random and have them watch replays of a large enough sample from the last three to five years to determine calls that could be deemed wrong and summarize the results to determine how many runs, wins, and losses could reasonably determined to have been altered due to bad calls.”
“3. If it is shown that these calls do have a significant impact then implement a simple review process similar to that of the NFL in which a manager is allowed one challenge per game. If his challenge is validated then he keeps it again for future use. If the manager is wrong, he loses his challenge for the remainder of the game. Just as on an appeal play the manager must appeal for a replay before the next pitch is thrown. I would also ban televisions from the dugouts and bullpens and insist that managers are basing their decision to challenge a play based on what they and their coaching staff saw. This I believe would introduce replay not as a weapon but as a strategic decision.”
“Founding a major league baseball of European version is my biggest dream,” writes a Japanese student living in England. “I’ve read your latest article about the major league tour in the Belgium and the Netherlands led by Mr. Rick VandenHurk. And I must say, this is definitely by far the best news for my entire life with baseball!”
The VandenHurk tour, he continues, “may become to cause a huge chemical reaction to develop the ballgame in Europe.”
“I’m really praying from my heart for this program to bring a great success. Besides, I’m really looking forward to reading your new articles. Please be careful for your health, and do your best for your work both in States and Belgium.”
“For some reason we error players with only physical errors,” writes an Australian pitching in Switzerland. “But mental errors are just as bad, especially as an umpire. This is when an umpire sees something and makes the wrong call, not because he saw it wrong, but because he didn’t know the rules or what was wrong and what was right. And on being informed of the correct rules, refuses to change the call.”
In a recent key game, he says, two interference calls went against the team:
“1. Ground ball to second baseman, he goes to tag runner going to second, runner stops, second baseman goes forward to tag runner, once runner is tagged he takes off, knocking the second baseman over and preventing him from throwing to first for the double play. No interference called.”
“2. Routine double play breakup slide on second, runner called out on interference I can’t even describe it any more than routine!”
“What is the acceptable umpire average?” he asks. “What average do we expect in a game before an umpire is no better than a sub 200 batter or a pitcher with a +6.00 ERA? Or a fielder who makes 1 error a game? How many calls does an umpire have to make on average in a game? How many should he get right? If he gets five pitches wrong, ok. if he makes one out call wrong ok? How do we judge the umpires? Why not work with numbers/stats/averages, that’s how we judge everything else in baseball. Ha, I’ve had my rant, catchya mate.”
“I am looking to further my playing career and understand since not being drafted my best alternative is free agency and overseas,” writes a young, hopeful amateur free agent. “I realize open tryouts might have been an option; however my college season hadn’t ended when many were being held, so I was not available to tryout at that time. I read your blog and completely understand your position when selecting players you have never met, but I am a very committed athlete who still wants to compete. I am a left-handed pitcher 6’00” – 180 lbs., birth date: 3-10-1988, my fast ball lives at about 86-88 mph; it has topped out at 90 and has good movement. I also have a very good curveball and decent change-up. I also have the ability to play the Outfield. I have been injury free my entire college career.”
“Glad to see you are blogging again this year,” writes a fan. “Looking forward to your weekly posts.”
“The Yankees are very good at Russian roulette,” writes a logistics manager and Twins fan based in Thailand. “They are also very good, period. Over here in Bangkok, they are on ESPN every morning. I have been watching them more than the Twins. They play every game like it’s the World Series and that’s why they are good at playing these series play-offs – they have been practicing all year. They also play a tougher schedule than anyone except the poor saps in their division, who have to play them. Toronto is maybe a better team than 2/3rds of the American league, but they finish 4th in their division? Tough bunch. How NY does it I don’t know. Posada can’t throw, doesn’t run, and is 39. Jeter covers less ground than any Major league SS. As a group, they play like a team from an over 35 league playing in an American Legion tournament. Athletically, they don’t match up, but they know “stuff” that the kids with more talent don’t know and they use it. They turn the game into something the other team doesn’t feel comfortable with.”
“Bill James wrote a couple of decades back about the remarkable persistence of Brooklyn Dodgers fans: “There’s never been a book titled, ‘The Man Who Brought the Braves Back to Beantown.'” writes a baseball nerd colleague. “ I suspect the number of people who even know the Orioles were once the St. Louis Browns is tinier than the number that knows of the Boston Braves (at least the team name still lives). And it’s not getting any bigger. That is one thoroughly shaken past, though this year the Os are playing like a Browns tribute team.”
And you can still write to me, at oldworldpastime@gmail.com