July 30, 2020
TODAY’S COLUMNS:
Scott talks about the status of college baseball in the baseball world
Dennis lends clarity to last week’s column
Jon discuss Baseball 2020 and Basketball 2020
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ONE AND ALL AS WE TRY TO MAKE OUR WAY SAFELY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. WE STAND WITH THOSE THAT ARE PEACEFULLY PROTESTING AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY AND RACISM.
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
It is not hard for a college baseball fan like myself to have grown up bitter toward the attitude of major league baseball toward college baseball.
MLB baseball coaches, front office personnel, scouts, and media over the years have been quick to tout their expertise while looking down on college baseball.
In their defense, college baseball was low class for a long time. When you look at the stadiums in the 1980s, you can see that athletic departments did not put resources into college baseball. The facilities were lacking, the college coaches weren’t respected, and the level of play was below minor league standards.
Skip Bertman, Ron Polk, and Ron Fraser changed college baseball. They showed athletic directors what was possible. As a result, everything swung the other direction. As we stand now, many college facilities are better than minor league baseball facilities. The best schools in the SEC certainly travel better than minor league teams.
The college coaching has improved to the point where college coaches make a considerable amount more than minor league coaches and therefore makes the job more attractive.
Finally, the quality of baseball at the Power 5 schools is at the level of Double-A. The Oakland A’s were one of the first teams to figure this out, and the draft now shows respect for college baseball players. At one time, the majority of top players skipped college baseball. Today, going to a top college baseball program for 2-3 years is a faster track and more secure track to the majors than going through a minor league system.
Yet, one of the aspects that is still behind is the impression that college baseball doesn’t know what they are doing when it comes to taking care of the health of pitchers. But it is time for that myth to die.
The reality is that pitching a baseball is not natural and therefore injuries are going to happen. It is kind of crazy that we accept knee injuries to basketball and baseball players, but when pitchers get hurt it is someone’s fault. Why can’t it be the fault of the process of throwing overhand with full force?
Verlander, Kluber, three starters for the Dodgers, and many more pitchers have already come up lame. The major league experts of the past would have crushed college baseball coaches back in the day if this many pitchers were developing injuries. The short lead up to the season appears to be the culprit, but considering the situation, could the coaches or players have done anything differently?
For the most part, none of the injuries appear to be major which is good news. This reality serves as an excellent early warning signal to the other major league sports. NBA coaches should pay close attention to the minutes of their players. The depth of the Pels roster could make a big difference in this playoff push.
NFL coaches should take extra precaution and the league should as well. Roster should be expanded for this season. The lead up to the season is not long enough. Injuries will be more common as the bodies of professional athletes are not as prepared.
I recognize I may be reacting to the moment. Nevertheless, the coaches will have to make the tough decisions because players are going to feel great. Unfortunately, the result can be pushing their bodies too fast and too soon.
HEY REF
Last week I wrote about a play situation as told to me by a Baton Rouge area high school coach. Let me do a quick re-cap, the offense behind by four points with a first down inside the 10 was trying to score late in the game without any time outs so to conserve time no substitutions were made by the offense. The offense lined up with three in the backfield and the coach did say he had eleven in the game which would mean he had eight on the line. On third down they “scored” but a flag was dropped for “not enough men on the field”. The coach wanted to know who threw the flag. He told me that he talked to the referee who told him the official that called the foul was the umpire. First off this “foul” isn’t the responsibility of the umpire.
The foul was marked off, the touchdown was taken off the scoreboard and on the replaying of the down the offense didn’t score and the game ended. That’s how the situation was told to me. I did receive a couple messages from officials asking me to clarify a few details. The first thing they said to me was this wasn’t the umpire’s call which I told them I we are in total agreement on this little detail. I thought someone would mention it isn’t a foul to have ten men on the field as long as there were seven on the line.
First off I find it hard to believe the umpire would call this foul since he isn’t responsible for the number of men on the line of scrimmage. So I’ll just say the coach meant it was called by one of the wings since this is their call all the way. And we all know how crazy the last few plays of either half gets so since I’m told no substitutions were made then the offense must’ve played those final few plays with just ten. But we still don’t have a foul as long as seven offensive players are on the line at the snap.
That has to be what went down so let’s replay this situation. The offense runs the final four plays with the same ten players. Each time they’ve got seven on the line with the phantom three staying off the line. The offense will run the ball each down. As an official that’s worked 25 years mostly as a line judge when we get a player splitting outside 90% of the time they’ll ask me if he’s either on the line or off. For that reason I can’t fathom the very same player not being where he’s supposed to be.
For that reason and that reason only I can’t see a wide-out not lining up where the play calls for him to be. And since I’m seeing the same player each down I know by the second play where he’s supposed to be. When you get started doing this job the first thing you learn is the main duty of all officials is to keep a team/player from going outside the intent of a rule to gain an advantage. So, armed with that knowledge you can’t be serious in calling only six players on the line that deep into a game. As an official you want the players and coaches to determine who wins not you.
So, if this crew was in fact counting the players which they’re supposed to be doing on EVERY play then at least two members of the crew would know the offense only has ten players. Ten is less than eleven so they’re not trying to gain an advantage by playing with fewer players. And why, WHY would you wait until that team scores which would turn out to be the winning score to throw your flag?
I go back to what I learned in a camp at UCLA. One night at dinner I got to sit next to NFL Ref Ed Hochuli. I asked him what he looks for in an official for his crew. He didn’t take long to answer as he told me “I look for an individual that can take book-sense and turn it into common-sense”. I’ve never forgotten his answer. I carried those words of wisdom with me to each and every game I worked. It’s something I’d ask myself each time when deciding to either throw my flag or not. The instance I’ve written and dedicated two weeks of columns to is a perfect example of being able to take book-sense and turning it into common sense.
In closing I want to ask my fellow officials “What good does it do to be right if a team doesn’t gain an advantage?” The official that threw this flag was probably right. One of the seven, being rushed, might not have been 100% on the line but was it the right thing to do? Situations such as this one can happen to most young officials and when you continue losing seasoned officials these things will continue to happen and will continue costing schools a game or worse, games.
Till next week… …
FINE IDEAS
“When I was a kid I always wanted to be a major league baseball player or to join the circus. I got to do both”. Star 3B Graig “Puff” Nettles once described the early days of George Steinbrenner’s reign with the NY Yankees in these terms. In a different context, Baseball is presently somewhat of a circus, with Commissioner Rob Manfred as its Ringleader
First you had the acrimonious negotiations between Players and Owners. As the country was in a panic over the Pandemic, Baseball was in its own little selfish cocoon, oblivious of the plight of its fans.
Then, the first major weekend of testing over the 4th of July weekend was botched. Yes, it was not MLB screwing up the process. But, it was ultimately responsible for the testing snafus.
What took place over this past weekend with the Miami Marlins is unacceptable. Four players on the Miami Marlins had tested positive prior to Sunday’s game vs the Phillies at Philadelphia. These 4 were quarantined. So, one would think the game with the Phillies would be postponed or cancelled, not wanting to endanger members of both team? Wrong. Albeit without the 4 Marlins who tested positive, the teams played that day.
How did this game take place despite the fact that 4 Marlins team members had tested positive? There was a team vote that made this decision. How in the world the Marlins voted to play is mind-boggling. But it should never have come to that. The Commissioner should have stepped in and mandated that the Marlins-Phillies game last Sunday be cancelled.
At present, 15 Marlins players have tested positive. Their season has been suspended until Sunday.
Astonishingly enough, Monday’s sports section showed a picture of 7 Marlins players on the mound, celebrating their Sunday victory over the Phillies, with no regard to social distancing and at least 4 of the players sans masks. This, unfortunately, is par for the course for Baseball as far as Pandemic Hygiene. There is only cursory abiding by Baseball’s coronavirus protocol. Players/Managers/Coaches near each other in the dugout—some without masks, celebrations after home runs/wins, meetings on the mounds are all taking place. It’s as if the rules put in place have been regarded as a nagging nuisance, not mandatory life-saving imperatives. Baseball, in this sense, is a microcosm of US society.
Did the Marlins become infected because they disregarded Baseball’s pandemic procedures? Initially, probably not. One would imagine, the genesis of the 4 players being infected emanates from their living in the hot-spot of the Miami metro area. Yet, at present, the number of infected Marlins is up to 15. Many if not all of the additional 11 positive tests should probably be attributed to community spread—in the locker room, on the field or in hotel rooms. That is why deciding to play last Sunday was extraordinarily reckless.
If Baseball continues to ignore its own Pandemic-implemented behavior regulations, then we will see many more situations like the travesty that took place in Philadelphia. And, as mentioned in a previous column, it is not a matter of if, but when Baseball comes to a screeching halt.
Whereas Baseball’s management of the pandemic is laughable (or perhaps cryable), the NBA-- in its early stages of return—should be commended in how it has gone about its Pandemic business
Knucklehead Lou—I visited a strip club, where some food is named after me—Williams aside.
Inherently, Basketball has a more viable formula for success with the Bubble in Orlando that gives a lot more control over its inhabitants. Such a secluded one-city model is not viable for Baseball.
And, it is NBA opening night, Part II, tonight (Thursday evening)! Some thoughts:
The biggest issue is the physical conditioning of the NBA players or lack thereof. Basketball’s hiatus during the 2019-20 season is longer than the usual off-time in between seasons. And, whereas Basketball players could easily stay in shape in the off-season, this truncated season presented numerous challenges for NBA players to maintain conditioning. I don’t think we’ll see NBA players look like San Francisco Giants player Pablo Sandoval. Yet many, if not most, will be far from being in Basketball shape, particularly at the outset. The quality of play will suffer
One wonders if the teams that know they will be in the playoffs just use the 8 game regular season “seeding round’ as an extended spring training. After all, since there will be no Home Court advantage to be gained by playing winning basketball, what incentive do play-off bound teams have to try to win games? For those of you disappointed that there will be no pre-season NFL games, be prepared to see what for all intent and purposes will be several pre-season Basketball games.
The league loses a little credibility the way they have their reconvening structured. The way the NBA has set up its return is a bit contrived. They’re bringing back 22 teams—but 13 from the Western Conference and 9 from the Eastern Conference. I understand that the disparity is created by only including teams that have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. But, this goes against everything I know about sports modus operandi. If you bring back 22 teams, 11 need to come from each conference.
Also, there is a great disparity in the strength of schedule that teams have. Either you make it equal for everybody, or you make the strength of schedule commensurate with the strength of schedule for teams relative to the strength of schedule of the games teams missed.
There is a school of thought that the NBA rigged its comeback in an effort to get its young budding superstar Zion Williamson and his New Orleans Pelicans every opportunity to make the playoffs. Count me in that school.
A real big challenge will be putting together coherent, cohesive telecasts of games as announcers can not be on site. And, in most cases, you’ll have your play-by-play person in one city and the color commentator in another. Announcers will see only the screen in front of them. Baseball has handled this complicated mission with aplomb and should be commended. But, Basketball—much faster paced, with a lot of important activity away from the ball—presents its own sets of unique impediments for broadcasters.
As mentioned in a previous column, there is a potential flaw in the NBA’s bubble. The employees of Disney World are not confined to Disney property. They go home each night in an area that is one of the major hot spots in the world. They are not tested when they report to work each day. As much as the Disney workers have been implored to be responsible pandemic citizens and as much as the NBA is taking precautions to minimize contact between NBA and Disney personnel, there is bound to be an infected Disney employee who will likely infect a member of the NBA party. Then we might see a Miami Marlins like fiasco in the NBA.
I think it is real important that the NBA finishes its season successfully. With the sustenance of Baseball in jeopardy, the NBA might be the only alternative for sports-starved fans and their famished sports psyches over the duration of the summer. And, with a lot of real, legitimate obstacles that have come to the forefront concerning the NFL and college football making their return far from being imminent, this even further heightens how RELATIVELY critical it is for Basketball to complete its season.
Do you ever wonder what you’d say if you were announcing a baseball game on opening day? If I did in 2020, I’d have been all over a number of tangential topics:
Dr. Anthony Fauci throwing out the first pitch brought to mind Kyrie Irving. The Boston Celtics guard once stated that the earth is flat. So maybe Dr. Fauci should stick to science. And Irving should stick to Basketball.
Mookie (Betts) in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform against the San Francisco Giants. Didn’t we see that already with Mookie in a Dodgers uniform in New York?—Spike Lee’s character in Do The Right Thing. No word whether former Oklahoma standout and NBA star Mookie Blaylock has ever worn a Dodgers uniform. And, former baseball player Mookie Wilson never played for the Dodgers. That rounds out my knowledge of all the Mookies out there.
The Washington Nationals vs the New York Yankees on opening day in 2020. I can remember a New York vs Washington matchup in 1971 when there were more fans on the field in 71 than at the game in 2020. The Washington Senators were leading the NY Yankees 7-5 in the top of the 9th, when numerous fans in Washington came on the field. The Senators had to forfeit the game. Maybe it was a fitting end to the legacy of the Senators in Washington—First In War, First in Peace, Last in the American League—as this was the last game for the team, who would become the Texas Rangers in 1972. It was also the final game in the major leagues for Senators Manager Ted Williams. This 1971 concluding game would have made an interesting juxtaposition for the opening game matchup in 2020 between Washington and New York.
And to tie the 2 broadcasts together—me thinks Chris Berman would be all over this one—the name Joe McCarthy—a San Francisco Giants player in 2020 and a 7 time World Champion Manager of the New York Yankees from the 1931—1946.
Guess you’re glad I wasn’t broadcasting?
ASK JON
-Jon,
Always enjoy your work.
As excited as I am to see the Astros hit the diamond, I am galled by MLB's decision to continue to black out local games on MLBN. (Can you even consider a team 4 hours away local?) This in spite of no fans being allowed in the parks!!! Baseball is in danger of being a 2nd tier sport like boxing if they don't snap out of it.
Jude
Abbeville, LA
Hey Jude. I couldn’t agree with you more. In the best of times to Black out an Astros telecast for an area that is 4 hours away from Houston is ludicrous. As you pointed out, to do this when fans can’t even be in the stands is preposterous. Please see the aforementioned Circus analogy for MLB
And, thank you for the kind words about my “work’.
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