Not an error if you don't touch it!

When Theo's last 5 seasons with the Cubs are over....

....he can always return to the Red Sox for the last year of Carl Crawford.

See it through!

Oy!

Ryan Zimmerman signed a 5 year/$45 million contract before last year!

Oh, these guys are going to get along fabulously!

I think Carl Crawford is now worth "infinity".

He must be a really tricky slider or something

Per Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times, Carl Crawford was a bit upset when he was called out by Triple-A umpire Damien Beal (who was filling in for Sam Holbrook) on a steal attempt at third base in the seventh inning in last night's game against the Blue Jays. Replays seemed to show that Crawford, who was sliding feet first reached the bag before he was tagged at the waist by Edwin Encarnacion.

"I've been looking safe a lot lately; for some reason I've just been getting called out," Crawford said. "I don't know what it is....I think it has a lot to do with me sliding feet first, and they're just not getting in the proper position to see that I'm safe most of the time."

"You look at half of the times I've been called out this year, go look at the replay, I was safe. It is something that seems like to me they're not trying to figure out, and I don't expect them to."

"I'm just getting a bit tired of it, and it's starting to frustrate me a little bit. That's the only reason why I'm extending the conversation to you guys about it."

"So I want to make it clear the next time that I run."

Hmmm, what to do with this?

Well at least Damien Beal did not go all "Marty Foster" on him and tell him that all plays on the bases are force plays and if the ball beats you, you are out like Foster did with Derek Jeter earlier in the year. At least I hope he didn't.

That said, my brain is admittedly of finite size but I am having trouble understanding this "feet first fooling-the-umpire theory". It is my impression that most guys slide feet first because you have more padding in your rump than your chest and also to prevent injuries to your hands and fingers. If this is the case, I would think all umpires are accustomed to the feet first slide and pretty much know how to call a play at the base when they see this.

Oh well, I am still really not understanding Crawford's thinking here but that is just me, you know.

Crawford's reasoning will have to remain a mystery to me but when all else fails, I adhere to the following words of wisdom on base-stealing from Lou Brock who had 938 career stolen bases and was certainly an authority on the subject:

"Don't go in standing up."*

*Look, he probably said it.**

**Ok, I know it was not a stolen base attempt but Brock still should have slid; front, back, sideways whatever.

Carl Crawford was hit by a pitch yesterday against the Blue Jays

Anybody surprised?*

Crawford did not charge the mound and took his base. Rays manager, Joe Maddon did not order retaliation and the game went on.

Problem solved. Successful conflict resolution.

Professional diplomats got nuthin' on ballplayers.

*See yesterday's post.

The Blue Jays take issue with Carl Crawford

There is an article in the Toronto Star today by Morgan Campbell which is titled "Running Rays diss Blue Jays" with a sub-headline of "Tampa speedster's steal of second in blowout a sign of disrespect, but Gaston will let it go".

All of this concerns Carl Crawford's steal of second base last night in the eighth inning with the Rays up by five runs. The article describes this steal by Crawford as "disrespectful" because presumably the game was so lopsided and out of reach for the Blue Jays that a steal attempt by the Rays was unnecessary.

"I just let it go," Cito Gaston said, pausing a moment before elaborating. "(Rays manager Joe Maddon) runs his team the way he wants to. I run mine the way I want to. Just as simple as that."

To begin with, I like Cito Gaston. He generally uses a set lineup. Usually his best guys are on the field and he doesn't tinker nor try and make himself bigger than the game or the team.*

That said, I think the Blue Jays are a bit off base here. Is a five run lead that insurmountable anymore at any point in the game?

Did the Blue Jays pull their position player starters by this time in the game? No.

Did the Blue Jays have a position player pitching which is a classic and even comical sign of surrender? No.

Were the Blue Jay pitchers throwing everything down the middle at that point just to speed the game to it's conclusion so to end the massacre? No.

Do the paying fans deserve and expect a competitive game for all nine innings in a game that is not all that lopsided? Yes.

In this offensive era of baseball, a five run lead in the eighth inning is still a contestable game and I think the Blue Jays need to be ready to contest any type of play out there.

I know as a fan, if my team was down like this, I would not think it was over. Things sure would not be looking good of course, but it is not over. It just isn't.

Sorry Cito!

*We have the direct opposite type of manager in Detroit unfortunately.