Blue Jays 2009

[salsamarc]

Trivia question: Why is a lefthanded pitcher call a "southpaw"?

too easy: Ballparks are often designed so that batters are facing east, so that the afternoon or evening sun does not shine in their eyes. This means that left-handed pitchers are throwing with their south-side arm.

 

[ROGER O. THORNHILL]

Like Roy Hobbs said...

Interesting concept. The power of "3". Babe Ruth wore the number 3 on his uniform. Anybody know why the pitching mound is 60 feet from home plate and not 70 feet (especially when Johnson is pitching)?

Trivia question: Why is a lefthanded pitcher call a "southpaw"?

If you draw a cross withing the infield, ie: a line going from first base to third base and second base to home plate, the exact point where they cross is the very centre of the infield. This is where the pitching rubber on the mound is. The distance is 66'6" from home plate. It is decided logically so it was thought a fair distance for ANY pitcher to throw.

In the old days, ballparks such as the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field were built so that the batters would face east and avoid having the sun in their eyes. There were no night games back then due to the expense of installing and maintaining lights in ballparks. So with a batter facing east, a left handed pitcher would be coming at you from the south side, hence the term "southpaw".

Many say, I included, that one of the fundamental beauties of Abner Doubleday's creations was in figuring out that a 90 foot run was just the right distance to create a competition of a ball being hit and then thrown while the runner tries to beat it. How often is a play at first so close you can't call it?

Like Redford said in 'The Natural': "God, I Love Baseball"!

 

[Rockslinger]

Like Redford said in 'The Natural': "God, I Love Baseball"!

Sir, you are a real student of the game. As a red blooded Canadian boy, I love hockey but baseball is a very close second. I used to play hockey in the Winter and baseball in the Summer. They rarely overlapped.

Query: Is the batter facing east righthanded?

 

[shack]

The distance is 66'6" from home plate. It is decided logically so it was thought a fair distance for ANY pitcher to throw.

I may be wrong, but my recollection tells me that it's 60'6".

 

[ROGER O. THORNHILL]

So Many Details, Metaphors and even Poetry

I may be wrong, but my recollection tells me that it's 60'6".

Indeed, it is 60'6" (not 66'). Just typing in all those 6's made me type one too many.

The pitching rubber on the mound actually a little closer to home plate than the exact center of the infield. This changed back in the old days when pitchers threw from flat ground. Once a mound was added, it got just a little closer to home plate. The measurement is to the tip of the plate and not the straight edge of it.

The beauty about Baseball, the 'game without a clock', is that is has inspired more metaphors for life more so than other sports:

"I STRUCK OUT WITH HER"

"I'LL GO TO BAT FOR YOU"

"I WENT TO THE WALL ON THAT ONE"

"I GOT A CURVE THROWN AT ME TODAY AT WORK"

"I KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK LAST NIGHT"

It has also inspired more genuine great film:

"Pride of the Yankees"

"Bang the Drum Slowly"

"The Bad News Bears"

"Field of Dreams" - "Bull Durham"

"The Natural"

The Ken Burns Series

I'm sure many of you would even add to this list. There is also music, literature and "Casey at the Bat" is considered acknowledged U.S.A. poetry. A copy sits in the Library of Congress.

I'm also very curious to see "Sugar" right now.

Alas, the Jays weren't able to conjure up any magic tonight but maybe the new rookie pitchers just need to get their feet wet.

Let's enjoy the Boys of Summer and see what else we got coming!

 

[Rockslinger]

"I STRUCK OUT WITH HER"

Remember when you were in high school and your friends asked if you got to 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base with the young lady?

Query: Why does it take longer to run from 2nd base to 3rd base than from 1st base to 2nd base?

 

[shack]

Query: Why does it take longer to run from 2nd base to 3rd base than from 1st base to 2nd base?

Never heard that one before.

I know if a man on base is trying to steal the catcher has a shorter throw to third than to second.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Jays should look think about Fabio Castro in double A as a pitching call up.
Another great game Friday.
24 SO 3 BB. He can throw strikes too.

http://www.unionleader.com/article....rticleId=da412adf-46fc-4c6e-89dc-bc33e41c60b1

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/new...t_id=4355648&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

http://www.nhfishercats.com/ind_stats.php

Re. Rockslinger. Question makes no sense. Distance between all the bases is 90 feet. (Distance from home plate to second base is 127 feet, 3.375 inches, while distance home to 3rd is 90 feet.)

So, maybe your question should be: why does the ball get to 3rd base faster from catcher compared to 2nd base.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_math...e_distance_between_home_plate_and_second_base

 

[shack]

Jays should look think about Fabio Castro in double A as a pitching call up.
Another great game Friday.
24 SO 3 BB.

Those are good numbers.

So, maybe your question should be: why does the ball get to 3rd base faster from catcher compared to 2nd base.
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Isn't that what I said?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Those are good numbers.


Isn't that what I said?

Yes, of course.
I have a tendency though to repeat what other people said using slightly different words and try to pass it off as revolutionary new insight.

-----

What a breath of fresh air Scott Downs is in closer role today. 8 pitches, 7 strikes, 3 outs.
Very efficient compared to Ryan. I'm so glad Downs is under contract for next season too. Free agent for 2011 season.

JP has done a very good job picking up castoffs from other teams. Downs was released by Expos 6 years ago or so. Tallet and Bautista are cast offs from other teams doing well with change of scenery in Toronto.

 

[ROGER O. THORNHILL]

Two, count em: TWO!

I think Downs is just going to relish this moment and not let it go to waste.

Best case scenario: even if BJ comes back 100%, then we have TWO closers. A Ward/Henke scenario.

Worst case: Down earns the job full time.

At least I'm not biting my nails to the bone when Downs comes out of the bullpen.

 

[Rockslinger]

Someone said that the baseball season is so long you have to break it down into 10 little 16 game chunks. The Jays are now into their second 16 game chunk and still doing well.

 

[Rockslinger]

Query: Why does it take longer to run from 2nd base to 3rd base than from 1st base to 2nd base?

It takes slightly longer to run from 2nd to 3rd than from 1st to 2nd because there is a "shortstop" between 2nd and 3rd.

 

[ocean976124]

but how important is a 'closer' if the others can't get the game to the ninth? The only difference between a 'save' and a 'hold' is that a save is awarded to the last pitcher.

True to an extent. Yes, the save just goes to "the last pitcher" but it also goes to the pitcher who picthes under the stress of being the win or walk off in shame pitcher. Many good setup men have flopped as closers because they couldn't handle the pressure of the 9th inning.

 

[friendz4evr]

I have not watched the Jays yet (NBA playoffs have my interest right now), but I think the Jays are for real. Will go to the park in May and see in person.

 

[slowandeasy]

It is unlikely the Jays will be better then last year. The highlight for the Jay's season might be when A.J. Burnett blows out his arm for the season.

That is a terrible thing to say, and we should never hope for something like that.

But if you are going to do it, then do it properly. Hopefully he blows out his arm, AND the Yankees have a clause in his contract that says if he gets injured they get to pay him in Zimbabwe dollars

The last time I checked, $1US = $25,000,000Zimbabwe dollars.

 

[slowandeasy]

It takes slightly longer to run from 2nd to 3rd than from 1st to 2nd because there is a "shortstop" between 2nd and 3rd.

LOL... did not realize that you had such a good sense of humor Rockslinger!!!

 

[The LoLRus]

Just heard on TV Jays have the best defence in baseball

 

[RayFinkel]

I know it's early in the season..

Pretty impressive numbers for tonight's starting picthers.

Combined stats 6-0....34 IP....2.95 ERA

Lets hope the Jays get to Grenkie early and make him Cranky!!


.

 

[The LoLRus]

Is it time to drop Alex Rios down in the batting order??? Right now he's not hitting worth a lick in the #3 spot.
If he hits 6th or 7th he'll get better pitches too