Comments on: Game 86, Tigers at Mariners

By: KenLevine

KenLevine — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:11:16 +0000

Thanks to all of you who commented on my fill-on stint broadcasting for the M’s this week. Even the negative comments.

It was a crazy situation, especially being thrown onto the telecast and then that crazy play, but I had a great time, I love the Mariners, and although I was a little rusty and my voice is my voice, I think I conveyed the joy I felt being there and covering the M’s. And I think you could follow what was going on.

In any event, this is a terrific blog. And I learn more about the team from you guys than from anywhere else.

If anyone is interested, I have a blog as well. It’s more humor oriented. But for those who do enjoy my act, I invite you to check it out. Today I have posted my travelogue on my Seattle trip.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/

Thanks again.

Ken Levine

By: joser

joser — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:14:13 +0000

Also, I like this:

“You just hope you make good pitches … and that Sheffield doesn’t take your head off,” Putz said.

By: joser

joser — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:13:27 +0000

Heck, even Beltre thinks that’s what happened

Second base umpire Bruce Froemming signaled safe twice as shortstop Carlos Guillen missed tags before and after Beltre slid thru the bag. He tried to go back to second and Guillen missed again.

Or did he?

“He might have tagged me,” Beltre said, smiling.

I do like giving this play the moniker “The Great Escape.” It may not rank up there with The Catch and The Throw, but take note: if the M’s end up taking the Wild Card by one game from Detroit, this is that game.

By: joser

joser — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:06:09 +0000

But even though Betancourt was out of the box, over the plate, he ducked to give Pudge a clearer throw. Which isn’t something he has to do when he’s in the box; when he’s out over the plate like he was, purely unintentionally because he was off balance, it’s the least — and the most — he can do. If he hadn’t done that, I think Pudge would’ve had a much better case (and in fact wouldn’t have been able to get the throw off at all). I think the ump was cognizant of all of those factors — that Betancourt wasn’t intentionally interfering, and was trying to stay out of the way — and so declined calling interference. I think that’s reasonable. If Betancourt hadn’t ducked, and the ump called an out on interference, I would have been ok with that too. It’s understandable Pudge got upset, but going completely ballistic was absurd. He needs to remember his noodle arm wasn’t going to throw out the runner at 2nd even under the best of circumstances.

As for Beltre — we Tivo’d the replays and watched them carefully. Beltre obviously grabbed second base: no doubt there. And Guillen definitely missed him on the initial tag. Guillen also missed him on the second tag, as Beltre let go of the bag and started to scramble. But on the third try he tagged him on the arm as he was running to third. There are three camera angles in the replays, and one of them shows this pretty clearly; you can also see Guillen stop chasing Beltre at that point because he knows he got him. But Sexson broke for home while that was going on, and he crossed the plate before that third tag attempt was successful. So Beltre was out on the play, and the run did score. In other words, in spite of a blown call and a bogus make-up call, they got the situation right in the end. It’s not often you see umps make two bad calls on the same play and end up with everything the way it’s supposed to be, but that’s what happened.

I’m sure Detroit is pissed, and they probably don’t see it that way, but it looks to me that in spite of everything the game was decided by the play on the field, and not the umps. Of course, Pudge could’ve not got himself thrown out and given his team another chance to win at the plate; then again, had he been behind the plate on the Beltre play his inevitably weak throw to 2nd might’ve given Beltre more time to overslide 2nd and get safely all the way to 3rd, extending the rally.

By: msb

msb — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:37:25 +0000

#373– and there are some fine moments to be found, if one cherry-picks the Herc and Xena series. I can also happily recommend his book, “If chins could kill: confessions of a B movie actor”

By: sodomojojojo

sodomojojojo — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:21:04 +0000

I am, thank you. He just has the slightly annoying lispy thing going on.

And IMHO the second “Evil Dead” movie is the one Bruce Campbell to start with, followed by the Briscoe County series and then Bubba Hotep as dessert.

By: 88fingerslukee

88fingerslukee — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:47:50 +0000

Are you talking the Princess Bride?!? Brilliant!!

By: sodomojojojo

sodomojojojo — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:30:18 +0000

Does anyone besides me want to hear Levine say “InconCEIVable” or “…never get involved in a land war in Asia. The second, only slightly less well known, is this: never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha”?

By: msb

msb — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:30:22 +0000

#362– according to Valle, it doesn’t have to be intentional to be be catcher’s interference.

By: zzyzx

zzyzx — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:29:37 +0000

I was at a concert last night and I kept trying to get updates on the game from my phone. It was stuck on that 2-2 count for over 10 minutes. That was frustrating, but when I got home it made sense.