MLB Ump's

[zamboni]

The team in a perfect game can do for the pitcher what he needs done out in the field and at the plate, making it a perfect game. The pitcher gets credit for it because it is his pitches that the other team is either missing or not knocking into the stands. The perfect game is the epitome of a baseball stat, as it should be. It is almost impossible to do.

Sled once said players hitting for cycles is a dumb stat (because his favorite player Cuddyer did it) Believe it or not, there have been more recorded no-hitters than cycles, so dumb stat? I think not. The Cycle is very tough to do as well

[mnwild]

Zamboni- good luck arguing with Big Dave, my opinion is the guy is blind to this subject. For him to say ("what is the difference if a pitcher pitches a perfect game? I don't understand why there is such a significance placed on this") really makes me laugh and a very idiotic comment in my mind.If its not significate stat why did Jim Joyce come out and say he took a perfect game away from the kid??? Pitching a perfect game doesnt come around very often and when it does happen its a very special moment for Baseball and the players on the field. Its happend what 20 times in MLB history and for him to say why is there such a significance placed on this, sorry Dave its a big deal in MLB if you like it or not. And yes it is a team game but its the pitcher throwing the pitches in certain spots at the plate and when you hit those spots the ball will go where it should with that pitch thrown.

Now for the UMP- Jim Joyce a very class act with what he came out and said saying he lost the perfect game for the kid and took 100% blame for what happend, he is one of the best in the game. I heard today that his wife and kids have had death threats towards them, common people leave the family out of it. Todays game showed how much that call got to Joyce, started to cry as he grabbed the starting line-up card from Gallaraga.

And I do think replay should be used in Baseball, use replay like football you get 2 red flags to throw and that is it.

[mr_jman]

I will stick with Big Dave on the Punto argument but have to disagree with him or anyone saying that these rare moments aren't a big deal!!!!!

If you were at a game would you not be thrilled to see the perfect game in person????? How many more people went to watch Johan Santana pitch a game vs other pitchers in the dome because he was capable of throwing 15+ K's in a game and was unstoppable in the Cy Young years. Joe Mauer became the first AL Catcher to win the batting title in 2006. The Twins didn't hit for the cycle in 20+ years then its happened 3 times in the last 2 years. ITS A RARE THING!!!!!

ITS THESE THINGS THAT MAKE THE GAME GREAT... The chance to see something truely rare and amazing!

Baseballs peak TV attendance came during the McGwire and Sosa homerun race. Why???? HISTORY!!!!! - A homerun is common but hitting a lot of them in one season is rare! Although tainted now by steroids, baseball at that time was on top of the world. I think it was the race factor that made it better than when Bonds broke the all time and single season records but it was still fun to watch!

Saying a rare event like a perfect game, a homerun race, the Cal Ripken consecutive game streak, Ricky Hendersons stolen base records..... ANYONE REACHING 3000 HITS!!!!! 500 Career Homers...... World Series Game 7's, etc. isn't important is rediculous because its these events that people remember for years and years, not who won between the Blue Jays and Orioles on July 13th, 1989...

To say you were at ANY of these events would be awesome. I will forever hold memories of being at game 163 in the Dome last year! I was also at game 162 in 2006 when Mauer clinched the batting title and the Twins won the division ater Detroit got swept by KC over an hour after the Twins beat the White Sox! These rare events are what make baseball such a great sport.

The argument about the Pitcher being the only one given credit isn't entirley true becuase even in a record book the TEAM he played for will be listed in conjunction with the date and opponent. Its a great honor for a pitcher to throw the perfect game but to say it wasn't a team effort would just be rediculous! I agree 100% with the post about the TEAM having the perfect game! Fans of that team will remember a lot of players on the team just like I still know the '87 and '91 Twins players and I was only 2 and 5 years old when it happened. (I knew all the last names of the Twins when I was 2 years old... My parents would say a first name and I knew their last names, and my favorite player was Steve Lombardozzi!)

I do agree that at the end of the season it comes down to the wins and losses. I doubt they would reverse yesterdays game to a perfect game and replay shouldn't be used for every close call or pitch either. Questionable run scoring plays that usually have the biggest impact are where I think its ok. NO RED FLAGS ON THE FIELD THOUGH!

[mnwild]

Well said jman..

Big Dave- if this isn't significate why is it all over the sports stations all day today????

[Big Dave2]

If the perfect game is so significant, who can tell me without using google, anything about the game that Addie Joss pitched in 1908? Who was the right fielder in that game? What player made an excellent play to keep the perfect game alive?

All I am saying is that it is a team accomplishment not one persons accomplishment. Show me a pitcher that can strike out 27 batters in a game making the defensive players unnessesary and then I will say that it is an individual accomplishment.

Winning the world series is a much larger accomplishment for me.

[Big Dave2]

I'm not saying that pitching the perfect game is not a rare event or in some ways significant but to suggest that a personal accomplishment of one player on a team is more significant than the teams accomplishments is just plain selfish and really goes to show what is wrong with the world today.

[Big Dave2]

Fans of that team will remember a lot of players on the team just like I still know the '87 and '91 Twins players and I was only 2 and 5 years old when it happened. (I knew all the last names of the Twins when I was 2 years old... My parents would say a first name and I knew their last names, and my favorite player was Steve Lombardozzi!)

That just proves that winning a world series is a lot more significant than pitching a perfect game. I can also tell you all the names of the '87 and '91 Twins teams and I can also tell you most of the names on last years Yankees team but I couldn't begin to tell you all the names on the Yankees team that was behind David Wells when he pitched his perfect game.

[zamboni]

I couldn't begin to tell you all the names on the Yankees team that was behind David Wells when he pitched his perfect game.

You shouldn't have to- that was his perfect game!!

[JacobMHD]

If it means nothing, why is it so hard to do?

I think that the teammates embrace the perfect game for what it is...an individual on the team standing above the team and excelling in their position. No perfect game, to my knowledge, has been accomplished without help from the team, but the "bulk of the load" was taken care of by the pitcher.

I do not see how this is any indication of what is wrong in the world today. If anything, this is glimpse into what can happen if people come together as a team and embrace a common goal, perfection.

[Big Dave2]

If it means nothing, why is it so hard to do?

I think that the teammates embrace the perfect game for what it is...an individual on the team standing above the team and excelling in their position. No perfect game, to my knowledge, has been accomplished without help from the team, but the "bulk of the load" was taken care of by the pitcher.

I do not see how this is any indication of what is wrong in the world today. If anything, this is glimpse into what can happen if people come together as a team and embrace a common goal, perfection.

selfishness and narcissm is what is wrong with the world today. Putting an indiviual ahead of a team.

[B. Amish]

it was important because it would've been history. everyone at the game would've told the story for the rest of their lives, "i witnessed a perfect game". it would've been in the baseball hall of fame.

but, i guess it will still kinda be history and everyone at the game will be telling stories about how "i witnessed a blown call on the last out of a would have been perfect game."

if your personal dilusional view thinks that the win is more important than the perfect game, that's fine. a win is a win is a win. a perfect game is history.

[Big Dave2]

If it means nothing, why is it so hard to do?

Lots of things are hard to do, that don't mean they are all accomplishments that are meaningful to me.

It has to be hard to ride a unicycle from California to New York but wouuld I care if you did that? NO!

[Big Dave2]

if your personal dilusional view thinks that the win is more important than the perfect game, that's fine. a win is a win is a win. a perfect game is history.

More narcissm.

[B. Amish]

More narcissm.

is that a made up word?

[JacobMHD]

BIG Dave

Have you ever played on a team sport?

[hcmpls1]

A perfect game is a HUGE accomplishment and I would love to see one in person but has there ever been an MLB pitcher who's struck out all 27 batters in one game? Nope. That in and of itself means a perfect game is not an individual feat. It's a team effort that gets a pitcher a perfect game, or at least every perfect game to date...

[mr_jman]

There are VERY few sports that are individually won. Golf and Bowling are the only two that truely came to my mind. If you say NASCAR you'd be wrong because of the pit crew and spotters! Anyways the point is that great things can be accomplished by an individual player on a team, but no individual player will EVER win a game by himself.

IF EVERY PLAYER WAS EQUAL, THEN WHY DO WE PAY MAUER AND MORNEAU MORE THAN PUNTO AND SPAN?????

A great Kirby Puckett quote was "God gave everyone different skills and its up to that person to make the most of them." Is it Joe Mauers fault he is one of the best hitters in the league, or should he lower his skills so that everyone on the team has the same batting average and the team is equal. Maybe Joe and Justin should give back their AL MVP awards because they are too good for the rest of the team or in those years, too important for the entier American League itself. I don't know why anyone would have a problem when an individual in a team setting has a great individual performance????? Would he not give credit to his teammates????? If a team game is truely a team game than why do we keep stats on ANY individual player.

Maybe we should shut down EVERY fantasy football, baseball, basketball, hockey, NASCAR league because they are ALL based (except Defense in football in some leagues) on INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES!!!!!

Maybe guys like Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzke, Babe Ruth, etc. should never have played their sports because they were or are all bigger than the sport themselves? I don't know why we should fault these guys because they were talented at what they did? Yet they all turned in amazing INDIVIDUAL performances in their careers.

I don't think any pitcher walks into a game saying he is going to throw the perfect game, but EVERY pitcher would jump at the opportunity if they knew it was going to happen..... Why? It's a great accomplishment individually, BUT it also means a victory for his team!

A team is made up of individual players that come together for a common purpose. You need individuals because not everyone can play center field like Denard Span or catch like Joe Mauer or hit homeruns like Justin Morneau. If each individual player doesn't strive to be the best he can be on the field at his position, then the team isn't going to win games!

[Big Dave2]

A perfect game is a HUGE accomplishment and I would love to see one in person but has there ever been an MLB pitcher who's struck out all 27 batters in one game? Nope. That in and of itself means a perfect game is not an individual feat. It's a team effort that gets a pitcher a perfect game, or at least every perfect game to date...

Thats exactly what I have been saying.

[Big Dave2]

is that a made up word?

Nope.

Narcissism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Narcissism is the personality trait of egotism denoting vanity, conceit, egotism or simple selfishness. Applied to a social group, it is sometimes used to denote elitism or an indifference to the plight of others.

[JacobMHD]

A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base.[2] Thus, the pitcher (or pitchers) cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any other reason—in short, "27 up, 27 down".

A perfect game is a team accomplishment. Since the bulk of the load is carried by the pitcher, he deserves the extra attention.

[JacobMHD]

Narcissism....N....A...R...C....I...S....S...M????.....Narcissm

[Big Dave2]

BIG Dave

Have you ever played on a team sport?

Yes

[Big Dave2]

Narcissism....N....A...R...C....I...S....S...M????.....Narcissm

Sorry, I guess I'm obviously not as good of a speller as you.

[Big Dave2]

There are VERY few sports that are individually won. Golf and Bowling are the only two that truely came to my mind. If you say NASCAR you'd be wrong because of the pit crew and spotters! Anyways the point is that great things can be accomplished by an individual player on a team, but no individual player will EVER win a game by himself.

That's exactly what I am saying!

IF EVERY PLAYER WAS EQUAL, THEN WHY DO WE PAY MAUER AND MORNEAU MORE THAN PUNTO AND SPAN?????

A great Kirby Puckett quote was "God gave everyone different skills and its up to that person to make the most of them." Is it Joe Mauers fault he is one of the best hitters in the league, or should he lower his skills so that everyone on the team has the same batting average and the team is equal. Maybe Joe and Justin should give back their AL MVP awards because they are too good for the rest of the team or in those years, too important for the entier American League itself. I don't know why anyone would have a problem when an individual in a team setting has a great individual performance????? Would he not give credit to his teammates????? If a team game is truely a team game than why do we keep stats on ANY individual player.

Maybe we should shut down EVERY fantasy football, baseball, basketball, hockey, NASCAR league because they are ALL based (except Defense in football in some leagues) on INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES!!!!!

Maybe guys like Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzke, Babe Ruth, etc. should never have played their sports because they were or are all bigger than the sport themselves? I don't know why we should fault these guys because they were talented at what they did? Yet they all turned in amazing INDIVIDUAL performances in their careers.

I don't understand what you are talking about here. I never said any of this stuff.

I don't think any pitcher walks into a game saying he is going to throw the perfect game, but EVERY pitcher would jump at the opportunity if they knew it was going to happen..... Why? It's a great accomplishment individually, BUT it also means a victory for his team!

A team is made up of individual players that come together for a common purpose. You need individuals because not everyone can play center field like Denard Span or catch like Joe Mauer or hit homeruns like Justin Morneau. If each individual player doesn't strive to be the best he can be on the field at his position, then the team isn't going to win games!

I absolutely agree

What does all this bickering with me over what I think about a perfect game have to do with MLB umpires?

[Mudcutter]

Bowling a sport--- come on. I can hang out at the alley and have drinks- smokes and still bowl "nearly" just as good, if not better, if I were to stay sober. Can't do that in running a marathon, triathlon, swimming or wrestling. The best individual sports are Track, wrestling and swimming. No one to blame but yourself, relays and team scoring aside. Bowling a sport,, what a joke. a slight deviation from the main post,, but it bothers me when some call certain recreations -- a sport, or worse-- athletes. PLease.