Explain something for me... Baseball - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

albertGQ · 06-01-2006, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Yup and even the guy on third comes home and scores the run.

Its a highly judgemental call for the umps and one that can have dire consequences which is why you don't see it more often. Its something that happens more in the game then its called because it is so rarely called. More last season though if I recall. I saw stats about how often it was called and it was up last year I think.

Thanks Jiri

Resolute 14 · 06-01-2006, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albertGQ

The base runners do not advance like a walk right? I think i've seen a runnner on 2nd with 1st base empty. A Balk is called and the batter goes to 1st while the runner on 2nd goes to 3rd instead of staying on 2nd? I may have been drunk, but I think thats what I saw

And you say you wish umps would call it more often. Does it happen often in a game, but umps just don't call it or what?

Actually, the batter does not go to first on a balk. Only the runners advance.

A balk is basically a deliberate attempt at decieving the base runners. Thus, a balk cannot be called with the bases empty.

Most common reasons for a balk are:
- Starting then stopping your windup.
- Throwing to a base without stepping off the rubber
- Throwing to first base after stepping towards home on a pickoff attempt
- Faking a throw to first (it is legal to fake a throw to second or third).

Bring_Back_Shantz · 06-01-2006, 02:09 PM

Snakeeye, A Balk can be called when the bases are empty and it just counts as a ball.

Instances where a Balk can be called when the bases are empty include:
a quick pitch to catch the batter off guard
Not facing the batter when you pitch
not stopping before your windup once you step onto the rubber (ie stepping onto the rubber and immediatley throwing)
Dropping the ball once you've stepped onto the rubber

I'm sure there are more, but all of those should result in a balk and the batter gets credit for a ball.

albertGQ · 06-01-2006, 02:18 PM

Wow. I never knew baseball could be so complicated!!!!!!

RedHot25 · 06-01-2006, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Wow. I never knew baseball could be so complicated!!!!!!

Ha Albert. That's actually one of the reasons why I really like it. There are so many intricacie (pardon the spelling), tweaks of things that even the most hardcore of baseball fans might give you a couple of different responses about. Its great. Well, I think anyways....

JiriHrdina · 06-01-2006, 02:42 PM

It is indeed the complexity of the game that makes it great, even if it is confusing at times (as witnessed by me forgetting the runner does NOT go to 1st on a balk).

At its heart its a simple game - run, hit, catch. But the more you learn the more layers there are to it.

The thing that confused me for years was slugging percentage. Could not for the life of me get my head wrapped around that stat.

Resolute 14 · 06-01-2006, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

Snakeeye, A Balk can be called when the bases are empty and it just counts as a ball.

Actually, I dont believe that that is classified as a balk, simply a ball. MLB itself defines a balk as "an illegal act by the pitcher with a runner or runners on base, entitling all runners to advance one base."

For anyone who wants to know just how complicated the balk rule is, it is 8.05 of the official rulebook:

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/of.../pitcher_8.jsp

albertGQ · 06-01-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The thing that confused me for years was slugging percentage. Could not for the life of me get my head wrapped around that stat.

Yeah, I'd like to know this too!!!

Also, what does WSIP stand for? (or is it WISP?)

habernac · 06-01-2006, 03:49 PM

you mean RISP? Runners In Scoring Position?

or WHIP? Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched?

ken0042 · 06-01-2006, 03:54 PM

So, how often would you see each the following type of play:

Pitching a no hitter.
Triple Play
Balk
Grand Slam.

Bring_Back_Shantz · 06-01-2006, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

So, how often would you see each the following type of play:

Pitching a no hitter.
Triple Play
Balk
Grand Slam.

I have no idea what the actual frequency would be, but I'll be in order of liklieness you've probably got them pretty close to the revers order.

I'd be it'd be (most likely to least likely)

Balk
GS
TP
No hitter

albertGQ · 06-01-2006, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habernac

or WHIP? Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched?

Yeah, this one

Thanks

RedHot25 · 06-01-2006, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Yeah, this one

Thanks

Pretty much what it stands for explains it - Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP). so a pitchers WHIP (this is a stat for pitchers only) is determined by the number of walks and hits per inning that he throws...in a formula sense its WHIP = (H+BB)/IP. WHIP is one of the many stats that helps to tell you how "effective/good" a pitcher is. The lower the whip, the better...means in a simple sense he is alllowing less batters to get on base somehow (i.e. by either walking or them getting a hit off of him).

Take these examples for example:

Brandon Webb, a pitcher for Arizona has a WHIP of 1.05. That's really good. Roy Halladay of the Jays has a pretty great one too, at 1.03. These two guys (if you look at their stats overall) are having a great year.

But...look at the opposite extreme. A guy like Bruce Chen, who pitches for the Orioles, has a whip of 1.80. That is getting near double what Halladay has! Hence, Chen is pretty bad...he is walking and/or allowing hits A LOT more than Halladay and Webb are.

JiriHrdina · 06-01-2006, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I have no idea what the actual frequency would be, but I'll be in order of liklieness you've probably got them pretty close to the revers order.

I'd be it'd be (most likely to least likely)

Balk
GS
TP
No hitter

Add to that two more rare events. The Perfect Game and hitting for the cycle. I'd rank them:

Balk
GS (might reverse these first two)
TP
No hitter
Cycle
Perfect Game

CaramonLS · 06-01-2006, 05:31 PM

I think hitting for the cycle is more common than a no hitter.

Also, 4Ks in an inning is also extremely rare, I think it has happened 14 times over the last 10 years or something similar.

It is pretty rare.

Resolute 14 · 06-01-2006, 05:44 PM

I believe the rarest event in baseball is the unassisted triple play. IIRC, it has occurred only seven or eight times in MLB history.

Actually saw one of those turned by a Calgary Viper last year, only the 2nd time it has ever happened in the Northern League's 13 year history.

ken0042 · 06-01-2006, 05:55 PM

Alright- I'll bite.

What is hitting for the cycle?

(Man, I might end up watching a few games because of this thread!)

CaramonLS · 06-01-2006, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

Alright- I'll bite.

What is hitting for the cycle?

(Man, I might end up watching a few games because of this thread!)

Getting a single, double, triple and a homerun all in the same game.

ken0042 · 06-01-2006, 05:59 PM

Thanks guys. It's amazing some of the subtleties you miss in any sport.

Like in hockey; it wasn't until about 5 years ago that I started to watch how long a line had been on the ice.

RatherDashing · 06-01-2006, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakeeye

I believe the rarest event in baseball is the unassisted triple play. IIRC, it has occurred only seven or eight times in MLB history.

Actually saw one of those turned by a Calgary Viper last year, only the 2nd time it has ever happened in the Northern League's 13 year history.

Another very rare event is a hitter winning the triple crown. To do this, a player needs to lead the league (MLB or just AL/NL?) in homeruns, RBI's, and batting average.