Last night I guess we had our first sanctioned, pro ball game 2-pitch inning, between two A-ball teams. The Braves affiliate in Rome, GA was visiting the A-ball affiliate of the Pirates.
In the 10th inning, as they now do in the minors, a runner was placed on 2b for West Virginia. The Rome pitcher pitched, and the hitter smacked a line drive up the middle…
…right into the second-baseman’s glove, and he stepped on the bag to double off the placed runner.
The next batter stepped in and smoked a hard line drive his own self, down the third base line, but right into the glove of the Rome third-baseman.
Huh. Well, that’s one way to keep the pitch count down for your reliever, I suppose.
I suppose for that to happen in the bigs, it’d be something like an intentional walk to lead off the inning, then a sequence like what happened in that minor league game.
Good call. Yeah, the team would have to issue an intentional walk of the leadoff hitter (maybe that happened to Barry Bonds or McGwire a few times?) and then the line drive out has to go to 1b to double the man off.
In other news, looks like the Nats have given up on the postseason. Daniel Murphy traded to the Cubs for a minor league IFer, and Matt Adams goes to the Cards for:
Just to clarify something; the Nats put Harper on revocable waivers in an attempt to trade him. A team (allegedly the Dodgers) claimed him, didn’t work out a deal, and the Nats revoked the waivers.
Truly best for Posey right now. I came to terms with the Giants season about a month ago, I’m glad the org is too (though it would have been nice to trade for some young talent before waivers…)
You put someone on revocable waivers so you can test the water. Why they went that route atthat time I have no idea. That is usually done after the trade deadline.
And it is done in August with dozens, if not hundreds of players–and has been for well over a decade–after the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but before the September 1st postseason roster freeze.
If you’re going to test the waters on a player like Harper at his salary, it would be in August, when a team presumably willing to pay the rest of his salary this year would insist also on having him available for postseason duty.
Uhm when did Murphy CUB KILLER become a Cub?!? Like when Jim Edmonds CUB KILLER became a Cub ten years ago. I’m ok with getting players like this, thanks Theo.
