There have been numerous instances of players doing the same thing Springer did last night throughout the playoffs this year. The "playoff baseballs" are not flying as far as the regular season baseballs because they're producing more drag, so players that hit long fly balls that were over the fence in the regular season are reacting the same way they did then. As a result, they're not sprinting out of the box. I'm not saying what Springer did was right or wrong, I'm just offering a possible explanation..
Analytics have proven that the baseballs are definitely flying different that the regular season baseballs did, which is intriguing since the league denies ever changing the balls.
Ya'll feel free to get off the bandwagon. I think there is plenty room on the Rangers wagon down the road! Its really easy to be a critic off the couch. This is a great team, and it was overall a good game last night. Had a couple balls drifted to the left or the right just a little bit it could have ended differently. You have to respect the Nationals, but IMO it took them playing their best ball, and us being a little off for them to win by 1 run. Maybe I'm just optimistic, but I think the Astros will outlast the Nationals and take the series in 6.
If you’re going to accuse Alex Bregman, who I despise, and Jose Altuve, of not putting forth enough effort to win a World Series freaking series game... it absolutely does matter!
Springer made a bonehead move, but the rookie on the bases in front of him screwed up his chance to get to third anyway. Without looking I would guess that is the winningest baseball team on the planet over the last three or four years, I think they’ve earned a little more than to be accused of not trying.
Absolutely absurd…
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Im not accusing Springer of intentionally not trying, but he did start celebrating prematurely. I also made zero mention of Bregman and Altuve not putting forth enough effort.
Springer thought he hit a home run and celebrated/jogged when he should have been sprinting. Tucker still scored so it doesn't matter how close to catching him Springer would have gotten. The result of the play had Springer sprinted out of the box would be been an RBI triple with a runner on 3rd. Instead he jogged out of the box and got an RBI double and ended up on second. Altuve then hit what would could have been a game tying sac fly, but since Springer jogged and was on second base, Altuve gets a worthless F9. Its the little things that add up in baseball. Sometimes they don't cost you anything, sometimes they do and this one did.
Being one of the best teams at baseball the past 3-4 years has absolutely zero relevance for this year and it dang sure doesn't relieve you of having to hustle when you get to the World Series. I guarantee if you asked Springer if in hindsight he should have been sprinting out of the box, he would undoubtedly say yes.
Tucker still scored so it doesn't matter how close to catching him Springer would have gotten. The result of the play had Springer sprinted out of the box would be been an RBI triple with a runner on 3rd.
I watched that play 20 times from various angles, it was far from a gimme triple with the rookie in the way...period.
Is this the play where the outfielder almost caught the ball? Didn't he get a glove on it?
If this the play...the rookie was correct in going back to tag. If he caught it...double play
If you base it purely on strategy, Tucker shouldn't have been tagging since there was one out. He should have been holding up halfway to third. Outfielder catches it and you go back to second. Outfield drops in and you take off. Statistically there's not much advantage to being on third instead of second if there are two outs. It still takes a base hit to score as the sac fly or fielders choice it out of the question. On real difference it the passed ball situation which isnt very common in the MLB with how good catchers are at blocking balls.
If you base it purely on strategy, Tucker shouldn't have been tagging since there was one out. He should have been holding up halfway to third. Outfielder catches it and you go back to second. Outfield drops in and you take off. Statistically there's not much advantage to being on third instead of second if there are two outs. It still takes a base hit to score as the sac fly or fielders choice it out of the question. On real difference it the passed ball situation which isnt very common in the MLB with how good catchers are at blocking balls.
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