BaseballBlogs: Tom Hanks might have said, 'There's no fear in baseball!'

Notes on a baseball game from the notepad beside my score card.

Boston Red Sox 13 @ Toronto Blue Jays 12
Monday April 26, 2010, 7:10 PM EDT
Rogers Centre - Toronto On
15 C - 59 F Wind, south 10 km/h

The Dome had better be open. Grrr... This is game 1 of 3, all are evening games.

Boston

M. Scutaro, SS
D. Pedroia, 2B
K. Youkilis, 1B
M. Lowell, DH
J. Drew, RF
J. Varitek, C
A. Beltre, 3B
B. Hall, LF
D. McDonald, CF

SP Josh Beckett (1-0)

Toronto

F. Lewis, LF
A. Hill, 2B
A. Lind, DH
V. Wells, CF
L. Overbay, 1B
A. Gonzalez, SS
J. Bautista, 3B
J. Buck, C
T. Snider, RF

SP Dana Eveland (2-0)

Note 1

On a base hit to right in the 1st Scutaro scores the games first run, and Youkilis who is right behind him, is called out at the plate. Snider in right comes up with a perfect throw -- but Youkilis was safe.
Umpires usually stand about where they stand on a pitch, a little to one side or the other, when calling a play at the plate.
I've seen some umps stand of to one side more -- you can't stand on the 1st base side with the ball coming in from right, but you can stand on the dugout side and get a much better view of the plate and the catcher glove coming across from the catch, if the ball is missed it likely won't be right at the catcher, so your not blocking the pitcher backing up the play over by the dug out.
I'm not a certified umpire -- why do umps stand where they do?.

Note 2

With two out in the second John Buck hit a scorcher to the wall past right fielder J. D. Drew who didn't seem read it right at all. The ball seemed to get out there REALLY fast.
Is the ball juiced again this year - after a couple of years not - now that all the players are off the steroids?

Note 3

Lots of Boston fans here by the sounds of it - as usual.
Eveland has loaded the bases again now in the 3rd. Double, single, walk - no outs.
4. Lowell, FO 8
5. Drew, Ks
6. Varitek BH 8 2 RBI
7. Beltre 2BH 9 2 RBI
Travis Snider was there but didn't touch it. I think he dove when, as Rogers colour commentator Pat Tabler said he should have kept running, the way he hit the wall, shoulder, neck, head - if he'd just run he would have hit the wall with less chance of injury. He doesn't know the field yet - he'll get better.

Note 4

Lewis hits a ball to left and makes it all the way to 3rd, man that guys got five gears - between 2nd and 3rd he turns it on and holy cow can he move!
With 2 outs now Fred Lewis our favorite Fred on the Blue Jays comes back to the plate the tenth batter of the inning, another triple perhaps Fred?
K looking??? Come on ump! Your ruining my dreams. :)

Note 5

Pedroia hits the ball back to Eveland who digs it out of his glove but still has time... But Gonzalez who thought he might have to field the ball behind Eveland b-lines to second and cuts off the throw to Hill! He has a brain attack, probably confused Eveland who just lobbed the ball into the area instead of a strong throw and easy tag for Aron Hill.
These guys haven't played together much, they need more innings together.

Note 6

Crooked numbers.
Wells hits a Bullet to Youkilis for an out. Almost a double play as Hill was way off the bag at second - but so was Scutaro - who wasn't in time at the bag for the ball, which skips out into right field. Hill doesn't know where the ball is and left fielder Hall has it in quickly. An ill-advised throw by Youkilis imho.
E7 on a fly ball by Gonzalez. Way up waaaaaaay up plates Hill and Lind. Hall should have had it - but the scorer calls it a triple.

Note 7

Is Shawn Camp the pitcher he looks like he is? Here's a great test of the theory in this high scoring duck shoot.
9. McDonald 6-3
1. Scutaro 6-3
2. Pedroia 0-2 pitch: BH grounder to 8
Youkilis's lower back on the left side is killing him, saw it on a check swing 2-2, and earlier when he scored on his second plate attempt. Petroia steals second on the check swing
3. Youkilis BH7 scores Pedroia from 2nd with 2 outs. 9-8.
Cito comes out to talk to the battery
4. Lowell F8
Conclusion: Hmmm. Need more data.

Note 8

Atchison two fly outs then Fred hits a ball down off the plate that goes waaaaaaaay up. 3rd baseman Beltre has no play -- plate hit?
Seems like the hitting clinic is over, for both teams. It's quiet... too quiet...
Wells G5-UA. Beltre tags Lind who is running on the hit ball with two out. But Lind doesn't force a throw, he just stands there. Beltre waits for him to do something and then tags him.
A real baseball player would have made them throw the ball by scampering back to second, especially in a tie game, late.
Perhaps nobody wants to rile up the other team as it seems the gale of hits and runs has abated. It seemed like Lind did the right thing even through by the book, he did not.

Note 9

Apparently MLB is investigating broken bats - there are too many. They want to make baseball safe. I hate the 'safe' advertising meme. It's hero branding, except the hero you buy is war. The fear is in your head - not in baseball. Tom Hanks might have said, 'There's no fear in baseball!'

Note 10

Apparently Lind's move just showed fear -- the batting storm is back!
One run is in, on two base hits and the 9th hitter McDonald's whacks a double scoring one.
Scutaro hits an infield single. Scutaro is 3 for 4 with a walk.
Pedroia's double down the left field line scores McDonald and as Buck bobbles the ball on a one-hopper from left Scutaro scoots around him and dives for the plate, 13-9.

Note 11

Scott Downs: three up, three Down(s)... Including a Scutaro, K looking!

Note 12

Wells hits a bullet back to the feet of Boston pitcher Okajima - a kick save and a beauty - but the rebound kicks high in the air and Pedrioa has no play. Runners on 1st and 2nd
Overbay hit to centre scores Lind. Wells to third.
Pat Tabler points out Wells takes third because he knows the centre fielder McDonald is going to make sure the tieing run stays at first so he's throwing to second. Nice base running.
Bautista, sac fly to right gets Wells home.
Run scored is the result of the heads up base running by Wells. 13-12.

Note 13

Jonathan Papelbon. Nuff said.

9. T. Snider, Ks
1. F. Lewis, 6-3
2. A. Hill, FO9