The Individual Player & Creating History

[DOUGHBOYS]

Baseball has become more of an individual game over a team game. We all know that.
Fantasy baseball individualizes the game. Free agency does the same. The money, the agents, personal coaches all do the same.
Sacrifice bunts, unless done by pitchers, are rare. The hit and run, hitting to the right side of the field to advance a runner, as rare.
Instead of running out of the box on a ball well hit, a player pauses to watch the ball to see if it leaves the park.
Seeing that ball and pointing to the skies has become more important than an extra base if falling short of the seats.
There is no 'I' in team. True. But there is definitely a 'Me'.

It's not just the individual players. It is those around him as well. Managers know Saves statistics. A Closer will always come into a game with a three run lead in the ninth inning. With a four run lead, there is less than a 10 per cent chance, and yes, I made that stat up, but it sounds about right.
Even if that Closer has thrown the past day or two, he'll be brought into a secure three run situation over another bullpen mate.
It's automatic.
A batter with a long hitting streak will not be benched.
It's not because he is so hot or doesn't need a rest. It is because the Manager may feel forced to use him as a pinch hitter during that game and give him less of a chance to continue his streak.

Managers are careful not to hurt players feelings now. A player would never be referred to as 'good field, no hit' now. Now, a player is said to be 'working on that part of his game'.
A player is 'rested' now. 'Rested' has become a kind way of sitting Adam Lind against a tough lefty.
Players are not expected to 'play through an injury'.
Some will.
Most seemingly enjoy the days off.

Agents know they can sell 20 stolen bases. Agents know they can sell 25 homers. 19 and 24 are not as sexy.
Statistics are more important than being a member of a Championship team. Being on a Championship team could be a coincidence. Stats are 'real'.

For me, last night was the icing on the cake.
Yu Darvish has a no-hitter. A ball is hit to short right field. Second baseman looks like he has the pop fly in his sights.
Right fielder loafs in thinking the same thing. The ball falls harmlessly untouched.
This has been called a hit for more than a century. Being a scorekeeper, I know that an obscure rule allows us to call this an error. But, we all know it's a hit.
The scorekeeper calls it an error.

Would he had done so if Darvish were pitching in the first inning?
No.
Would he have called it an error if Darvish had already given up three hits?
Again, no.
The individual's gain or making history is stronger than fair play.
The pull of seeing history has us CREATING history.
I have Yu Darvish on my Main Event team and I was rooting against him in the ninth inning.
That no-hitter would have been as real as Tiger Woods shooting a 59 with a mulligan.

Baseball should be baseball.
No favoritism to make something so.
Can you imagine the outrage of a David Ortiz had he collected a double, triple, and home run and having the official scorekeeper calling his single last night, an error?
It doesn't work that way though, does it.

[jsw3ent]

Pro sports, and to some extent College sports, are now a disgrace. They are becoming Rasslin-fixed-fake. Let's examine. NBA--(1-Tim Donaghy admits that major game controlling is rampant in NBA. 2--walking is never called 3--stars get away with things lesser players cannot. NFL--( 1--defense is not allowed to be played for the most part. 2--a hard hit is now called unnecessary roughness. 3-- all a WR has to do is flail his hands wildly and pass interference is almost automatic. 4--almost anytime the crowd boos loudly they get want they want. MLB--you covered it well. Sports are fast becoming like the everyone gets a trophy society our COUNTRY has become. Our Nation of the 50's 60's 70's is long gone, and so are Sports of that era----and I am afraid both will never be the same. Merle Haggard asked it best ---are the good times really over for good ? Makes me wonder why I put so much time-energy-money is this fantasy hobby of ours-----why because we love it.

[Joe Sambito]

The scorekeeper was in a predicament there and took forever to make a ruling. I would have given him a hit, however I love the fact that when he decided to "award" the error, I love that it was given to the right fielder. That was Rios' ball.

[DOUGHBOYS]

And now, with the no-hitter safely broken up, Major League Baseball has overturned the call and it is now a hit.