Rule of thumb never make the 1st or 3rd out at 3rd base. Reason why baseball people have been saying this probably for a 100 years. Your in scoring position. Simple, and if you do go you better be 100% sure you'll make it. The extra base is not as important as the out.
Last edited by OH FOY!; 09-16-2017 at 08:09 AM.
Then you would love Daniel Nava as your man on 2b with no one on 1b and no one out. He was listening to you and that sacred rule several years ago when the next batter actually hit a fly over the rightfielder's glove in Fenway and it got all the to the wall. Nava, meanwhile, no doubt terrified of that never ever make the 1st out at 3b rule, finally decided to slide into 2b because he was sure the ball would be caught. He never advanced to 3b. The hitter, appalled, did get back to 1b safely.
As for being in scoring position on 2b--again, we are assuming no one on 1b so the guy on 2d has a decision to make--why are most teams very happy when the hitter moves that guy to 3b on a groundout or fly ball, especially with no one out? Reason: there are huge advantages to having a man on 3b with one out vs. a man on 2b with one out.
So, me, I don't like those never ever rules nor the requirement that anything aggressive needs to have a 100% guarantee.
True on the 11th and 12th--very frustrating even though on one of those innings we actually hit a couple of balls hard that were caught.
Overall, Barnes and Workman notwithstanding, the bullpen was excellent. Sale did not have a quality start and did give up 2 dingers, but he went 6, giving up 4. The problem for us onlookers was that looked pretty fatal, especially when Barnes gave up the dinger and the Sox were down 3 and looking helpless at the plate. The 9th was under those circumstances stunning. Plus Bogie smacking a hard single to drive home the tying run. What?
I guess you don't understand the explanation. You hit a ball, with no out, and go to third and get thrown out that's not smart baseball. Count the outs. Your at 2nd ground ball to 2nd baseman same thing. You don't take that chance. Going to 3rd is fine if your 100% sure with no outs, you get thrown out that's dumb. No Old School it's common sense. Triples are the hardest hit to get in baseball.
Last edited by OH FOY!; 09-16-2017 at 05:15 PM.
Sean McAdam made a good point, Swihart had a good game for not playing for awhile. Those 7 innings caught, in a big game was encouraging. Especially his first Pitcher he caught was Kimbrel, who is not easy.