Braves quotes after Wild Card loss to Cardinals
**CHIPPER JONES
Of all the ways you imagined your career would end….
“This is not one of them. I can assure you that. It’s just one of those things that happens from time to time. You have a game defensively where you don’t make plays that you should. You give good teams extra outs, and it ends up biting you.
On the errors
“On my play, I made a good play on the pick got a two seam grip, and it just sailed on me, no other way to explain it. Looking back I realized later on that Beltran had to stop on the line drive, and if I had to do it all over again, I probably would have double clutched and made sure I got a four seam grip and give Uggla a little more time to get to second base, and give myself a better opportunity to make a truer throw. We gave up six runs on six hits, and I don’t know how many of them were unearned. But as far as I’m concerned the only one they should have scored was the homer.
On having a good season end by one sloppy playoff game and an umpiring decision
“Well, ultimately I think that when we look back on this loss, we need to look at ourselves in the mirror. We put ourselves in that predicament, down 6 2. You know, that call [infield fly] is kind of a gray area. I don’t know. But I’m not willing to say that particular call cost us the ballgame. Ultimately, three errors cost us the ballgame, mine probably being the biggest. Did it cost us one out? Did it cost us one run, possibly more? Yes. But I’m not willing to sit here and say that that call cost us the ballgame.”
What did you think of the fans’ reaction, and did you nearly get hit by a bottle?
“No, I was up under the awning. Mama didn’t raise no fool. But it’s disappointing anytime something like that happens. Obviously, delays in the game throw everybody kind of off their game. You never want to see something get violent like that.
“I know one thing is for sure, you won’t be able to say that Braves fans don’t care. They came out in full force tonight, 50,000 strong. We love each and every one of them. Obviously, you don’t want to see what happened there in the eighth inning happen. But when you’ve got a Game 7 and your whole season is on the line, obviously there was a call that didn’t go that did go against the home team. Unfortunately, things like that are going to happen.”
Your next-to-last at-bat, two outs, two on, a chance to make up for a lot of bad things
“Yeah, that one will stick with me because I got a pitch to hit, and that guy’s got a really good sinker. Moved up on the plate to kind of get it before it sunk too much on me. Moved up on the plate and was basically just trying to hit a line drive up the middle and the other way. That sinker is a heavy sinker, and I just couldn’t elevate it up over the second baseman’s head. I felt good in that situation. I felt like I got the pitch to hit, and I put a good swing on it, I centered it, and just right into the ground right at the second baseman.”
Has it sunk in as far as this is over, it’s done?
“No, I don’t think it will for a few days, maybe a week. I don’t know. As I told everybody today, I’m okay. I obviously wanted to move on. I wanted to come out here and play well. Today my heart is broken not for me, my heart is broken for my teammates and my coaching staff, and all these fans that have been so great to us this year. But I’ll be okay. It’s just one of those things. You come to the park, and I walk out of here knowing that I brought it every single day. I think when you walk out of here knowing that you brought it every day, it makes walking away on the final day a little bit easier.”
What was it like when you walked in the clubhouse after the game?
“Lot of shock. The people that were talking were obviously talking about the call on the infield fly. They’re disappointed. There are a lot of guys in there trying to lay blame, and I just kind of kept my mouth shut because ultimately I feel I’m the one to blame. That play should have been a tailor made double play, and they ended up scoring three runs and gaining momentum. Then Holliday hits the homer, and now all of a sudden we’re down two runs, and it just seemed like that play there turned everything. That’s what I’m most disappointed in, I think.
“Walking away [after] my last game, you certainly don’t want to go 0 for 5 [1-for-5 actually] and make an error that loses the season for your ballclub. That will be something I’ll have to deal with in the days to come.”
As a third baseman, have you ever seen an infield fly called that far in the outfield?
“I’m not going to say that I haven’t. I haven’t seen one called where the guy wasn’t camped. You know, normally when you’re that far out, nobody’s camped [underneath the ball]. But I saw the rule where it doesn’t necessarily have to be an infielder, it could be an outfielder who comes in and ultimately makes the play. But you really don’t see any clear indication that one of the two was camped.”
**FREDI GONZALEZ
What explanation that you were given for the ruling?
“It’s an infield fly rule. I was arguing or protesting that it was not an ordinary effort. I thought that the shortstop had to go way out there to make a play on that flyball, and I think we’ve got to take account of the crowd, 50,000 people yelling, and I thought there was some miscommunication between Holliday and Kozma. I went out there and protested the game, and they came in and talked to Joe [Torre], because the protest — obviously there is no game tomorrow, so it’s got to be done right there and now.
“So they came back and told me that they’re going to go with what they called it on the field. I thought the umpires did a nice job handling that with my protest, and calling, and trying to get information. Again, from where I was, I just kind of took a glimpse of the replay, I [think] we have a legit beef.”
Given everything that happened tonight, your defense played shoddy one of the rare times all season. Did it make it especially difficult because you did have a chance there against all odds to kind of come back?
“We had some opportunities to score some runs and we didn’t get the big hit when we needed to. What hurts, and you’re absolutely right, we lead the league in fielding percentage all year long, and today we didn’t handle the ball quite the way we’ve done for 162 [games]/ Every time we gave them an opportunity, they scored big runs against us.
“I thought Medlen did a nice job. We kept putting him behind the 8 ball, and he kept making pitches. But, again, we didn’t score runs. And we didn’t handle the baseball like we have …and it came back and bit us.”
Losing a postseason game, how much more difficult is it one of the one-game “series”?
“Yeah, maybe they need to tweak the rules a little bit as you go forward. But it was one game for both teams. So, that part was fair. Both teams had one game to play, and we didn’t play particularly well on our end, so the Cardinals go on to the next round.”
Do you think the umpires handled the interference call on Simmons correctly? And when the infield fly rule was called, did you think Sam’s hand was in the air late as the ball was dropping?
“I think the interference going down the baseline, I think they made that call right, and somebody came up from the clubhouse a little later on and said that Simmons was on the grass. The infield fly rule is to protect the runners, really. But I thought that Kozma went out there way too far for a regular, ordinary flyball, and I think you’ve got to take sometimes you’ve got to take the wind at Wrigley Field for an ordinary flyball and the sun, and I thought today the crowd. I thought we were going to catch a break there. Bases loaded and one out with McCann at the plate instead of second and third and two outs. But nevertheless, we didn’t score runs when we had a chance to, and we didn’t handle the baseball.”
On the Simmons bunt, did you call a safety squeeze
“Yeah, that was a safety squeeze.”
“Was Freddy Freeman running?
“Well, the safety squeeze, you’ve got the runner on third base and you’ve got to read. I think we were just a couple of feet from really executing that to textbook with the bunt. I think if Simmons gets a little more behind it, and gets past the pitcher a little bit, I think Freeman walks home.
“Looking back into last month in September, we’ve had some tough times scoring runs, and I thought it was an opportunity there to tie the ballgame with Simmons and try to sneak a run in somehow.”
Did you think your guys were as poised as they’ve been during the season, i.e. the three errors?
“The guys that made the errors are pretty shorthanded. Whether we were excited a little bit, you can’t fault them for that. We’ve got a young kid playing shortstop. We’ve got Chipper who is a veteran, and we’ve got Danny Uggla who is a six, seven year veteran, so you can’t blame them for being inexperienced. But I’m sure we were excited. It’s a playoff game, a one game playoff, and 50,000 people this the seats or whatever, 50,000 plus, and we just didn’t do what we normally do and it hurt us.
Did that response from the fans catch you off guard?
“Well, I think we have very passionate fans here in Atlanta, and I think I’m a little disappointed with the reaction of throwing bottles and beer cans and you name it. For me, that’s uncalled for. I think we, as fans, and I understand. I understand the disappointment. But we can’t do that. As Atlanta Braves and people from Georgia, it doesn’t look good, and I’m a little disappointed in our fans from that standpoint.
“You get people injured out there, and it can get scary. It really is when you’re standing out there, whether you’re a St. Louis Cardinal, an Atlanta Brave or an umpire, and you have these things coming at you, it’s a scary moment.
As a guy in charge of his team is this the kind of night you dread? A one game playoff, your team doesn’t play like it’s been playing?
“Well, it’s the nature of our game, of our business. It hurts. Whether it’s a bad call or a bad play or we didn’t get to drive in the run. Nevertheless, in my opinion, I think you’ve got to judge our team over 162 game season. I’m so proud of them. Anybody could have one bad game. Anybody could have one bad call, whatever, and go against you. But you win 94 games after the September we had last year, and you’ve got to tip your hat to this club.
“It hurts. It hurts losing ballgames the way we did tonight.”
**MICHAEL BOURN
On the infield-fly ruling
“I don’t even want to talk about it, man. Some things, I’ve learned since I was 22, 23 years old. I probably would have gone ahead and said the wrong thing [back then], but I know better. I’m going to step back and keep my mouth shut. It hurt us in the game, but we’re not going to talk about it.”
Have you ever seen an infield-fly ruling on ball that deep in outfield?
“No, but it happened tonight. They say there’s a first time for everything. I guess they made the first time happen today with that call…. But we had a lot of chances. We didn’t play our best game tonight. I think if we had to do it all over again, we’d do it differently. But guess what? Time can’t roll back, it rolls forward.”
**DAN UGGLA
On the loss
“It sucks to go out like that. We had a great year. That’s why this one-game play-in is so tough. It’s hard to kind of justify [hanging] a playoff run and the season that we had just on one game. Just for the simple fact, we didn’t play our best baseball tonight. There was an opportunity late in the game where we may or may not could have gotten back in there or taken a lead. Who knows? We’ll never know.
“For that to be Chipper’s last game … it sucks to lose that last one, especially like that.”
On the errors
“I felt really confident after Rossy hit that two-run homer. Gave Meds a little two-run cushion to work with. Not a great cushion, but still it is a cushion. And we had a little hiccup with the double-play ball. I was trying to catch it and just get one… I had a ball that ate me up a little bit. I just couldn’t get a grip on it. That’s the way it goes sometimes. Nine times out of 10, we all make those plays. But that’s the way it went tonight.”
On the Wild Card game
“You could look at it both ways. Obviously the Cardinals are extremely ecstatic that there was a one-game playoff this year. We would’ve loved to have it last year. Ultimately I think in the long run, with the way baseball is, it should be decided over at least a three-game series. But it’s tough, you can’t really do that because it puts the team that won the division at a disadvantage by sitting around for a week or whatever [while a Wild Card series could be played]. But it’s unfortunate that our season came to an end. And like I said, we had opportunities. We didn’t take care of the baseball. And it stings. It stings to have the season we did, winning the first wild-card spot by six games or whatever, and then to come down to this one game.”
**KRIS MEDLEN
On the infield-fly ruling
“I saw it. It happened. But I just keep going back to … I’m not a finger-pointer. We didn’t play well today. Obviously that call is magnified by the situation. But if we make plays earlier, if I make better pitches earlier, it’s a different game. It’s easy to point fingers. Was it a bad call? I’ll leave you guys to decide that. I just think we could have put ourselves in a better situation.”
On Chipper’s error in three-run fourth
“That’s a play that he makes 99 out of 100 times. It’s a play that he makes all the time. It’s why we play the game. It’s not the same every single day. Even a Hall of Famer can make an error. I think I need to do a better job with damage control, knowing I need to try to get out of that situation that I was put into. I let those runs in.
“Allen Craig hit what I thought was a pretty good change-up, 3-1, which really hasn’t happened all year. When we made mistakes, they capitalized on them. That’s the name of the game. They’re a good team and they’re not going to let you get away with stuff like that.”
Were you amped up more than usual?
“Honestly no. Two or three days ago I think I was nervous. I didn’t sleep well one of the nights. But once everything got situated I was fine. I just knew I needed to come in here and and do the same thing I’d been doing all year, and just execute my pitches.”
Nerves not a factor?
“No, I think it almost helped me. I had a great first inning. I felt the crowd in my chest. It was loud every pitch. It was awesome. They came out in full force. It was just a great vibe and something I’ll never forget, being my first time in the playoffs.”
“I talked to D-Lowe [Derek Lowe] yesterday, and he said once you get past the buildup, and once you get the ball and get on the mound it just goes back to normal. And that’s exactly what happened. I could hear the crowd and feel the crowd, but I felt normal.”
On Wild Card game
“The new playoff system obviously was good for baseball. It’s easy for us to be in this situation and say, oh, we shouldn’t have this one-game thing. If we won, we wouldn’t be concerned about it, so… The Cardinals were the better team today. It could be debated if they were the better team all year, but we’re in the situation we’re in, and we needed to come out and play better today. We didn’t.”
“It kind of leaves a sour taste in your mouth, but it is the game we play and we choose to play it.”
On the fans’ reaction to the umpire’s call, the bottles thrown on field, etc.
“Obviously the crowd was pretty fired up. I’m not necessarily embarrassed about what the fans did. They were obviously into the game and all that.”
On Chipper’s last game
“It’s unfortunate. It sucks for him to have to go out like this.”
**ANDRELTON SIMMONS
On the infield-fly ruling
“I was stunned. I couldn’t understand the call. I didn’t even know what happened. The umpire was saying I was out at first, and I was like, for what reason? Fly ball in the outfield, how can …I didn’t understand the call.”
Have you seen an infield fly rule called on ball in shallow outfield?
“I’ve seen shallow, but not that far out, pretty much in left field. I’ve never seen that before. I don’t think anybody had seen that before.”
Strange night for you?
“Definitely. I felt like I could have helped the team more. I felt like I let the team down on a couple of occasions. It’s going to be a tough night for me, for sure.”
On the bunt
“It’s a safety squeeze. I didn’t get it passed the pitcher or towards the line like I wanted to. I failed to execute.”
Did you know you were running inside the line?
“I kind of knew. I didn’t feel like I was all the way in, but, I mean, I wasn’t paying attention to that very much.”
**UMPIRE SAM HOLBROOK
On what he saw
“I saw the shortstop go back and get underneath the ball where he would have had ordinary effort and would have caught the baseball, and that’s why I called the infield fly.”
Is there a difference making that call starting from third base or left field?
“It’s all judged on what the fielder does. Once that fielder establishes himself and he has ordinary effort on the ball, that’s when the call is made. So it wouldn’t matter whether it was from third base or on the line out there. But, again, it’s all based on what the fielder does, that’s what I went on, and that’s what I read.”
When you saw it again, were you confident in the call you made?
“Absolutely.”
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221 comments Add your comment
fight on
October 6th, 2012
12:01 am
first…damn shame boys. we’ll figure it out.
BravesDude
October 6th, 2012
12:06 am
Whats worse, this or that 1997 NLCS game against the Marlins that Livan Hernandez pitched with that 12 inch extended strike zone? Nevermind, definitely this!
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:08 am
Holbrook is a jerk
John
October 6th, 2012
12:08 am
Holbrook is a pompous idiot.
Choppinmama
October 6th, 2012
12:10 am
“Nate McLouth was a great find by the ‘Birds” quottage on MLB.
James
October 6th, 2012
12:10 am
Wow, umpire still saying he made right call lol. That’s not the reason we lost but it pisses me off that he didn’t man up and admit a mistake.
Myke hawk
October 6th, 2012
12:11 am
Good riddance Bourn. Haven’t seen your offense since the first half
Being last in the MLB in avg with RISP was a clear sign this team wasn’t going to go far
A .231? Pathetic
Joe Braves Fan
October 6th, 2012
12:13 am
I’m not disappointed in the fans at all. They were pissed and deservingly so. The one thing people need to know about Die-hard Braves fans is that they know and understand the game of baseball.
They knew they got jobbed and they rebelled against “the man”
Gil in Mechanicsville
October 6th, 2012
12:18 am
SAM HOLBROOK Is dumber than a box of rocks. He knows he blew that call. He will never admit it because he is an arrogant buffoon By the way Atlantians, . I am proud of you for being fired up. If I was there I would have thrown stuff too. It’s okay to raise a ruckus when you are being hosed…
Biff Pocoroba
October 6th, 2012
12:19 am
You can argue whether or not the infield fly rule was the right call… it’s somewhat vague. You CAN’T argue that the call was made MUCH too late. The rule states that the call must be made immediately. Did anyone ask Holbrook if “immediately” means a half-second before the ball touches the ground? I am surprised that the Braves didn’t base their protest on the fact that the call was made improperly.
Bobby's Cox
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors?
Alaska Braves Fan
October 6th, 2012
12:26 am
We made errors we seldom make. Medlen was good, but not quite as sharp as he has been. The infield fly rule call was wrong. Still, we would have won if we had not erred and if we had hit better with runners in scoring position. Also, we have to give credit to the Cards for playing a good game.
I’m really sad to have lost, but excuses don’t change a thing. Now, all of a sudden, we’re thinking about 2013.
ABF
Chop Chop
October 6th, 2012
12:26 am
Fredi’s sticking with the safety squeeze line. In that case, he is a damned fool.
Brava
October 6th, 2012
12:26 am
BREAKING: C.B. Bucknor, Joe West and Jerry Meals to present Sam Holbrook with MVU (Most Valuable Umpire) Award tomorrow.
Bravepc
October 6th, 2012
12:27 am
At least holbrook should be a man about it and admit it was a terrible call. There was no fielder under the ball and he called it a half second before the ball hit the ground. I understand people make mistakes but to say he saw the replay and he would call it again that is complete garbage. Of course mdl is not going to uphold the protest then they would have to look bad. F*$k bud selig and joe torres . And most of all f*$k sam holbrook you prick. Braves d put us in a bad situation but holbrook took away chances for the braves
Billy
October 6th, 2012
12:27 am
Umps and MLB sucks..just $$ honey MLB don’t give a damn for fans.
Chop Chop
October 6th, 2012
12:29 am
MICHAEL BOURN
On the infield-fly ruling
“I don’t even want to talk about it, man. Some things, I’ve learned since I was 22, 23 years old. I probably would have gone ahead and said the wrong thing [back then], but I know better. I’m going to step back and keep my mouth shut. It hurt us in the game, but we’re not going to talk about it.”
———————————————————-
Maybe you shouldn’t have been trying to hulk up on Motte’s fastball, dude. Try to put the ball in play and use your speed, why don’t ya?
Bobby's Cox
October 6th, 2012
12:30 am
The only objection I would have about the fans reaction is how it stopped the game & players get cold. But is was necessary, and that play stopped the momentum anyway. Something that bad deserves it. Atlanta fans are always criticized for not caring, and tonight they showed they care and won’t operate that BS. Also, people say they’re embarrassed cuz their kids were watching. That’s BS too. If your boss, your government, or anyone else hoses you like that, a statement needs to be made. Don’t train your kids to let people walk all over them.
gy6
October 6th, 2012
12:33 am
told you. last september. this march. chumps.
jared
October 6th, 2012
12:34 am
john schuerholz needs to go, he is worthless. You don’t need to apologize for the fans, you need to apologize to the fans. You’ve been terrible for over a decade. just leave….
ryan
October 6th, 2012
12:35 am
D.O.B great postgame comments from the CHOKERS has to be the three worst errors in one game as they all missed there target by 15 ft.
Bobby's Cox
October 6th, 2012
12:36 am
Hey Holbrook, the infield fly rule is to protect the offense you A-hole, not the defense. Now go back and look at that play for a 3rd time. If the runners could advance safely like they did, but yet a force out wasn’t made, tell me, whom did the outcome of your call really benefit?
Bobby's Cox
October 6th, 2012
12:36 am
Hey Holbrook, the infield fly rule is to protect the offense you A-hole, not the defense. Now go back and look at that play for a 3rd time. If the runners could advance safely like they did, but yet a force out wasn’t made, tell me, whom did the outcome of your call really benefit?
Bobby's Cox
October 6th, 2012
12:36 am
Hey Holbrook, the infield fly rule is to protect the offense you A-hole, not the defense. Now go back and look at that play for a 3rd time. If the runners could advance safely like they did, but yet a force out wasn’t made, tell me, whom did the outcome of your call really benefit?
STLatl
October 6th, 2012
12:42 am
Atlanta did what they have done best for the last 15 years… CHOKE WHEN IT MATTERS! Braves fans are a joke. The fact that people are making a huge deal about the game being a sellout shows you how pathetic your fan base is. The Cardinals are baseball in the NL. Sellouts are the norm in STL. Now everyone can get pumped about Thrashers Hock… oh wait. Didn’t they move?
Robert
October 6th, 2012
12:54 am
When the Braves go to spring training they should work on hitting with runners in scoring position. This ugly .231 RISP didn’t allow the team an attempt to cover up 3 fielding errors. Watching this team when they are behind they seem to lack confidence. In the 4th inning when Bourne led off with a signal there was no urgency to get in scoring position. How about a straight steal or hit and run. If the Braves would have been aggressive in the inning just maybe they could have scratched another run and been able to cover up Chipper’s error. I guess we will wait and see how upper management decides if a change in the dugout needs to be made. Any thoughts?
Darryl Blackberry
October 6th, 2012
12:56 am
There was a lot of anger in that crowd today. This is just one of many bad playoff games here in Atlanta, and it culminated in this. I can’t say that I blame any one of them.
I can say, however, that the infield fly rule was not created so that errors could be ruled outs. There was no way a double play could have occurred on that, so Holbrook shouldn’t have called it. The fact that Joe Torre would defend the umps doesn’t surprise me, but to say that he actually got the call right…? Unbelievable.
Michael Procton
October 6th, 2012
12:57 am
“I saw the shortstop go back and get underneath the ball where he would have had ordinary effort and would have caught the baseball, and that’s why I called the infield fly.”
Being as Kozma WASN’T ACTUALLY UNDER THE BALL, does this imply that any fly ball hit is an out as long as an infielder looks up in its general direction?
@STLatl
October 6th, 2012
1:03 am
Get a life and learn how to win like a man, idiot.
Jim Bob
October 6th, 2012
1:04 am
Stay classy Atlanta, stay classy. LOL.
nashvillewill
October 6th, 2012
1:09 am
Are we surprised, after watching this team for 162? Inconsistent play, failure to produce with RISP, terrible hitting by Uggla and Bourn, too many K’s, etc, etc. But the surprise was the defense (shades of Brooks Conrad, eh?), and, of course, the strange call in LF. But, ultimately, it was the team’s failures, not the umpires, that finished the season.
Going forward, it is my hope that they can unload Uggla and let Bourn go. With a little work Constanza could be the CF next year. Also hope Freddie and Heyward work on their approach and swings during the off-season. I am no fan of Fredi but this loss is on the players. (You could argue they not win the East because of his mismanagement of Uggla and other decisions, but his handling of pitchers was improved this year). Hate a one-game playoff and should shift at least to 2 of 3. Or get rid of Wild Card altogether, though the $ dictates otherwise. In short, MLB and Braves are a huge disappointment.
drbasic1
October 6th, 2012
1:09 am
forget the call……12 hits 3 runs……..so old same old…..nuff said
Baker
October 6th, 2012
1:10 am
Does Uggla stay with the Bravos? We’re paying the dude a boatload of money and he’s averaging .224 and 24 HRs with the Braves? .224?! Anyone making $13 MILL cant hit .224. And if you’re okay with that, youre running the team wrong.
Chippa's the man
October 6th, 2012
1:14 am
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
October 6th, 2012
12:24 am
Holbrook’s an idiot. The reason for the call is so you can’t double up a runner. Nothing was ordinary about the play. If you look at the runners they’re not on the bases, they’re 1/3 of the way like they would be on any shallow fly ball to the outfield. On infield fly rules, runners advance at their own discretion, and usually they’re on the bag so they’re no doubled off. That was no way ordinary you DipSh.t. How did this guy make it to the majors
Dave P
October 6th, 2012
1:14 am
Love you Chip. Will miss you so much. We got screwed tonight. Congrats on an amazing career and so many memories. You are one of the last pieces of my childhood. Hope you come back to Volusia County one day and I get to tell you this myself. Much love to you and your future endeavors. Bravos will be back at it next year…Prad, JHey, Freeman, Beach, Kimbrel, and Medlen are all young studs. Our best days are ahead. Already looking forward to the day when pitchers and catchers report. As Sutton says, Go Brave!!!!!!!
Thomas Brown
October 6th, 2012
1:23 am
So, what will I say when the Braves win ?
I am back. The Braves did not win. We did not hit. We also demonstrated as is seen on the “Braves blogs” what sorry fans you are.
Jay Dubu
October 6th, 2012
1:29 am
At least they celebrated clinching the wild card…that was our big moment this season!!
Day Old Fries
October 6th, 2012
1:30 am
12-27 in postseason since game one of the 1999 WS
12 and 27
pathetic.
Phillies guy
October 6th, 2012
1:36 am
That infield fly rule call was terrible. It was wrong. You Braves fans should be upset. And throwing things on the field is understandable in the passion of the moment in this one case. That call was atrocious.
OLDFAN
October 6th, 2012
1:38 am
Having been a Braves fan for many, many years I can agree that once again we got screwed. However, as always we leave runners on base time after time. Will NEVER forget watching Glavine, Smoltz and Madduz pitching their hearts out only to have runners stranded on base. Oh well, more of the same.
Dave P
October 6th, 2012
1:43 am
It’s weird that that we’ve been getting love from the Phillies fans. Bought time we could find something to agree on. Hope we made you all proud. We may not sell out like the Bank, but we have just as many passionate fans. I guess we should root for the East now…Go Expos?
JPnATL1980
October 6th, 2012
2:17 am
To Sam Holbrook: You are as stupid as you are blind, your a liar if you say you would make that call again, and how did you enjoy that infield fly trash you got hit with? I counted 4 direct shots. You belong with replacement refs, at home!!
Still that was not the reason we lost, poor defense, thats all there is to it….and a fire haired SS who is also lying when he says he didn’t know he was out of the base-path…still glad he’s on the team though, but grow up.
Finally, this was a bizarre game and it could only happen to my beloved Bravos..
Oh yeah….Uggla sucks….
Ekim56
October 6th, 2012
2:20 am
You can brag about being passionate fans all you want; it’s all fun and games until somebody gets clobbered with a bottle. No place for it. Boo, scream, turn your backs on the field, walk out of the stadium, whatever. Throwing stuff on the field is NEVER okay.
Ekim56
October 6th, 2012
2:21 am
Jim Joyce has class. Sam Holbrook, not so much.
thecoxman
October 6th, 2012
2:33 am
does anybody know how much old sam got for making that call. someone had a lot of money on the cards.
Impeller
October 6th, 2012
2:40 am
Go Chipper Go!!! And take Uggla with you. Please.
Watchman
October 6th, 2012
2:58 am
Wow. What a bunch of crybaby remarks in that article. It is obvious the Braves – as a whole – felt they had this game won before it even started. Ironic; the Phillies felt the same way in 2011 after this Cardinals team prevailed in the 5 game NLDS. Don’t put the cart before the horse, boys. With regard to the disappointment of a great 90-some win season hinging on the outcome of a single game, uh, maybe the Braves can explain WHY it should be best of 3. Um, the Braves, like the Cardinals, didn’t win a division title either and should feel grateful to have an opportunity to advance IF they can win ONE game. Single elimination Wild Card is the name of the game. If the Braves don’t like the format, well then win the division next time!!
Watchman
October 6th, 2012
3:02 am
So you’re getting love from Phillies fans? They can relate. They too had a preconceived notion in 2011 they were going to win the NLDS. Ah ah ah not so fast. Gotta actually PLAY the game ON THE FIELD, not in your feeble mind.
Watchman
October 6th, 2012
3:08 am
Phillies Guy: the MLB network broke down the infield fly rule call quite well. The umpires explained it all quite well in the post game presser. It was stated in the presser that when play was stopped after the call, ALL the umps unanimously agreed the proper call was made. The Braves lost the game due to much more than a controversial call. The lost the game because they played like the Houston Lastros or the Chicago Flubs. Period. And as for “passionate fans”, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for littering the field, ESPECIALLY in a post season game! Classless Braves fans!! Far worse then Philly or Chicago fans.
John
October 6th, 2012
3:32 am
It is HILARIOUS to hear Philly fans saying that we have no class for littering the field when we all know that riots would be occurring in Philly if that call had cost them a series!! Go to HELL Philly fan. Im sorry that Braves fans quit being wet towels and finally showed passion and commitment to their team!! Yes the Braves had 3 errors but that call was a game changer! The call was late, the player was NOT underneath the ball and the ball was far to deep in the outfield. Torre and all of the umps can go to hell because they KNOW that was a bad call!
John
October 6th, 2012
3:35 am
and that comment was not directed to Phillies guy. You actually understand what passion is!
Scrambled eggs n Bacon
October 6th, 2012
3:36 am
Great game st.louis go home lose to Nats 3-0 in NLDS plays Giants for NLCS…and in AL since Texas pulled a atlanta brave they choke too… Baltimore vs Ny yankees and detroit vs Oakland…..Oakland vs Baltimore for ALCS …..in world series Washington vs Baltimore for world series and Nats win there first world series …..over Baltimore 4-2…..But like said if st.louis wins opener then You could see st.louis win it all…..also Frank Wren should be fired he told You and AJC rear kisser we better players we goin all the way yep all the way to spring trainin….and i love it fans throwin stuff wish one hit That turn coat braves accouncer Joe simpson he was a ass on TBS givin fans grief ….being critical of braves offense funny when he was doin game for sportsouth he never blasted manager plays….Joe simpson we had wish a bottle hit you!
It's a hole
October 6th, 2012
3:41 am
Just crawl back into that hole. We know it too well!
It's a hole
October 6th, 2012
3:41 am
Just crawl back into that hole. We know it too well!
cruisin' the field
October 6th, 2012
3:49 am
the fans just gave back to the game what they got out of it.
omar
October 6th, 2012
4:18 am
go f yourself, Brilliant a**hole
ricky aldridge
October 6th, 2012
4:28 am
Holbrook is either lying or too proud to admit he was wrong. The shortstop never made it back to the ball,and he made the call way too late. I think the game was rigged,plain and simple. Money(the love of) has destroyed America’s game.
Thomas Brown
October 6th, 2012
4:35 am
The call was correct once a fielder could reasonably get under the ball, which he did, in fact 2 did.
Thomas Brown
October 6th, 2012
4:39 am
It made no difference.
The difference was when Chipper Jones threw the ball to Dan Uggla for the double-play followed by the pop-up to left field Martin Prado let bounce and hit the fence over his head. That’s 3 outs, not their big inning.
Also, Dan Uggla took a 2-strike pitch directly into the mitt held there from the beginning and got a walk. Was the pitch off-the-plate ? Yes, barely. Then, the back-up catcher gets 4-strikes or the game is 1-6.
Brilliant!
October 6th, 2012
4:46 am
Ricky borrow some money from your mom and buy the MLB network. They showed on replays that the ball landed exactly one step to Kozma’s left from where he was standing when he abandoned the fly ball he was camped under.
They’ll also show you replays of other infield fly rule calls made by umpires throughout the baseball season that are ALL made with the exact same timing as Mr. Holbrook’s call….because that is how they are taught to make it.
When you buy MLB network they show baseball games every week where you can learn the rules and understand when they’re called correctly.
Happy Watching!!
Paul May
October 6th, 2012
4:50 am
Come on people, this is not about an umpiring call. This is a team that did not hit with risp all season. Stop blaming others. What happens in a one game playoff is magnified, the good and the bad. The players have to accept responsibility. Same old story for Atlanta. Kinda like the 1990’s all over again.
son's who?
October 6th, 2012
4:54 am
Am I the only one who feels the the fans were really frustrated by yet another poor showing by the home team in the playoffs, and the bad judgement call in the eighth inning was merely an excuse to vent their continuing frustration?
Jim Edwards
October 6th, 2012
4:57 am
That ump never made the signal for infield fly until he saw it was going to drop beyond the fielders grasp. Horrible call. Worst call I’ve ever seen. Bet on the Cards. The fix is in. It’s the only way to explain it.
StoleOurMOney
October 6th, 2012
5:19 am
First, terrible call on Simmons bunt. That was a Cardinal error. Then, terrible call on a misplayed ball to the outfield, another Cardinal error. Those 2 calls took at least 2 runs off the board, probably 4,5 or 6. Both calls made by THE SAME UMP.
Game was fixed. Fly ball to left field, completely misplayed by the outfielder…CALLED AN OUT?
Game was fixed, and MLB had plenty of time to fix it and CHOSE to not get it right. Game was fixed, and MLB is now no different than Wrestling. What a joke. No more baseball for me. We paid a lot of money for those tickets only to see the first time a player was called out on an untouched fly ball hit to the outfield in baseball history.
And these idiots wonder why people threw stuff? Because we just paid hundreds of dollars to come see a “game” that was predetermined yesterday. And they wonder why people are upset? Everyone at that game should have been given a refund. We paid to see a game. What we saw was a fixed contest with a predetermined winner…that call is HARD PROOF.
Adios, Braves. Adios MLB. After taking off work and spending $1,200 on this trip, well, we won’t be coming back to any more baseball games.
smallmouth6
October 6th, 2012
5:24 am
Sam Holbrook: Absolute idiot.
Let's be honest!
October 6th, 2012
5:40 am
The braves were not the better team for one. And the errors put them in a postion to lose! Now as far as the call. Yes it was a bad call. Yes we got hosed. I will go as far as to say this was what baseball wanted. A conspiracy brings publicity. Publicity brings dollars. I believe also the baseball powers that be really didn’t want the team from Atlanta to succeed. Typical northern bias! If the ball had dropped one foot from the outfield wall, I am not sure the umps wouldn’t have called an out!
Let's be honest!
October 6th, 2012
5:45 am
This looks like what you see at a wrestling match. It looked like the umps stole the game. I wonder how many baseball fans have lost trust in the game, and probably won’t come back. Looks like a waste! I am done with it.
mjn99
October 6th, 2012
6:09 am
The umpires did not lose this game., the players did. They did what they did the past two years and that is waste opportunities that the Crads didn’t. End of story. Did anyone who watched this team over the past few years honestly expect anything else. I didn’t.
Preston Thompson
October 6th, 2012
6:24 am
While all you folks are hot and spouting off, like I’ve said all year these players won’t get it done and they didn’t. When you have a team with the mindset they are all home run kings all are hero’s, this is what you get. Simmons has had so much hot air blown up his butt he thinks he’s superman, and act’s like it. And Mr Uggla, mercy dude, it’s time to go.
At any rate anybody that doesn’t think this team needs a makeover really needs a head check. Two player that can run with speed and y’all are pissed at um.
By the way, who plays third now. Some patch work crap of frank and freddie or a real third baseman? So many places to fix and nobody available. My my what a mess of a team. So many home run kings and no hitters.
Oh, you did see a hitting team in the Cards. Singles and doubles. They win you ball games. Just wait till next year, right?
Braves Cleanup Crew
October 6th, 2012
6:43 am
I knew there was a lot of trash in Atlanta, but it was all at Turner Field last night. Braves fans are ass stains. Glad to see you showing your character to the rest of the nation. And I’m even more glad to see that you just plain lost. No one deserves it more. Chipper’s probably crying in his corn flakes this morning.
The Atlanta Braves… the nutsack of the National League, tired, sweaty, and draggin’ way behind as usual. Enjoy the post season!
Maggie
October 6th, 2012
6:53 am
SAM HOLBROOK is an idiot – BRAVES CLEANUP CREW – you need another job if you dislike the way BRAVE fans react to such a bad call. CHIPPER JONES – how would the game have played out if you hadn’t that error.
Tampa Gator
October 6th, 2012
7:10 am
The Braves embarrassed themselves on the filed.
The Braves fans embarrassed themselves in the stands.
Too bad, because that was the most passion a playoff crowd has exhibited since the worse to first fans in 1991.
Pud Selig
October 6th, 2012
7:13 am
Sam Holbrook , Joe Biden what’s the difference?I can’t tell
bill
October 6th, 2012
7:29 am
When a man makes a mistake he owns up to it. When a piece of crp umpire makes a mistake from now on when he lies about it we will call it a Sam Holbrook. The umpire at third was totally peeved that he made that call and at least two others wanted to kill him too. Be aman not a walking lump of crap.
StLouisLifeTimeFan
October 6th, 2012
7:31 am
I have been a Cards fan for as long as I can remember, and have empathy for Braves fans especially considering the unique circumstances surrounding last night’s play in game. However, Braves fans who are saying @$%# Bud Selig, the umps, Joe Torre (perhaps fans forgot that he played and managed in Hotlanta), etc. forget that the average season attendance in 2012 was 27k (60% capacity). So, why are fans (50k or so) who showed up last night, many for the first time this season so incensed. Perhaps it would heop if fans supported the team all season, like some other fans for example a smaller city that put over 3 million fans in the seats in 2011 averaged 40k per game or 91%. .
Bill M.
October 6th, 2012
7:32 am
I’m proud of the Braves and the fans. If this happened in another city the fans would have reacted the same way. The game was lost from errors and lack of hitting with runners on. Something needs to be done about the infield fly rule.John Schurholz get out of Atlanta. The fans are great. Please get Joe Simpson & Joe Torre out of baseball. Now what will the Braves do this off season. I think it’s time to cut ties with McCann, Hanson, Uggla and any other dead wood. Did anyone see McCann putting eye drops in his eyes? I think he has vision problems that’s not going to get any better. I would not invest alot of money in him.Do something with Uggla and put Prado back at second. They will need 2 OF’s and a 3rd baseman. They need one power arm. That’s asking alot & I don’t think it’s possible with that bunch out in Colorado qwning the team.
StLouisLifeTimeFan
October 6th, 2012
7:34 am
My bad. The 40k and 60% stat is for 2012 season in the Lou.
bill
October 6th, 2012
7:35 am
how can Fredi call a safety squeeze in that situation . He s the dumbest manager in baseball. Why did he not talk to Holbrook and say just admit you kicked it and its over. Lie like you are lieing and I stay out here til you toss me. It is why in sports nothing matters except the score.
bill
October 6th, 2012
7:35 am
how can Fredi call a safety squeeze in that situation . He s the dumbest manager in baseball. Why did he not talk to Holbrook and say just admit you kicked it and its over. Lie like you are lieing and I stay out here til you toss me. It is why in sports nothing matters except the score.
Fly OnThe Wall
October 6th, 2012
7:36 am
Another hard pill to swallow last night. Lots of blame to pass around. It’s tough to be true Brave fan, just like it’s tough to be a Auburn fan this year and Dale Jr. fan….but I remain loyal to my teams through good times and bad.
I still love the Braves.
Thanks for the memories Chipper, come back and coach when your ready.
StLouisLifeTimeFan
October 6th, 2012
7:36 am
Haveing a bad morning. Too much partying last night. 40k and 90% in 12 in St. Louis. I know, I should be an umpire. Go Falcons! Go Hawks! Sorry, can’t say Go Bulldogs!
bill
October 6th, 2012
7:40 am
DOB what the hell was fredi thinking with a safety squeeze with a no hit pitcher up next. If I am wrong explain it to me. Fredi is an idiot.
bill
October 6th, 2012
7:44 am
I have been a Braves fan for forty years and they continue to depress me time after time. Last year they choked yesterday they choked.
Why should I pay to watch them after all these years of promises and disapointment and next year UGGLA is right back at second. If your work was as bad as Fredi and Dan you would be unemployed.
dejavualloveragain
October 6th, 2012
7:44 am
Well, another loss for the city with the worst overall playoff sports record in the ENTIRE country. Guess we need to build them a new stadium like the Falcons. Do the fans a favor, sell the team and move it. Seems nothing good happens in Atlanta until the team or players move elsewhere and then they start playing for real.
bill
October 6th, 2012
7:48 am
The Braves announce
rs thought Simmons bunted on his own and said it was a rookie mistake. Fredi admits he called it and you can here
Braves announcers call simmons bunt a rookie mistake but when they discover Fredi called it yo can hear crickets chirping in the announcers booth. I bet Skip was shaking his head from the perss box in the sky.
crickets chirping in the announcers booth
mike
October 6th, 2012
7:49 am
What a game. To bad the Braves have to lose the whole season on a one game playoff. I have a hard time believing that the call was the reason that the game was lost. Having watched the game there were multiple mistakes that were made. By almost everyone. The hardest part of the game to watch was the fans throwing trash at the players. This town that has a proud baseball tradition, The fans on this day gave the rest of the nation a reason to look at us like we were all ( People of Walmart ).
Joey
October 6th, 2012
7:55 am
Hey, Brilliant!, I wonder if the ump has gotten death threats, you know, like the “classy St Louis fans” made back when they got a bad call:
“In the immediate aftermath of the 1985 World Series debacle, Denkinger received many hateful letters (including death threats) from Cardinals fans.”
Yeah, really classy.
And you are full of crap about the bad call – the longest fly ball anyone can remember when the infield fly rule was invoked was 178′.
Last night’s fly ball to left field was measured 258′ from home plate.
Got another lie to tell, or insult to throw.
CamiloAtlanta
October 6th, 2012
8:00 am
You just knew it would end this way. The curse continues.
Gritz
October 6th, 2012
8:03 am
Reading the player’s comments I noticed that while Chipper owned up to his error and poor play Uggla would only use the word “we” when referring to same.
That not only shows the difference between Chipper and Uggla as ballplayers, it shows the difference between the two as men.
Ralph
October 6th, 2012
8:07 am
It would be great to get rid of Uggla and his $13mil payroll but who in their right mind would take them?
Gritz
October 6th, 2012
8:08 am
And for 2013?….It will probably be worse or the same as it was this year…indifferent owners at Liberty, mediocre general manager, lower tier manager in Fredi, offensive black holes in Uggla and apparently now McCann…
The only bright spots I see are Heyward, Freeman and our pitching. There will be way too many holes on this team for it to be a serious contender in the NL, and Liberty won’t crack the wallet open any further to change that. At least I won’t have to watch Bourn strike out any longer with bases loaded. Enjoy your Yankee pinstripes Bourn…
rfgh
October 6th, 2012
8:09 am
What really ticks me off, is the absolute power these idiot umpires have. With the technology available, they should all be unemployed. Holbrook’s arrogance, as with all these pompous jerk umpires,only makes it worse. It would make you appreciate their tough job if they would ADMIT it when they make a mistake. But, they NEVER do!!!!
mike
October 6th, 2012
8:11 am
Poll question for this morning. Who thinks the call was the reason The Braves lost?
rfgh
October 6th, 2012
8:14 am
There is never one reason for a loss. There are plays/decisons that make the list of reasons unneccessarily longer.
Ralph
October 6th, 2012
8:14 am
A year without Uggla, Chipper, McCann D Lowe and JJ, $54million, what could we buy for that? Some might say a whole team.
Jasons Shrinking Waist
October 6th, 2012
8:14 am
U dont win when u dont hit with men on base
Same tired story all year
See yall next spring, maybe
mike
October 6th, 2012
8:17 am
Thank you rfgh. Just tired of reading about this one call. Many reasons but I do believe that everyone needs to vent ( They have the right to ) Just like I have the right to be tired of all the blame on one call.
fan
October 6th, 2012
8:18 am
Weird managing, unbelievable errors, a bad call, early lead – what a way to end the year.
Lawton
October 6th, 2012
8:19 am
here’s how you know the umps knew it was a bad call, fredi tried to get tossed and they wouldn’t throw him out. Reliford walks into the media room with the rulebook in his hand and a chip on his shoulder. More than any other sport, baseball umps tend to be arrogant little babies.
Gritz
October 6th, 2012
8:19 am
One last vent for me….While overall I agree with Joe Simpson’s comments about the throwing of trash on the field after the phantom infield fly rule call (it was classless and dangerous) there was something about Simpson’s eagerness to chastise Atlanta fans and occupy the ivory tower of piety that rubbed me the wrong way.
I’m sure TBS told Simpson before the broadcast “Hey pal, you’re not the “Braves announcer” for this game. You’re an impartial “national announcer.”
Simpson took the advice a little too easily and joyfully for my taste…..
dejavualloveragain
October 6th, 2012
8:25 am
Mike, we’ll never know. But Braves have had McCann at the plate before with bases loaded and he has a number of grand slams. No question poor play overall, but you never know. The umpire should have been overturned and let the chips fall where they may. Maybe McCann would have struck out. Maybe St. Louis would have freaked feeling the Braves were coming back. We’ll never know. In 40 years of watching baseball, this was the worst umpiring call I have ever seen. MLB can back them all they want.
older1
October 6th, 2012
8:27 am
Turn out the lights folks the party is over. Braves have some good pitching for next year, so let’s get a couple of clutch hitters to help us rise to the TOP. BAD CALL. BAD ERRORS .
Chippa's the man
October 6th, 2012
8:29 am
lol season end
mike
October 6th, 2012
8:30 am
I agree that you never know, however I just have a hard time watching people trying to justify the argument that that peticular call is the reason for the loss.
danny
October 6th, 2012
8:36 am
same old story…….we will never win with Gonzalez……..
Blob Horner
October 6th, 2012
8:40 am
This game serves one major purpose, and that’s to inform the Braves Brass the tweaks they need to make for the next three years. We are a mid level payroll team, which means we can’t afford 1) aging superstars that have hefty contracts and play 60% of the time with limited defensive range 2) a second baseman that has poor range and a high swing and miss rate that makes $600,000/homerun, he’s a PED bum 3) a leadoff man who strikes out more often than Dave Kingman ever did. He’s a fine player, but not worth $12 mill/year
One of the issues is retiring, one needs to be traded, one needs a low qualifying offer so we can get a supplemental draft pick. Surround our future superstars with some excellent complimentary players with high on base percentages, great defense and a Scuturo grittiness that this team lacks. We have a great base of young players, especially pitchers, we just need to fill in the right pieces around them and give up on the old, unattainable model from years past. The model teams would be the Yankees pre-Rodriquez, the Mariners post Griffey/Rodriquez and the current Athletics team.
mike
October 6th, 2012
8:45 am
Well said Blob. Couldn’t agree more
mike
October 6th, 2012
8:47 am
Blob I belive youre analysis is a good one. Couldn’t agree more
Joy
October 6th, 2012
8:50 am
The Braves didn’t play well, but the cal was way wrong. Why doesn’t everyone just let the ball drop & then use the infield fly rule? The ump should admit he was wrong like a real man. If they had called it right, sure we might not have won, but at least it would have been a fair game. Holbrook must be a Cards fan. I was proud of the fans. I’m glad they reacted. Could you imagine if a call like that had been made in basketball or hockey? The crowds would have been on the floor fighting.
Joey
October 6th, 2012
8:54 am
I started feeling queasy yesterday with the Braves talking about the game being a “game .7″
I mean what do the Braves do in game 7s?
mike
October 6th, 2012
8:55 am
Have as great day everyone. Time for me to switch into foootball mode. GO BUCKEYES !!!
Observer
October 6th, 2012
8:56 am
Liberty Media goes down again! What a bunch of losers! CHOKE under pressure!
sirluciouscp
October 6th, 2012
8:59 am
Anyone have sams address?
No
October 6th, 2012
9:04 am
If the catch is made it’s a good call. Since no catch was made we’ll never know (and no Cardinal will ever say) if it would have been made or not. Looked to me like the shortstop thought he was getting called off, left fielder wouldn’t had made the catch.
Kinda surprised Freddie didn’t make a point of getting tossed but with all the debris would have made it worse. No way Bobby Cox doesn’t .
I guess now Atlanta has finally become a major league town since we now have unruly fans too.
Train Wreck Bystander
October 6th, 2012
9:06 am
Gotta tip my cap to the Taint Louis Cardinals… enjoy your diluted win, Redbirds.
Cards Fan
October 6th, 2012
9:07 am
Excuses for sloppy play by the Braves. One call. Move on.
Beaten with an Uggla Stick
October 6th, 2012
9:14 am
You have to feel good about the pitching for next year but the offense still is the issue. Uggla is a total drag on the system. .22something over TWO years. That’s hat we got with this guy. No one wants him so that’s what we have to put up with for the next several years. So what do we do? Well, we certainly don’t keep playing him in hopes he breaks out of the two year slump. That ain’t happenin’. Fredi needs to grow a set and just use him as a backup. Get another second baseman or put Martin back at second. Or get another second baseman and put Martin at third. Either way we need a left fielder and an infielder. Maybe A Hinske-Diaz platon would work. We just can’t let Uggla drag us down any longer.
Then we have to address centerfield. I was all for Bourn this year but he has been pathetic since the all star break. I would only offer him 5 to 6 million a year because that’s what he proved to be worth. He won’t take it and some other team will take him so we need to address center. Constanza? I don’t know about that. But we need to address centerfield and I don’t think it is Bourn unless he is willing to take a whole lot less than what I think he’ll get.
In any event, I have little confidence that Wren can make the right moves. Can you sat Kawakami?
Don y
October 6th, 2012
9:19 am
Three errors cost the Braves the game, not the umpires.
J J
October 6th, 2012
9:19 am
Cry cry over one bad call. Yes it was a bad call,but did not make difference in game. I tild you how your Hooters hero would do.NOTHING. He helped cost you the game. When the Braves learn to score with men in scoring position they moght win. For now they are LOSERS. Thats OK. I will enjoy my $10000 that I won. So sorry for you LOSERS. I TOLD YOU IT WOULD HAPPEN BYE
td
October 6th, 2012
9:22 am
“Absolutely” I made the right call”?
Are you kidding me? Why can’t people own up to their mistakes? That umpire sounds like a politician, even with video evidence he still claims he made the right call. The Brave’s sloppy play put them in that position, but his UNBELIEVABLY TERRRIBLE call cost the Braves at least one more swing against a pitcher in a pressure situation to make a game of it.
People aren’t perfect and make mistakes that can’t be avoided. Spinning or outright lying is what fries my butt. Then you have the officials come out “Joe Torre” and they can’t even tell it like it is. “Judgment call”, come on Joe call it like everyone saw it “Terrible call”.
J J
October 6th, 2012
9:28 am
Quit crying over 1 call. Just admit that you got beat and that your team is a bunch of losers. You got ric of Hooters hero now so maybe you can do better next year. Until then they are LOSERS.
Blob Horner
October 6th, 2012
9:31 am
In my previous post, i forgot one team to use as a model going forward, the 1991 Braves. Great young pitching staff , a few developing stars ..DJ and RG, surrounded by smart, gritty veterans…TP,SB and my man Otis, all at a reasonable price…. Blauser, Lemke , Olsen fill in the role player types. The parallels are striking, with this team having perhaps more potential and depth than that team. Bobby and John knew what they were doing when they put that team together…..this is the perfect time to reboot the program
bigbraves fan
October 6th, 2012
9:36 am
Quit making excuses….you are just losers.
Tami
October 6th, 2012
9:48 am
You know…it’s not so much that the Braves as a team had surprisingly sloppy defense in this game. Yeah….that leads to handing momentum to the other guys on a silver platter. My whole beef with the blown call is this: REGARDLESS of whether or not the infielder (SS) or the outfielder (LF) was camped under the fly ball (and they were NOT), they still have to CATCH THE BALL!!! Neither one of them did. That’s why Torre should have overruled the umps’ call. My guess as to why he did not was that HOW would have proceeded from there? Does he call everyone back to the field and replay the game from that point in the 8th inning?? WHAT do you do now? Because he might have felt that it would be more trouble than it’s worth (and maybe they forgot to write some rules for this one-game “joke”), it was just easier to uphold the umps’ call. Ridiculous!
CJ#10
October 6th, 2012
9:49 am
I’m not goin’ to Disney World..I’m goin to the Double Dime!!!!!
mpimentel
October 6th, 2012
9:49 am
this is a shame!
mpimentel
October 6th, 2012
9:51 am
so joe torre was the comissioner reps yesterdat:::son another time an ex yankee beat us…oh man that´s can´t be real!
RBI
October 6th, 2012
9:54 am
I feel the worst for Simmons.
Amazing that Gonzalez is disappointed in the fans. We are disappointed in him. Get a new manager.
J J
October 6th, 2012
9:55 am
cry cry cry. Why can’t you admit that the Braves are a bunch of LOSERS
Chas
October 6th, 2012
9:57 am
Sam Holbrook is an idiot. This is not the first brain dead call from him. Joe Torre went with the corporate (MLB) line. The deal is “Umpiresare never wrong. MLB is never wrong.” This is typical NO BALLS from Torre, the used car salesman, and their MLB oficials. Umpires are supposed to “get it right”. They don’t care about that. They are arrogant, power-hungry, wanna-be ballplayers. Sam Holbrook will never admit to getting a call wrong. HE ISN’T MAN ENOUGH. He’s the Bruce Froeming of this generation. Bruce blew many a call, proven by by re-play, but (in Bruce’s words) “I saw it right.” That was Froeming’s standard line of BS. Bruce wasn’t a man. He just loved the power. Bruce took arrogance to it’s highest level. Sam Holbrook is as big a loser as Froeming was. Joe Torre and MLB are a joke. Why have a “protest” rule, when you don’t have the balls “to get it right”? Corporate MLB is a joke, led by by a lacky used car salesman. This game was an embarrassment, along with the dumb assed concept of 2 wildcards and a one game playoff. It was ill concieved, poorly thought out, and just a way for more $$$$$. MLB, Joe Torre, Bud Selig, SAM HOLBROOK, and the play of the Atlanta Braves was an embarrassment to baseball last night.
What a joke, on national tv. Nice going, MLB. you showed your corporate colors and stupidity. Shame on all of you.
Rob
October 6th, 2012
9:57 am
Stupid fans = Don’t know the Rules of the Game. A lot of stupid fans in the ATL!
Stupid Rob
October 6th, 2012
10:12 am
All the apologists re the Atlanta fans – you can go straight to hell. Joe Simpson first in line.
Phillies Guy
October 6th, 2012
10:13 am
I stopped by this blog last night because I was outraged by such an incredibly bad call affecting a playoff game. Too many people are focusing on the Atlanta fans who reacted like fans at probably 3/4 of other MLB parks would have also reacted. The real focus should be on the umpiring and how to develop a system where a call of this magnitude that is so wrong in the way the rule is written (Where was the chance of a doubleplay if that ball had been deliberately dropped?) can be reversed immediately. That game will forever be tainted. And yes I am saying all this not as a Braves fan; I’m one of their hated rival’s Phillies fans.
chase
October 6th, 2012
10:19 am
What is worse is that Postgame – you have Holbrook and crew defending call – Actually Joe Torre threw Holbrook under the bus, was then called off stage and came back and said “I want to clarify I actually do think it was a infield fly”
Obviously he was called off and spoken to about his reaction and then changed his tune
It makes it even worse that they can’t man-up and say they blew the call! It happens in football all the time! At least be man enough and do us the justice of saying “after I looked at it, I’d have to say I wouldn’t have made the call” OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!
DO NOT SIT THERE AND DEFEND IT WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS YOU ARE FULL OF IT! THAT IS DESPICABLE AND CLASSLESS
chase
October 6th, 2012
10:22 am
Even RYAN HOWARD and JIMMY ROLLINS were Tweeting that the Braves got screwed!
JoeBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
10:25 am
It appears this bonehead call, and the fact that it wasn’t overturned, comes down to pride. The umpire didn’t want to admit to his failure and MLB backed him up to save face and pride. Just ridiculous. Sure, the 3 errors hurt us, but had the RIGHT call been made, we would have had the chance to come back. That call killed our momentum, and thus our season.
Hey Joe You Are WRONG
October 6th, 2012
10:29 am
The fans reaction is more indicative of what occurs in a mob/riot. As people are incited and see other poor/violent behavior they too become aggressive. Most the fans at the game are probably casual/short time home team fans. This occurence does not reflect a city, but what can happen in these settings.
Hey Joe You Are WRONG
October 6th, 2012
10:29 am
The fans reaction is more indicative of what occurs in a mob/riot. As people are incited and see other poor/violent behavior they too become aggressive. Most the fans at the game are probably casual/short time home team fans. This occurence does not reflect a city, but what can happen in these settings.
yuuup
October 6th, 2012
10:30 am
This team is just doomed from the word go. All I know is that the Cardinals ownership should send the Braves one hell of a gift, because without the Braves, the Cards are jack squat. The Braves collapsed when they had a 10 game lead last year to allow the Cards to get the only Wild Card spot, and this year when there are two Wild Card spots, the Braves choke and allow that team to advance again.
The Braves could win 100 games next year and still get eliminated in the first series in the playoffs. It’s what they do folks, they have been doing it forever. What does 14 consecutive division titles mean when you only win 1 world series, and get knocked out of the playoffs in your first series year after year on your home turf? It means this team is soft no matter the players on the team, the gm sitting in the office, or the manager sitting in the dugout. Then they wonder why attendance is down in the regular season. Well if fans are basing their attendance for next year on last night’s game, Turner Field will look like Marlins park next season, and unfortunately they deserve it.
shorty
October 6th, 2012
10:34 am
Sam Holbrook,Joe Torre and Bud Selig should be barred from MLB for life I bet they all had bets on last nights game. And the rest of that umpiring crew were gutless too or on the take like Holbrook and as for the fans in the stands..Thank You for having the guts to be passionate
and totally poltically incorrect
shorty
October 6th, 2012
10:34 am
Sam Holbrook,Joe Torre and Bud Selig should be barred from MLB for life I bet they all had bets on last nights game. And the rest of that umpiring crew were gutless too or on the take like Holbrook and as for the fans in the stands..Thank You for having the guts to be passionate
and totally poltically incorrect
jim
October 6th, 2012
10:36 am
In retrospect it would have been great if Chiper announced his immedate retirement after the homerun off of Papelbon. He would have gone out on the highest note, and he basically “retired” after that game anyway. The long goodbye took too much of a toll on him physically and emotionally and a pair of umpire calls by Hollbrook and the first base ump saved him from being the focus of the Braves’ defeat.
Avery Bundren
October 6th, 2012
10:37 am
The Braves lost! It’s as simple as that. They played lousy defense and their hitting was untimely. So far as the call by the umpire is concerned, judgment calls are made in every game. To blame the Braves’ defeat on the umpire’s call is wimping out. How about the home plate umpire giving Ross a delayed time out, even though he swung through a third strike, only to be given another chance which resulted in a 2-run homerun for the Braves.
Just A Fan
October 6th, 2012
10:40 am
I cant believe people are praising the Atlanta “fans” for their classless, bush league behavior. They embarrassed the Braves organization and the city of Atlanta.
southern hope
October 6th, 2012
10:51 am
i’m sickened…sad….humiliated…enraged….so many emotions boiling inside of me right now….
Ckgator
October 6th, 2012
10:53 am
I was at the game and PROUD of Braves fans for their passion. Don’t know how it looked in TV, but it was bedlam live and completely justified.
For the Braves’ season and Chipper’s career to end this way…. shame on you Major League.
Ckgator
October 6th, 2012
10:54 am
…Baseball.
Dan
October 6th, 2012
11:07 am
Winners respond to adversity. After the Denkinger call in the ‘85 series, the Cardinals failed to respond and lost. After Steve Bartman prevented Moises Alou from catching the fly ball in the ‘03 playoffs, the Cubs failed to respond and lost. It’s too bad that the result of any game is affected by anything other than the team’s skill and execution. But winners find a way to do it.
DMac
October 6th, 2012
11:12 am
The Braves did not play well enough to win last night. However, they did not deserve to be robbed of the chance to win by such an obviously bad call. I’ve watched baseball for over 40 years and I’ve never, ever seen an infield fly called that deep in the outfield. The umpire blew it, plain and simple, and yet he (and MLB) still won’t admit it. None of the umpires or the MLB officials had the guts to set right an obviously bad call. They should all be ashamed.
DMac
October 6th, 2012
11:14 am
By the way, with reference to the fans behavior, I think their reaction was restrained, given the circumstances. The call was so bad, I’m surprised the crowd didn’t rush the field.
Chas
October 6th, 2012
11:15 am
Joe Torre is much the gutless lacky, as the rest of corporate MLB. If Joe and his friggen’ Yankees had protested, used car saleman Bud, would have allowed the protest. Sam Holbrook is a brain dead idiot, along with his umpire pals. Umpires don’t want to get it right. They are ego-driven, and an arrogant bunch of wanna be’s.
Shame on MLB, not only for standing up to a bad call bunch of losers, but for the rushed, ill-concieved, and stupid two wild card set up.
MLB is a joke. Bud is a joke. Joe Torre is a spineless lacy. Add Joe to the NO BALLS group. I used to respect Joe. He is not worthy of respect. He is now just another MLB corporate lacky in a suit, with zero credibility. Joe, you’re quite a disappointment, especially knowing that YOU KNOW the call was wrong. Would you have had the same slack-assed opinion, had you been managing the Yankees? I think not. Way to become a real loser Joe. You’re as classless as MLB, and Sam Holbrook. Joe Torre folds likes a cheap suit. Too bad you’re in the Hall. Apparently character doesn’t count for much. Great job, Joe. You just last all your credibility. You’ve achieved BUD status.
jub
October 6th, 2012
11:19 am
IsUggla kidding me? He is terrible on defense, erratic on offense, unreliable all the way around, overpriced, overpaid, delusional an a girly man. I’d rather have Conrad Brooks. The salary per RBI/BA would be much cheaper. Cox and Fredi are incosistent in dealing with Uggla vs others. Diaz was benched or regulated to platooning because his splits were unequal. But non of his sorted stats were as bad as Uggla overall BA. Ted Turner needs to return and clean house.
peaches
October 6th, 2012
11:19 am
I am getting tired of hearing how the cardinals stole that game. In the second when the batter had 2 strikes called time out to late swing for a third strike and the ump gave him the time out, then he came back and had a home run. You did not hear cardinals fans there in the stadium yell unfair our throw bottles. How many times has a ball team had bases loaded one out and never scored. You all act like the cardinals stole something. Your team was 3 runs behind not one. You all need to move on and admit your team did not have there A game on when the cards did.
Good Grief Charlie Brown
October 6th, 2012
11:20 am
yes, it was a bad call. yes, the umpire should have ‘manned’ up and admitted his mistake, BUT….
3 runs on 12 hits, 12 men LOB, 1-11 (?) with RISP, and 3 fielding errors is NOT going to win ANY game.
disappointed that the season had to end this way, but i’m more disappointed with fans throwing stuff on the field. have never understood that, never will.
Eric Gregg
October 6th, 2012
11:28 am
Sam made the correct call, the same people that were made at my strike zone in 97 are the ones crying today. Sam finished #1 at my umpire school and CB Buckner #2, both excellent umps! Go O’s & Reds!
STYLIN
October 6th, 2012
11:34 am
The infield fly call did not cost the Braves this game. Three crucial errors did along with a box score showing only 3 runs on 12 hits and 12 runners stranded! That was the game! I doubt they get the runs in even if the call is not made. It was that way all season!
It is obvious that a better lead off man is needed….Bourn is not he guy…way too many K’s. And another season of futility from Dan Uggla won’t cut it. C’mon Frank Wren….put the money up and get David Wright to take over for Chipper at third…he would make a great Brave! Ship Uggla out and put Prado permanently at second. And get an “on-base” lead off guy…not a strike-out king!
TP
October 6th, 2012
11:36 am
Wow!, the children are still crying…….
grandpa
October 6th, 2012
11:58 am
Holbrook…300 lbs plus of lard….same dude that stuck his neck in where it shouldnt have been and threw out Zack Greinke and was suspended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Great choice for playoff ump!!!!!!!!!!!
ChipperisGod
October 6th, 2012
12:02 pm
That was the worst game I’ve ever been to. Hands down. Even worse than the Jim Leyritz homer in 96 that sent my six year old self into tears for the entire night. We had that game sealed after Ross hit the homer, and then the very man who saved the Braves season, pretty much ended it with that horrible error. Then Uggla’s error, Simmons’ error and that horrible infield fly. Hell, we still almost pulled it out, we could have scored 10 runs off them if we could hit in RISP.
Terrible way for Chipper to go out, the only legit run the Cards scored was Holliday’s home run. We GAVE THAT GAME AWAY. The Cardinals didn’t win, we completely lost it.
Changes need to be made in the offseason. We need to sign some legit corner outfielder, move Prado to third and I would put Uggla on waivers just to see if we can get anything for him. I like Uggla, but he can just not continue to have the sort of seasons he’s had for that amount of money.
Give Mac one more year next year to prove himself, if not, let him go into free agency.
Sad way to end what was for the most part a great season. Really should have won that game.
PMC
October 6th, 2012
12:12 pm
Well Ive had enough of Joe Simpson and Chip Carey forever
Ken Stallings
October 6th, 2012
12:12 pm
So, in the future, on any pop fly to the outfield, the nearest fielder sprints to the spot and “establishes himself under the ball,” and instantly the batter is out whether the catch is made or not.
Yeah, and how long would that kind of nonsense last before there were full scale riots at games?
You know, as regrettable as the fan reaction was, there is an elemental truth that is MLB wants to remain alive as a professional sport people are willing to pay hard earned money to support, then they better wise up real fast! The umpires have once again allowed their egos to trump common sense.
The truth of what happened has been mentioned by many professional analysts. Sam Holbrook was standing in left field with nothing to do but watch the game. Finally, a play happens near him and his ego makes him desirous to make a call on the field. The only call he could have made all night was that one as there was not a single ball hit down the line that needed his call. So, he made the most intrusive call he could have made with the one chance to make a call the game presented him.
That folks is the core truth of the whole deal. It is the reason the call was made. Then, because of the extended controversy that a re-do would have caused, Joe Torre was either ordered or decided on his own to immediately disallow the protest — something that is in his purview to decide. Normally, it is decided many hours after the protest is filed and the answer comes in a written response. The last time a protest was upheld was the George Brett pine tar game — that I can recall. The Royals were robbed on a BS call, and the commissioner had the guts to make the correct call.
Bud Selig is a spineless worm. He always has been. Presented with a monumental moment at an All Star game, he rules the game a tie vice force the managers to put position players on the mound to pitch, or even waive the substitution rule to at least allow previously used position players to throw. OK, that was understandable, but being the spineless worm Selig is, he had to fabricate some rule change and the one he decided upon was to turn an exhibition game into something with some pseudo standing — determining home field advantage in the World Series games!
Then, the concocts this scheme of dual wild cards because he decides that there is not sufficient reward for winning a division. OK, in principle that sounds reasonable. But, in a desire to ram it through in the very next season, it required this stupid scheme — not the single game playoff for the two wild cards — I’m talking about the foolish notion of going back to a five-game division series where the wild card game winner gets to play the first two games at home!
Since the wild card plays the team with the best league record, it stands the idea of rewarding the division winners on its ear! You force the team with the best record in the league to surrender true home field advantage and reward the team with likely the worst record of all playoff teams with a very enviable division series schedule.
The Cardinals should send Selig flowers. Every other team in baseball should send him a wet fish wrapped in a newspaper!
CHOKE ARTISTS
October 6th, 2012
12:13 pm
Fan weren’t reacting to a blown call. They were releasing 20 years of frustration from watching their team wet the bed once again on their homefield.
double
October 6th, 2012
12:14 pm
My respect for Joe Torre just went south.Yes the Braves played sloppy.But with this team you never know.The infield call was in the outfield.The shortstop had been called off by the fielder,neither camped.Holbrook cost the Braves run(s)would have been bases loaded.As for the fans,they showed some spirit,placed the blame where it lies.
Ken Stallings
October 6th, 2012
12:22 pm
To continue ….
If Sam Hollbrook did nothing (which his ego would not allow him to do) then there would have been zero controversy. No one on the Cardinals team would have protested a no-call. To assert otherwise would be to assert stupidity.
Then, if the Braves continued their woeful run of hitting with runners in scoring position, then the entire outcome of the game would have reseted on the shoulders of the Braves.
Isn’t the game supposed to be determined by the players on the field?
I rest my case!
Umpire ego is once again out of control. Only MLB executives can change the situation. Umpires who elevate their ego above the game need to be fired. Any umpire protests resulting should be met with mass terminations. It is time for baseball to take back control of the game from umpires who let their personal egos outweigh their mandated role to control the game, but not influence the game.
Braves Cleanup Crew
October 6th, 2012
12:24 pm
No one deserved to lose that game more… oh, except maybe the fans.
Georgia teams suck. The Bulldogs are next.
ButterMilk Tuesdays
October 6th, 2012
12:25 pm
First, if Fredi Gonzalez honestly called for a safety squeeze with runners on the corners, one out, and with the pitcher on-deck….. I don’t know, that’s about as stupid as it gets right there. The man deserves the boot, along with the rest of the coaching staff. Some major changes in management need to be made this off-season. Second, Joe Simpson, F#%K you, man. “This is embarrassing… wah-wah, this is soooo embarrassing…” No! YOU, sir, are the embarrassment! In fact, this entire organization is an embarrassment. Three years in a row now the Braves have choked HARD.
Ken Stallings
October 6th, 2012
12:32 pm
In conclusion …
Failure of MLB to rein in the umpires, combined with the state of the economy hurting purchasing power of middle class people, will threaten the sports and has already impacted the sport’s financial health.
With this bitter outcome, what you saw last night with the debris thrown onto the field, must be seen in its full implications. Braves fans historically have been seen as very respectful and temperate. Last night, their anger boiled over. But, the worst effect of that anger won’t be the trash that took 19 minutes to clean up.
Instead, the wrost effect is that most of those fans may well have concluded that this sport isn’t worth their allegience in the future. That means lost revenues in a sport that cannot afford any more lost revenues. The Braves sold out that wild card game last night — which represented about $1 million in direct income to the team itself from ticket sales and concessions. The city took in at least that much in hotel and transportation related taxes and fees.
You don’t tolerate angering your paying customers with such a shoddy level of performance on the field, and that is not limited to the players. It also includes the umpires. And in the final analysis, there is vastly less tolerance for bad umpires than bad players. Making a throwing error is vastly easier and understandable than allowing ego run amouk to influence a wholly unecessary and unwarranted call.
In conclusion, Bud Selig has made a lot of decisions and handed down a lot of changes to the game that have caused significant fan discomfort. Perhaps his ego is run amouk also! Interleague play, the All-Star game determining World Series homefield advantage, the wild card, the double wild card with single elimination wild card playoff game, have all represented significant changes all made under the leadership of just one commissioner — Bud Selig.
Selig might want to consider his next move very carefully. Perhaps the best choice he can make is to refuse to make any more choices!
BCSTL
October 6th, 2012
12:32 pm
atl fans: crybabies big time. outplayed, outhustled, outscored
devo
October 6th, 2012
12:33 pm
I used to think joe torre was a man of integrity but just like major league baseball he now has none. as for the stl fan who called it a choke maybe hes right but when stl lost 3 straight to the braves in nlcs they didnt even have a bad call to blame . 3 straight is a little bit bigger choke and baseball is now one big ass joke
J Niemyer
October 6th, 2012
12:33 pm
You know what’s just as bad as that call? Reynolds on the MLB Network saying it was right. Omar Visquel disagreed w/ him and told him it was the wrong call.
Could it could have made a difference? Maybe, we’ll never know. Can you imagine being at the game and trying to figure what was going one when they called Simmons out? The fans were upset as we were at home. They shouldn’t have done what they did, but they felt it was the wrong call.
Holbrook put his arm up so late. Was he in th Cards pocket?
I hate the season ended like this and it hurts really bad. I’m an avid fan and hope the Nats crush the Cards!!!!!!!
ButterMilk Tuesdays
October 6th, 2012
12:39 pm
Ken speaks the truth. Attendance numbers have steadily decreased throughout the years, and this season’s outcome may finally put the Braves in the basement.
The Braves need only a few changes to become Division CHamps again.
October 6th, 2012
12:48 pm
1. Make it a priority to sign David Wright as our new 3rd baseman. He can hit for power and would be a leader in the clubhouse.
2. Get the best power hitting LF we can.
3. Move Prado to 2nd base, cut our losses with UGGLA; he has not panned out as expected.
4. Don’t make but a few changes in the pitching staff.. Hudson still solid, Medlin solid, Minor coming on strong, Beachy will come back strong like Medlin and Maholm is solid, Use Jurrgens and Hanson for trade bait if they can.
And Braves fans quit complaining about the Umps, they didn’t cause the loss, the errors did. You sound like UGA fans.
ga gator
October 6th, 2012
12:49 pm
Sad way to see this season end, especially for Chipper.
Laughing out Loud
October 6th, 2012
12:58 pm
“Just wait till next year!” was the cry of “dem Brooklyn Bums.” There is always the next season, quit griping, groaning, hating and name calling, it’s a game…the national pass time….get it “pass time.”
NORRIS CHUCK
October 6th, 2012
1:04 pm
I lost all respect for Joe Torre last night while he sat next to the fat guy from the Sopranos and The Men in Black trying to justify that obvious blunder.
I am so sick of MLB and their continued incompetance year in and year out to do the right thing. I still remember the Bartman play in Chicago, the botched call on the no-hitter in Detriot and last night will sting too.
I was watching them sit on the panel and trying to make explainations of what the ump called and Joe couldnt even put together legible words that even sounded like a sentence!
And looking at the ridiculous expression on Holbrooks face said it all for me. He knew that he made a bad call but was gonna hide behind MLB. That other ump was looking like, “Dude you screwed up and now i gotta sit here looking stupid with you!”
I agree with some of the others who posted, “If this would have happened to the Yankees, we would be playing again tonight!” MLB is STILL a joke!
But overall, the Braves wouldnt have been in this situation if they hadnt kicked the ball around in typical Atlanta Braves post-season fashion. Year in year out, in the post-season, the Atlanta Braves will find a way to CHOKE!
Slammin' Helmets, and Breakin' Bats!
October 6th, 2012
1:06 pm
Well said, Ken Stallings. So, what’s your take on management now that we’ve lost the wild-card game? A couple of weeks ago, almost everyone on here were quick to applaud both Gonzalez and Wren once we clinched a playoff berth (all of it being unworthy praise, in my opinion). Do you see Wren or Liberty Media taking steps forward to improve this club’s coaching staff?
Slammin' Helmets, and Breakin' Bats!
October 6th, 2012
1:07 pm
… almost everyone on here *was*
bruce mac
October 6th, 2012
1:08 pm
Chipper said he wanted to go out like he came in. He did, choking as usual. I am so happy I don’t have to watch Borne strike out anymore in a Braves uniform. We need to spend the Chipper, McCann, and Borne money on two good hitters and move on. Pitching is set.
NORRIS CHUCK
October 6th, 2012
1:10 pm
I wanna know one thing, who likes the 1 game play in? THE WINNING TEAM! MLB is a joke. They play 162 games from April to October and then rewards a 90 something win team with a ONE GAME PLAY IN??? Thats so dumb.
Why not cut the season down 3 or 5 games and make that the play in??? HELLO MLB…YOU LISTENING???
SMOLTZ 29
October 6th, 2012
1:21 pm
Happy trails Bourn, we can get Victorino to play center for a lot less $$$$. At least he won’t fan 155 times! MERCY
Brandon
October 6th, 2012
1:22 pm
The Rangers got screwed too. A couple weeks ago it would’ve been very difficult to imagine them losing the division and then the one game playoff.
I have no problem with the new wild card system though. It makes the stakes higher. Braves need to win the division next season.
In the offseason, they should trade hanson for offense and not re-sign bourn. The braves need a couple right handed bats
Ken Stallings
October 6th, 2012
1:23 pm
Given our lack of hitting with RISP, I actually think Fredi made a risky, but perhaps advisable, call on the safety squeeze. It would have tied the game and in a single-elimination game, you do have to take those risks. Of course, again, that call would have been inadvisable had Chipper not thrown the ball away and allowed three runs to score. With the score still 2-0, Fredi would have had Simmons swing away and who knows — perhaps the kid could have gotten an RBI hit and let the Braves have a chance for another multi-run inning.
Frank Wren is doing an excellent job with a tight payroll. Not all moves a GM makes will work out. But, most of his did, including this season. A lot of things had to go right for the Braves to win 94 games and earn a wild card berth. And Wren’s personnel moves represented many of those good outcomes.
Signing Uggla seemed like a great move at the time, but it is time for Uggla’s two disappointing seasons to start factoring into front office choices. A third such season is totally unacceptable and if Uggla gets into a third straight prolonged horrible slump, then I would be in favor of tough action against him. This was Uggla’s first postseason play and frankly he squandered a lot of RBI chances. So, that factors into his career analysis also.
Uggla’s and Chipper’s throwing errors were both unforced errors. On the other hand, Simmon’s throwing error was forced. Yes, it allowed a runner to advance, which was what put the Cards up 6-3 by the end of that woeful inning. But, Simmons had to make a fast throw to home or the Cards would have scored their fifth run anyway. In a single elimination game, is a 5-3 deficit really all that much better than the 6-3 deficit his errant throw facilitated?
Simmons made a worse mental mistake when he sharply veered left into the grass and made the interference call so obvious to make against him. Had he stayed in the running lane, perhaps Freeman could have scored on the throw to first, making the game 3-3.
Medlen’s mistake was the pitch to Holliday, which was supposed to be low and outside, but instead broke over the heart of the plate and was a cookie that Holliday did not miss. But, that was merely one run he truly surrendered as entirely earned. With even average defense behind him. Medlen would have surrendered one solo homer and the Braves would have likely walked their way to a 3-1 victory as I think they would have scored late with the relaxation of Medlen giving way to O’Flaherty to Kimbrel by the time the seventh inning rolled around.
The Braves need to make changes. They need to get a better bat for left field so they can move Prado to third base, which is his natural fielding position. But, again, Prado’s amazing flexibility would allow the Braves to pursue other options, such as trying to sign David Wright and put him at third base.
But the attendance does not support a higher payroll, and so the problem again returns to the sum of all its parts. Dan Uggla is consuming way too much payroll for his production. Right now, the brutal truth is that he ranks among the most overpaid players in baseball, which means for a team with a tight payroll like Atlanta, he’s a double liability.
Next season, the Braves have the best pitching staff in the NL, perhaps in all of baseball. They need another good bat in the lineup and they need Uggla to frankly clean the cobwebs out of his head and get back to being a .250/35/95 hitter, which was his average production as a Marlin with home field at Joe Robbie Stadium.
J J
October 6th, 2012
1:27 pm
Brave fans are such crybabies. That call did not beat you.. Poor defense and no hitting beat you Especially yout HOOTERS HERO. He is a bum. the best decision he ever made was to retire. He is still crying because he doesn’t like the 1 game playoff. If he wasn’t such a loser, he would help his team win imnstead of being on a glory trip and running his mouth.. Hooters hero is a LOSER
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
1:33 pm
Hey cleanup crew; You didn’t get all the trash off the field; the umps we’re left, but hey, good luck findin’ a job somewhere else.
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
1:36 pm
Some of these bloggers need to go check out the Rangers blog, see what kinda hte they could rouse up for what they are say’n right now, they gottabe wanting to throw Ron Washington in a golpher hole right now. I bet Ranger fans are all hyped up for next year already.
J J
October 6th, 2012
1:37 pm
@74bravesjersey. One more time. IT WAS NOT THE CALL. It was bad playing.. Especially your Hooters hero.
Slammin' Helmets, and Breakin' Bats!
October 6th, 2012
1:42 pm
Ken Stallings: “Next season, the Braves have the best pitching staff in the NL, perhaps in all of baseball.”
Yeah? How do you see the starting five next year? I’m hoping we remove Hanson and Maholm from the rotation to allow Delgado/or/Graham and Teheran a spot in the rotation.
Ken Stallings
October 6th, 2012
1:44 pm
I’m OK with the two wild cards and the single elimination wild card playoff format. I like rewarding the divison winners. But, the team with the best record in the league should face the team with the worst record of the four teams in the division series. Also, the division series should go back to a seven game format so that a true homefield advantage is retained. You can eliminate the off days in between changing cities to allow for the extra games.
Baseball’s biggest challenge is to get control of their umpires. Been way too many bad antics of late. And I’m not talking about Jim Joyce’s call — Joyce might be one of the few umpires without an ego issue, which is why he is seen as one of the best. Joyce made a bad call, but owned up to it with honesty. The issue is all the prima donnas who refuse to admit when they make errors, or who’s ego compels them to make a call when no call is necessary or even wise.
Baseball umpires are widely seen as the most egotistical and arrogant officials in any professional sport. They cause far more acrimony than officials in other sports relative their need to make calls in the game. Basketball and football officials cause controversy also, but you see far fewer overall issues with them. Baseball needs to get control over their officials like football does.
Too may baseball officials seek confrontation with players and managers. This is because they have too much protection. Baseball is the one sport that does not select officials to work postseason based on evaluations. That should change. There also needs to be more turnover so that bad officials are fired.
My solution would be annual surveys among GM’s, managers, coaches, and players to rank all umpires. All umpires who appear in the top ten percent would receive a bonus payment. All umpires who appear in the bottom ten percent would be relegated to the next lower division of baseball (MLB to AAA to AA to high A to low A to rookiel league). Those hired would get a two year exemption from relegation out of rookie league, but after that, any umpire relegated to rookie league who finds himself in the bottom ten percent, would be automatically fired by MLB.
Any umpire who was voted in the top ten percent in a league lower than MLB, would be promoted to the next higher echelon.
Trust me, if this happened, the malcontents and those umpires responsible for most of the issues that get talked about, would be quickly gone, and most who got relegated out of MLB would resign rather than accept the demotion, which would meet the intent also! So, umpires who constantly pick fights with players and managers would suddenly realize that if it happens enough for unfair reasons, words will spread and he’ll be demoted or fired.
Then, at the end of each season, MLB selects those officials graded best by MLB executives for postseason — no more rotations — merit all the way. And these officials earn their postseason pay, which would be a second bonus payment for those graded in the top ten percent. And I would make those bonuses substantial — something on the order of $100,000 for being graded in the top ten percent, and the money earned for postseason work. It would add up to a lot of money for the best umpires! The bonuses paid at the lower levels is getting promoted to the next highest level.
Slammin' Helmets, and Breakin' Bats!
October 6th, 2012
1:48 pm
Concerning Uggla, I think he’s a lost cause, and I would go ahead and eat his contract and allow Prado to play his natural position. I doubt the Mets will let Wright go, but I would be ecstatic if the Braves made a strong push for him. But again, I doubt he goes anywhere. And about the left-fielder… I don’t know, maybe we could go after Pagan or Melky.
Watchman
October 6th, 2012
2:10 pm
So……Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins Tweeted the Braves got hosed? My advice to them is to tune in their MLB soul brotha Harold Reynolds on the MLB Network and pay attention to HR’s breakdown of the call. The reason it seemed to Holbrook so long to make the call is it took an equal amount of time for Kozma to get himself positioned to what Holbrook thought was “under the ball” and “with reasonable effort” or whatever. The verbiage of the rule has been parsed by many knowledgeable baseball folks. The application of the rule has been parsed by many knowledgeable baseball folks AND highlights from past games played of identical application of the rule. It was the right call, people. One thing that gets lost in all this after-the-fact analysis is the ump had to make the call IN REAL TIME! REAL TIME people. And frankly, Holbrook did a pretty darn good job in retrospect.
jim
October 6th, 2012
2:11 pm
2013 will be a transition year. Beachy will not be back before the All-Star Game and not really back until 2014 (a la Medlen). Delgado needs a spot in the rotation and will be a front line starter by 2014. I don’t see Teheran reaching the level that we hoped he would last year — Delgado has better stuff. Graham might challenge for a rotation spot by 2014, but who really knows until we have seen him. The farm has produced Heyward, Freeman, Simmons, Kimbrel, Venters, Avilan, Gearrin, and Minor the last 3 years, but save Delgado and maybe Teheran is pretty dry at the top levels. Uggla needs to go, but who will take him? One possible way would be to trade Teheran and make Uggla be part of that trade. Otherwise, the Braves have needs in CF, LF, 3B, 2B, and probably catcher next year. Prado will fill one of those needs, but still a lot of holes to fill but there is a lot of payroll being freed up in the next two years.
Wink
October 6th, 2012
2:25 pm
What a lousy end to the Braves season…but once again an Atlanta team crumbles under the spotlight.
Bad ending for Chipper, commiting the error leading to 3 unearned runs and had two hitting situations late that could have made a difference.
Suggestion for this WC game format: Maybe the season should be your Schedule plus One series. Every team should be prepared to play one more 3 game series based on ending the season as a Wild Card team. The series should be played on 3 consecutive days including travel. The best record would get home field advantage. Game 1 would be a night game and Game 2 would be an 1 pm game to take a little off home field and 3 game at the 2nd WC park.
On the infield fly rule, the rule should not automatically assume the runner is out. If the defense fails to catch ball the runner should be allowed to take first and runners move up one base….because if he is camped out, he should make out,
Slammin' Helmets, and Breakin' Bats!
October 6th, 2012
2:25 pm
Teheran has a rough go at it in AAA this year, and people are already entertaining the thought of using him as trade bait to get rid of Uggla? Yeah, that move surely won’t bite us in the a**.
leftrecursion
October 6th, 2012
2:31 pm
“We played to win the game,” Molina said. “They played to lose the game.” Is Molina out of his mind?
Sam Holbrook Is the Latest, Greatest Incompetent Sports Official — Sports on a Shtick
October 6th, 2012
3:01 pm
[...] Holbrook, who earlier this season ejected Zack Greinke for being upset at himself, remained indignant after watching a replay of the incident, declaring it was “absolutely” the right call. [...]
Chad Wellington
October 6th, 2012
3:11 pm
Guys, it was NOT a bad call. Read the actual MLB “infield fly rule” before commending here. We’ve got to realize it was the correct call. We lost the game due to errors and failure to hit with runners on. Listen to the MLB officials today and ESPN analysts–why are you guys saying it was an incorrect call??? THE REALITY IS, any fan who threw something embarrassed the city of Atlanta and made us look terrible on national TV. Despicable. Any fan who threw something should be banned from going to a Braves game next year. Really sad end for Chipper as we almost forfeit the game due to drunk angry fans. Sad ending for Braves. Get your story right people. Go to ESPN or some site that actually covers the facts on what happened with the errors that really lost the game. Not the stupid Infield Fly Rule. I feel sorry for all the kids at the game who saw the terrible unsportsmanlike fan behavior. Sad.
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
3:25 pm
Hey Molina must’ve known they played to win, w/ the help from his friends, @ philly Guy; you’re opinion, not to say phillies would’ve played as bad as the Braves did in the game, but if the same scenario had occured in philly, tell me what would philly fans would’ve done at that momment? I know they would’ve went even crazier, huh? probably launch a few sinks & urinals from the bathrooms Huh?
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
3:36 pm
Dennis Eckersely said it was an incorrect call, Buster Onley said the ball being 50 ft further than normal pop fly was incorrect call, then Billy Ripken, Omar visquel of mlb said it was beyond the depth of infield fly rule, & if the rule is written in the manner that it is this whole deal is a fabrication. It was mid depth into the outfield, mid left field! Kosmar got way out there because the ball hung up there for him, w/ his speed I commend him for but he struggled, to find it, thought he heard Holliday’s footsteps, gave up, the ball dropped, out in mid-range left field. I think a line judge outfield umpire should not have jurisdiction over infield umpire as far as infield fly rule, yet the ball was nowhere near the infield.
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
3:43 pm
So however the rule states is a contradiction to this case, oh, but our Brass is too much worried about how proffesional our fans should react when the rug got pulled out from beneath them, the brass told fredi to be sweet, don’t make any waves, & course fredi wants to say the right things so he hopes to have his job next year. I’m pissed man, if the shoe was on the other foot, cardnals hitting, holbrook would’ve left that judgement alone.
ijudgenot
October 6th, 2012
3:47 pm
OK now that Cox and Chipper have retired its time for the Braves to stop trying to “win one for the Gipper” and start giving their young players an opportunity to play at the major league level. Give pink slips to Henski, Diaz, Baker and Overbay. Let Bourn go the free agent route. Let Constanza try to win the centerfield spot and bat leadoff. Try to deal Uggla and McCann to American League team although they may have to eat some of Uggla’s contract. Hopefully they can get a power hitting leftfielder in one of the exchanges. Put Prado at second and put right handed hitting third baseman obtained in trade for Uggla or McCann at third.Bring up Gattis, Mehia and Gartrell for the bench. Trade Hanson for talented righthanded reliever. Make your top five starters; Medlen, Beachy,Hudson, Minor and Muholm. Let Teheran and Delgado work in Bullpen until spot starter or long relief guy is needed. I would say replace Fredi but he needs one year without Chipper,s influance on the team to judge his effectiveness.
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
3:59 pm
Man, the Braves did stink it up, yeah, no hitting w/risp, 3 crapped out errors, yet, when a chance to rite the ship, that would’ve had bases loaded, key momment, an umpires assumptional judgement call overrules the obvious(mid – field pop fly ball beyond 50ft of infield, way beyond infield), calls infield fly rule, then that rule contradicts what an infield fly rule is in this case, a mommentum changer that the Braves had, the crowd was rock’n, the cardnals we’re in deep crap w/ bases loaded, one out, B-Mac ain’t no telln’ could’ve walked, could’ve gott’n a base hit, could’ve struck out, could’ve hit into the double play, but because of Mr. Holbrooks assumptional judgement, the umpires helped the cardnals get out of that mess, knocked the wind out of what sail the braves had at the momment. Can’t believe Molina say’n what he said, that’s all right, they ain’t gonna last long against the nats. Enjoy you’re free-ride Molina. & Rossy, again called time before loshe started his windup, & the ump too slow to react, I get that.
Chad Wellington
October 6th, 2012
4:02 pm
Correct Call Made on Infield-fly, USA Today says…
Paul White, USA TODAY SportsShare
2012-10-05-delay
Paul White: The questionable infield-fly call was the correct ruling
The game was delayed 15 minutes after fans pelted the field with trash
The Braves played the remainder of the game under protest
2:38AM EST October 6. 2012 – Follow closely the controversial infield-fly play in the Braves-Cardinals game and you’ll see the Infield Fly Rule applied as the rule book suggests.
If there’s any argument about the result of umpire Sam Holbrook’s out call, it’s a disagreement on his judgment that the rule applies in this case. And, as a judgment call, that wipes out any hope the Braves have of getting their protest upheld because, by rule, protests can be over only a misinterpretation or wrong application of a rule — not over judgment.
CHAOS: Questionable call sets off Turner Field fans
GAME STORY: Cardinals hold on to win 6-3
PHOTOS: Worst fan behavior in sports history, Atlanta fans among worst ever
CHIPPER: Jones’ career ends on a sour note
Let’s start with the rule.
An automatic out is called when, with runners on first and second (as in tonight’s case) or the bases loaded and fewer than two outs, a fly ball is hit that the umpires believe can be routinely handled by an infielder. The rule exists so an infielder doesn’t purposely drop the ball so he can get force outs for a double or triple play.
The comment in the baseball rule book that accompanies the explanation of the rule is what’s most pertinent in tonight’s case.
Here it is:
Rule 2.00 (Infield Fly) Comment: On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infielder — not by some arbitrary limitation such as the grass, or the base lines. The umpire must rule also that a ball is an infield fly, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire’s judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielder.
Jim Joyce
October 6th, 2012
4:04 pm
At least I was man enough to admit when I blew a huge call.
Mitchell
October 6th, 2012
4:05 pm
F Sam Holbrook.
How do you look yourself in the face as an umpire and not want to beg somebody to beat the s***.
Prostitution is a nobler profession.
F*ing idiot.
I don’t care how many errors the Braves made.
Every fan who watched this team this year knows they could have come back and won the game.
Who in their right mind can say with Brian McCann at the plate and one out, with Bourn and Prado on deck, that we would not have at least tied it.
I would take Martin Prado, even with two outs, over anybody else on this team or the f*ing @$$hole Cardinals with the bases loaded, down three.
Martin Prado has multiple grand slams.
He hit a game tying grand slam last year against the Nats.
If he had the chance to bat it would not have surprised me to see him win the game with one swing.
Sam Holbrook made sure he didn’t get that chance.
Mitchell
October 6th, 2012
4:06 pm
I meant to say … “out of you?”
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
4:10 pm
@ itsdejavualloveragain,good points,; @ ijudgenot; w/u on the moves, hope we can piece the ship back together, “Everything rises & falls on Leadership”.
74bravesjersey
October 6th, 2012
4:21 pm
@ Chad Wellington; Thank you for the information, then we could assess that if the shoe was on the other foot, hindsight, just wander’n would Holbrook make the same call against the cardinals, just wander’n, & yet to say from whatever sources used, their would been worst reaction beyond, from other fan bases in the heat of the momment, & have in the past, because of real high passion level, I can disagree with this source of the photo.
oldfart
October 6th, 2012
5:01 pm
It certainly was a bad call and I’ve read the damn rules. If this is called this way each time then in the future with men on 1st & 2nd or bases loaded situations all of the infielders should run to the outfield on any pop fly or looper with their backs to the plate and flap their arms. This was quite obviously a you-got-it-I-take-it confused with the noise of the crowd and the umpire’s arm did not extend until the shortstop pulled off of his run and a few milliseconds before the ball hit the ground. While I agree that it was not the sole reason for the loss it damn sure was a contributing factor and the primary reason the protest is being ignored is not that it was a judgement call but the timing of the call when it became obvious the ball was hitting the ground, and of course, the timing of Sunday’s allotted tv time. Primarily the tv time.
foultip
October 6th, 2012
6:22 pm
Would have loved seeing Bobby Cox running out to argue with the umpire about his call. Talk about the chaos which would have followed.
Bob Donahoe
October 6th, 2012
6:47 pm
The Braves played poorly and did not deserve a win. They needed to bring home some of those runners that they stranded. Still, anybody who follows baseball knows that it was inappropriate to invoke the infield fly rule on the Simmons pop-up. Rule-wise, the judgemental nature of these calls could be eliminated if there was a line or arc projected from the foul lines at some arbitrarily appropriate distance (40 feet?) from first and thrid bases so that pop-ups inside the line are automatically affected by the infield fly rule while pop-ups landing outside the line are not.
Ken Stallings
October 6th, 2012
6:49 pm
Gritz,
I totally agree with how you phrased your objections to Joe Simpson. I agree that Simpson seemed too eager to scold the fans. Simpson took it too far and repeated the admonision too frequently. He should have said it once and then let it go. But, by repeating it several times, I think it would be best to have his broadcast contract ended for Braves baseball.
Ken Stallings
October 6th, 2012
6:55 pm
Paul; White needs to read the rule before pontificating on it! First, the fly ball has to be fielded by an infielder! It says so very clearly in the rule book.
Second, the intent of the rule is to benefit the offense, not the defense. Sam Hollbrook just interpreted the rule vastly wider and more liberally than it’s ever been applied in the past and for that reason MLB will need to revise the rule to put an actual distance provision into effect. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to change how the field is drawn up and paint an arc to clearly label that distance limit also.
What Holbrook should carry to his grave is the sense of personal shame that until his blunder last night, such an arc was never needed. So, it should be named the “Holbrook arc!” Enjoy the clear badge of shame, Sam Holbrook, you idiot!
Given Holbrook’s foolish application of the rule, from now on you have your nearest infielder sprint after a pop fly to the outfield every time there are runners on base in a force situation with less than two outs. Instruct the nearest infielder to sprint under the ball, and make a move with his hands that he’s got it, and snooker the umpire into making an infield fly out call.
You don’t even have to worry about dropped catches in the outfield any longer! So, it is a 100% out call if the Holbrook interpretation is allowed to stand.
Batter up
October 6th, 2012
8:27 pm
What a FITTING END to Chipper’s “career”. The usual post season batting CHOKE and then the 3 RUN ERROR as icing on the cake. Check his post season batting stats. Want to know why the Braves have 1 TITLE to show for 14 division championships? Look no further than CHOKER JONES.
Puck
October 7th, 2012
4:37 am
Chipper had a couple bad throws to second of late – that was not new – I guess he didn’t work on them.
But face it – we didn’t hit in the clutch, we bobbled the ball in the field. Our manager called for a safety squeeze, a move no big game winning manager would have ever make in the same situation.
In short, WE CHOKED!!
It is called CHOKING.
Puck
October 7th, 2012
4:42 am
Simpson took it too far and repeated the admonision too frequently. He should have said it once and then let it go.
I thought what the fans did was disgusting and dangerous – that said – Homer Simpson sure knew how to shut up when Chipper bobbled plays during the year. We had a good defensive team, no doubt, but we also had Santa Claus for an official scorer in Atlanta.
Georgia
October 7th, 2012
10:00 am
It’s not about the loss, it’s about the fact that the WC elim game had to be played in the first place. Georgia lost at least $2 million in otherwise earned revenue b/c of the new format. You can estimate at least $2 million per game in ‘tourism dollars’ for hotel/motel tax, motor fuel tax, food & beverage tax, extended jobs, etc. Georgia would have had at least 2 postseason games under the old format. Missourri now reaps at least $4 million of otherwise unearned revenue, a boost to the image of its state’s sports & gets free baseball. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ROBBED ALL GEORGIA TAXPAYERS of extra (and earned) revenue by this new format. The outcome of the WC elimination game has an economic impact that is so much bigger than “just one game”. MLB only thought about MLB. MLB did not think about the much bigger picture of what postseason revenue does in terms of job extension & tax dollars for the state’s team that clearly had the better 2nd place record in 162 games.
Rowsdower
October 7th, 2012
4:10 pm
There’s only one problem with your call, Holbrook. You didn’t properly apply the spirit of the rule. The rule isn’t in place to guarentee the defense an out. The rule is in place to protect the offense. That’s where you failed in judgment. We can talk about the judement that Kozma was planted under the ball (a stretch), whether it took ordinary effort to “catch” the ball (a HUGE stretch) or whether Kozma would intentionall drop the ball and get 2 outs (ZERO CHANCE). You made a BAD judgment call given this evidence.
There is a very simple fix to the rule. The spirit of the rule is to protect the offense. The infield fly can be invoked if the criteria are met, BUT if the defense fails to catch the ball, all runners are awarded 1 base and can run beyond that base at their own peril. This preserves the spirit of the rule and eliminates the offense being punished when the defense fails to do their job. A batter should never be out when the ball isn’t caught. NEVER.
yep
October 8th, 2012
8:45 am
I think the fact that the SS gave up on the ball to let the left fielder catch it shows that it wasn’t an “ordinary effort”. Holbrook needs to grow a set and admit that he blew the call. he’s just pathetic.
single white dove
October 10th, 2012
4:59 pm
Something is fishy in denmark… Not really a conspiracy person, but the players did not think it was infield fly rule. That being said, the players would be running. That would be the perfect time to call it. Plus, my idle, when he coached the braves, Joe Torre, is DEAD to me. What a sell out…koolaide and all…
single white dove
October 10th, 2012
4:59 pm
Something is fishy in denmark… Not really a conspiracy person, but the players did not think it was infield fly rule. That being said, the players would be running. That would be the perfect time to call it. Plus, my idle, when he coached the braves, Joe Torre, is DEAD to me. What a sell out…koolaide and all…
Cards Fan
October 12th, 2012
1:29 pm
You play like crap, you go home. That’s the way baseball works, Braves fans. You showed your true Bush League colors with your reaction. Braves fans are notorious for their bandwagon jumping and their ignorance of the games intricacies anyway. 11 championships and counting baby!!!