I'm behind on my email, but thought I'd comment on this one because I
don't think I saw a response. To me, the reason stealing twice when
down by nine runs is an issue, does boil down to playing the game the
right way, namely by the team that is ahead. If personal stats are not
the goal, then simply finishing the win is playing the game the right
way. So the team that's ahead, tries to get the last 3 or 6 or 9 outs
as quickly as they can. They do try to minimize baserunners; but once
a runner gets on base, he's fairly irrelevant, unless you calculate
that the chances of a double play are high. If you stand to sacrifice
any out-making defense at all, by holding the runner close to his base,
then you won't do it. You'll still try to throw him out on the steal,
so no Defensive Indifference, but it's much more likely a vain effort.

And therefore, a runner who takes advantage of this, is rightly (in
my view) seen to be padding his stats. Just another asymmetry that
lends the game its charm. Stealing 2nd only, which eliminates the
DP, probably won't raise hackles nearly as much.

In fairness, the mopup relief pitcher cares about his ERA, so it
certainly may be a case of hypocrisy, to complain at all.


John Gregory ashbury at skypoint.com http://www.skypoint.com/ tilde ashbury
Thought for the moment:
True friendship is never serene. - Marie de Rabutin-Chantal

On Sun, 5 Jul 2009, amugalian@... wrote:

>
> Today's New York Times has an item in the sporting page "Spotlight" feature
about baseball's "unwritten rules." Other than an unfortunate reference to a
Ross Bernstein book, the article mentions some interesting, if familiar, "rules"
that supposedly everyone knows about but don't always observe. One of them
puzzled me. Apparently, in a game earlier this season, B.J. Upton stole second
and third in a game in which his team trailed the Indians by nine runs. The
Indians, it seems, were mightily offended. I can understand a team being
offended if they were losing by nine runs, but what the heck was this all about?
I know that a lot of local SABRites feel that these "rules" are bogus and I
generally agree. But if your team is winning by nine runs, why would you be
offended if the other team tries to steal? After all, stolen bases are a losing
proposition.
>
>
> I just want to say that a team should never stop trying to win. If "playing
the game right" means playing less than 100%, then maybe we need to reassess how
the game is played.
>
>
>
http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/writing-down-baseballs-unwritten-rules/\
?s
>
>
> --art