A Grip on Sports: Contrary to what seems to be the common opinion these days, change can be a good thing, hopefully the best of things, for some sports
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Sunday is probably not the best day of the week to be judging. To be sharing opinions. To be, well, harsh. Then again, when you are a contrarian, it’s probably the best day.
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• Contrarian sounds a bit like an old-school religious denomination, doesn’t it?
“Are you a Presbyterian?”
“No, I’m a long-time Contrarian.”
The basic tenets of the not-really-a-faith are simple. When most people zig, we’re supposed to zag – even if today’s opinions have nothing to do with the Zags. They do, however, have everything to do with sports.
Like baseball.
Why is it those who populate pinnacle of the sport are so entrenched in the past? But only when it suits them?
Take the players, for instance. They are quick to embrace evolution when it comes in such areas as base running – ever see how they place their feet while leading off these days? – or the shape of bats – are torpedo ones still all the rage? – or even the use of instant replay – most every tag on a baserunner is accompanied by the fielder indicating to his bench the call was wrong and should be reviewed, isn’t it?
They embrace every aspect of change they feel will help them in their time-honored battle to “get an edge.”
But guys who would never think of trying to hit like Pete Rose or George Brett because, quote, the game has changed, close quote, don’t want the powers that be in New York to institute automated pitch calling.
Even as their brethren on the mound and in the batter’s box continue to earn ejections due to their insistence umpires missed a crucial call. Or even just a mundane one.
It’s all about advantages. Pitchers want it. Hitters want it. Human umpires can supply it. Or be brow-beaten, cajoled or complimented into it. Robot umpires? If the system works correctly, there is no edge. Everyone will be playing within the same rigid box described, in the game’s parlance, as the strike zone.
It is defined. It is, supposedly, as immutable as the left-field line. It is supposed to be enforced as rigidly as fair or foul or an out or safe call.
It isn’t. At least not yet. Mainly because the players are fighting any change as hard as they can, led by the catching corps but with strong reinforcements from veteran pitchers. But so are most fans of my generation, who mostly hate change other than the annual bump in their Social Security check.
And yet those same people will look back in anger at Don Denkinger because he blew a call at first base that cost the Cardinals the 1985 World Series. Or Jim Joyce, who admitted he did the same thing in 2010, costing Armando Galarraga a perfect game.
Guess what? Those calls would be overturned today.
OK, so there would be less in the way of baseball lore, sure. But that’s a small price to pay for, as umpires have been striving to achieve since Abner Doubleday’s time, getting the call right.
The guys who call balls and strikes today? They have reportedly told New York they would rather have computers call every pitch instead of the currently contemplated challenge system. So too, it seems, would managers, who would rather not have to deal with players blowing challenges in the first inning. But the players are hesitant. All they worry about is “how would the change affect me?”
Which means Rob Manfred and baseball’s hierarchy will try to make a Solomon-like decision. They’ll cut the right option, a near-instantaneous video call, to the down-the-middle challenge system, which, in the long run, isn’t going to please anyone.
Remember, when Solomon made his decision, the baby’s real mother made the right call for her child. No one will do that in this instance. And the game will continue to be sliced into irrelevance by fans who know the truth: A missed ball or strike in the fifth or seventh or ninth inning, after all challenges were wasted, actually determined the game’s outcome.
And it probably came right after a line-drive into the rightfield corner was ruled foul after a replay review. Or the tying run came off the board because another replay showed the runner’s foot bounced up a centimeter and missed the plate.
• Want another contrarian opinion? We can oblige. It concerns horse racing. The Triple Crown races. History. Tradition. Honoring the past. All that horse hockey.
Some folks, including winning Preakness trainer Michael McCarthy, who expressed his opinion after Journalism’s victory Saturday in Baltimore, believe there is something sacred about the time between the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont.
The contrarian viewpoint? There isn’t sacred about it at all.
The current calendar – the Derby the first Saturday in May, the Preakness two weeks later and the Belmont following after three more – was etched in stone in 1969. Before then, the three were run at various times.
In 1919, when Sir Barton became the first to win the Triple Crown – though it wasn’t called that then – the Preakness was run four days after the Derby. One has to wonder how hard it was to just get the horses from Louisville to Baltimore in that era. At least Sir Barton had four weeks to travel to New York for the Belmont.
Don’t believe me? Do a quick Interweb search of the race dates before 1969.
The time between the races changed often. What Sir Barton did, what Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet and Assault did (when there was either four days, a week or eight days – once – between the first two) isn’t considered a greater accomplishment than, say, what Secretariat did in 1973.
If those who run the three events today finally understand what their predecessors did in the 1930s or 1960s, that the sport and the animals at its core evolve, then they will lengthen the time between the three races. Allow the modern Thoroughbred the time needed to rest, rejuvenate and recoup. And bring back relevance to the Triple Crown.
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WSU: Confidence is a huge part of any athlete’s success. And, as we read Greg Woods’ story this morning on the latest Washington State men’s basketball recruit, Aaron Glass, we realized he has that in abundance. Good for him. Good for the Cougars (probably). … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner looks back in the Mercury News at the week that was. … The Big 12 is full of new quarterbacks. … Fresno State needs more NIL money. Doesn’t everyone on the West Coast? … In baseball news, Oregon ended up fulfilling their dreams in Iowa, sweeping the Hawkeyes and winning the Big Ten regular season title. The Ducks tied with UCLA – four of the top five finishers were former Pac-12 schools – but took two of three in a home series early this season in Eugene. … Oregon State’s regular season is over after a series sweep of Long Beach State. … By the way, no link, but Washington State had an awful season. Last (11-19) in a mediocre, at best, Mountain West. Only 18-36 overall. … The NCAA softball tournament continued Saturday. Among the Pac-12 legacy schools, Washington and Arizona State were eliminated. Meanwhile, Stanford topped Oregon, though the Ducks stayed alive and the two will meet today with the regional title on the line. UCLA is 2-0 but Arizona lost at home, won later to stay alive and will have to defeat Mississippi twice today to move on. Cal will have to do the same to Oklahoma in Norman.
Gonzaga: Around the WCC, Santa Clara’s first-ever NCAA softball tournament included a short stay. Two games. Two losses.
EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Weber State won one game Saturday but lost to host Oregon in the softball tournament. … The Northern Arizona men’s basketball team added two more players to its roster.
CCS: Larry Beatty’s return as the Community Colleges of Spokane’s track and field head coach after 14 years is a subject worth exploring. But when the story is written by John Blanchette, as good a track writer as there is, then it’s a can’t-miss piece – even if track is not your passion.
Whitworth: The Pirates stay in the NCAA Division III baseball tournament was short as well. They lost 10-9 to Pomona-Pitzer at Le Verne on Saturday and they were eliminated in two games.
Preps: We start a stretch of three consecutive subjects (and four stories) from Dave Nichols with his roundup of Saturday’s high school action. Spring’s State championships will be held this week.
Chiefs: Dave has two stories here. The first is a look back at Spokane’s season, one that ended a step or two early for the Chiefs’ liking, but a success nonetheless. … His other piece? Dave touched base with Ray Whitney, invited back to the place – well, nearby – he starred in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the (vain) hope his magic would rub off on the Chiefs during the WHL finals.
Indians: One more story from Dave. The Indians fell for the second consecutive night, falling 6-1 in Eugene.
Mariners: The first series of this season’s Vedder Cup? It’s all M’s. They won 4-1 Saturday, though it was close throughout. Cal Raleigh hit another home run. … I gave you my opinion on Pete Rose. Offered you a rebuttal recently. Today we offer another counterpoint, bringing us back to the starting point. … Cole Young continues to tear it up in Tacoma. I actually had a dream last night he was called up for today’s game and Miles Mastrobuoni was sent down. It was a dream, right?
Seahawks: Sam Darnold gets to play Minnesota this season. It will be must-see TV.
Storm: The new-look Storm had a familiar visage as last season, at least on the scoreboard. They opened their season in Phoenix and were blown out 81-59 by the new-look Mercury. … Remember the Pistons and the Bulls back in the day? Bill Laimbeer (among many) and Michael Jordan? Their collisions. Their animosity. Their blood? We think of that from time to time while watching the WNBA. One of those times was yesterday during the Fever game with the Chicago Sky. Everything was blown out of proportion then. It is still happening today.
Sounders: The first match this season with archrival Portland? It ended in a draw.
Golf: A confession. Many of the great shots Scottie Scheffler hit yesterday? I missed them. I’m doing my level best to keep up with the overwhelming demands the season puts on the yard – weeds are the bane of my life – and saw rain was on the way. After hours of sitting in front of the TV, I felt it was time to get up, mow the back yard and avoid the showers. Got it done. Got rained on anyway. And missed the incredible 3-wood Scheffler hit on 14. All in all, though, his 65 Saturday moved him within a good round today of his third major title.
Reign: After a day’s wait due to deadly weather, Seattle finally got on the pitch in Louisville. And won.
Horse racing: Journalism’s win yesterday, and the bumpy run down the stretch, earned some accolades. As it should. But who knows if it was the greatest Triple Crown stretch run ever, something I actually read Saturday evening. It was the best in a while, sure. But watch video of Affirmed and Alydar at the Belmont in 1978. Pretty impressive. Or maybe ask Doc Brown to take you to the 1971 Derby and watch Canonero II break away from the favorites. Or even farther back. Who knows?
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• Man, I blathered on this morning. And I didn’t even touch on a couple other events yesterday I have opinions about. Lucky you. Until later …