War and Peas - Hortlund (J) vs. Canoe (A)

[princep01]

It has been awhile.  PZH may be tied up with family affairs and Canoe is likely tromping about in some Delieverance wilderness in Georgia.....and grieving the outcome of Saturday's football debacle for his beloved Bulldogs.

[Cribtop]

Hehe, GO Gamecocks!!!

[Canoerebel]

We don't have television at our house, so most of the time we don't keep up with sporting events. However, a few times a year, my wife and youngest son will be away visiting grampa. That leaves me and oldest son, who enjoys football, at home. On such occasions, we sometimes visit a local restaurant that shows football games on the t.v. Such was the case this weekend. All the stars aligned. Son got off from work Saturday afternoon and big Georgia vs. South Carolina football game on t.v. starting at 7 p.m. So we head to the restaurant with high hopes for a great evening....and 15 minutes later the score was South Carolina 21, Georgia 0.

No fun! In fact, is was so not fun that on Sunday we repeated the sequence, this time getting to enjoy watching the Falcons beat the Redskins.

Don't ask me about the Atlanta Braves baseball game on Friday evening.....

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Don't ask me about the Atlanta Braves baseball game on Friday evening.....

Are you talking about the most misunderstood rule in baseball? [:)]

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Don't ask me about the Atlanta Braves baseball game on Friday evening.....

Are you talking about the most misunderstood rule in baseball? [:)]

On a recent trip to NZ I spend countless minutes trying to explain Cricket to a guy from Denver, too complicated....

Then an umpire calls an infield fly on a ball landing 20-30 metres outside the diamond, which game is more complicated?

PS, the ump wasnt moonlighling in the NFL a few weeks back??

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Don't ask me about the Atlanta Braves baseball game on Friday evening.....

Are you talking about the most misunderstood rule in baseball? [:)]

On a recent trip to NZ I spend countless minutes trying to explain Cricket to a guy from Denver, too complicated....

Then an umpire calls an infield fly on a ball landing 20-30 metres outside the diamond, which game is more complicated?

PS, the ump wasnt moonlighling in the NFL a few weeks back??

[:)]

It's called the Infield Fly Rule, but it should be called the Infielder Fly Rule. That is the crux. Player, not location.

If the ingoing requirements of runners and outs are met, a fly which an infielder can catch by "ordinary effort" is an automatic out. Ordinary effort is in the judgement of the umpires. I don't know if there are inside rules on whether a 20-YO who steals 100 bases per year has the same effort test as a 35-YO retread first baseman with a gut the size of the beer keg he drank to earn it. But that's the test, not whether the ball will land on grass or dirt. And in this case the infielder was under the ball, established and ready to catch it, when he was called off by another player.

And then the Braves fans got to show how classy they are.[:-]

[princep01]

Bullwinkle got the rule right.  I did not see the play when it happened, but if the IF was under the ball using "ordinary effort", IF fly is a correct call even if it is on the OF grass.  BUT, as one that has umped many games from Little League thru high school ball and softball, when it is 30 ft out there, the rule is seldom invoked.  When invoked in such circumstances, it will always bring a chorus of booos.  In Atlanta, where it is reputed that there might be more than one redneck about, it brings a rain of beer cans, bottles, disgusting paraphanalia and much bad-will.  It was a bad call in my view, but my-oh-my what a reaction.  That was disgusting.
 
Seeing the replay later, I would never have called an IF fly on that play.  Just one old ump's "judgement".

[Skyros]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

We don't have television at our house, so most of the time we don't keep up with sporting events. However, a few times a year, my wife and youngest son will be away visiting grampa. That leaves me and oldest son, who enjoys football, at home. On such occasions, we sometimes visit a local restaurant that shows football games on the t.v. Such was the case this weekend. All the stars aligned. Son got off from work Saturday afternoon and big Georgia vs. South Carolina football game on t.v. starting at 7 p.m. So we head to the restaurant with high hopes for a great evening....and 15 minutes later the score was South Carolina 21, Georgia 0.

No fun! In fact, is was so not fun that on Sunday we repeated the sequence, this time getting to enjoy watching the Falcons beat the Redskins.

Don't ask me about the Atlanta Braves baseball game on Friday evening.....

So sorry for the loss,but at least we let you score[:D]

[Ingtar]

A coworker of mine is trained as an umpire. Ordinary effort does not include when two players are in the area to field the ball or the one player is still backing up.

[JeffroK]

I would have allowed if landing on the dirt surrounding the diamond, in this case, it was well beyond that.

This was simply an umpires error, happens all of the time.

PS, played enough Baseball as a kid to know the rules and IMVHO this was not the intention of the rule (which was to avoid letting the ball bounce and create a double/triple play due to the forcing rules)
The SS screwed up and left it, the batting team should have been able to take advantage.

PPS, I think in Europe football teams would be heavily fined or worse for their fans behaviour plus not being able to control it within the more than 15 minutes it continued for.

[Canoerebel]

It's a stretch to pile on the Atlanta fans. Unlike many cities in the northern United States, where fan behavior is regularly deplorable (Philadelphia and New York come to mind), the fans in Atlanta have a reputation for being generally laid back and gracious when opponents do good things.

The outburst Friday night was unusual. While the behavior is lamentable, I can understand where the fans were coming from. If I were a judge taking in the totality of the circumstances, I would go light on them.

The Atlanta Braves baseball team has a long record of excellence ending in the most mysterious and maddening failures. The won 14 straight division titles (if memory serves) between 1991 and 2004. During that run, they managed only a single championship. Other playoff series ended in the oddest ways - losing a World Series game vs. the New York Yankees after leading 6 to 0; having the umpires suddenly decide every pitch thrown by Greg Maddux, John Glavine and John Smoltz was a ball in a series vs. the Florida Marlins; having Lonnie Smith forget to run the bases and then, in another game, seeing him picked up by Kent Hrbek and called out for not being on the base. Just time after time, Atlanta fans have suffered agonizing defeats when their team's players forgot how to play fundamentally sound baseball or misfortunate found odd ways to intervene.

Then, last year, the Braves lost an 8.5 game lead for the final playoff spot, losing the final game of the season in extra innings to miss the playoffs by virtue of that loss.

Then, this season, they find themselves in a horrid new playoff format - wildcard teams play a single game, loser goes home. The stakes are high, the Braves have been playing good, the game is at home....and the wheels come off. The most experienced and gifted Braves players forget how to play ball. A Braves runner is called out for running out of the base path (and rightfully so, but still a relatively rare call). And then the crazy Infield Fly ruling. And it was crazy - according to a baseball analyist, it was something like the 9th time in the past 30 or 50 (whatever) years that a ball wasn't caught after the infield fly rule was called....and this particular ball was more than 50 feet farther into the outfield than the next closest instance. And that call gutted a very promising inning for the Braves. Instead of bases loaded and one out with an All Star catcher coming up, there are two men on and two outs. Much different situation. The rally ends. The Braves lose. The frustration is incredible.

So, fan behavior was regrettable. But I totally understand what happened. Crazy game. High stakes. Immense frustation. Sounds like how I play AE....

[Canoerebel]

6/5/42 to 6/8/42

NoPac: The Allies got the best of a Japanese sweep over Victoria. Lots of base-building going on as the Allies set the table for the bombing campaign that will eventually take place against the main Japanese bases.

CenPac: The KB finally moves off to the northwest, after a port raid on Midway destroys a sub that was "stuck" upgrading. BB OKlahoma is still afloat. I'd wager Steve will bring the KB back to apply the coup-de-grace. The would suit me as that would tie up the KB that much longer.

SoPac: Sara and York are north of Aukland, enroute to Melbourne to upgrade. Nearly all troops are unloaded now at the critical bases - Suva, Noumea, and Luganville, with smaller contingents at Espiritu Santo and Ndeni. These high-VP bases are pretty secure now.

Oz: Nothing of note going on.

India: The Allied carrier force is southwest of Addu Atoll. I may send these carriers to Oz to rendezvous with Sara and York. Not quite positive yet.

China: Things still look good on the new MLR.

[princep01]

Nice to see some turns getting played.
 
Yes, Atlanta has had some bad breaks, but then there is the 42 hopper to Buckner...and the Red Soxs lose the series.  And, of course, there are the Cubs....sorry, not enough space in all computerland to tell that Loooonnnnngggggg, sad story.
 
If you are a movie fan and like baseball...go see Trouble with the Curve.  The story is centered on Atlanta baseball.  A bit predictable, but a good movie.

[princep01]

Who died?

[Canoerebel]

The game is gasping and might not last much longer. It's like when one of two lovers grows cold. The other can try to fan the flames to keep things going or to re-ignite the passion, but if he always gets a cold shoulder in response, eventually the relationship is going to come to an end. Steve has done pretty well giving notice of when the next turn will be coming, which is all I asked, but his heart isn't in it any longer.

[:(]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The game is gasping and might not last much longer. It's like when one of two lovers grows cold. The other can try to fan the flames to keep things going or to re-ignite the passion, but if he always gets a cold shoulder in response, eventually the relationship is going to come to an end. Steve has done pretty well giving notice of when the next turn will be coming, which is all I asked, but his heart isn't in it any longer.

[:(]

That would really be a shame [:(]

Have you thought about trying to find a replacement player if PzH is willing to give up his password? Someone might want to take on the challenge in exchange for getting to bask in the glory that comes with it! [;)]

[Canoerebel]

I know that many players replace opponents and live happily ever after, but for some reason I can't. The entire game has been built on the foundation of getting to know my opponent; how he thinks; what he's liable to do; and how I might be able to move that against him. Bringing in a relief pitcher would just undo all that. If the game does come to an end - which is not a certainty - I would prefer to let it die so that I could begin a new match.

[princep01]

I agree that it would be a shame to see this one go by the boards. It is a very interesting game given PzH's wild manuverings over the entirity of the Pacific and Indian Oceans vs. CR's more conservative style of play.  However, I agree with CR about pinch-hitters.  So much of a game is built on playing the player, that it would not be the same.  Hope you guys can salvage it and that PzH can regain his real life equalibrium soon. 
 

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The game is gasping and might not last much longer. It's like when one of two lovers grows cold. The other can try to fan the flames to keep things going or to re-ignite the passion, but if he always gets a cold shoulder in response, eventually the relationship is going to come to an end. Steve has done pretty well giving notice of when the next turn will be coming, which is all I asked, but his heart isn't in it any longer.

[:(]

I think you, to an even greater extent than me, schedule a lot of daytime events around AE and the forum here. Your AAR is often the last thing I look for before I leave, as dessert.

And now, finally playing a PBEM myself, I see how hard it is to have multi-day gaps in turns and still keep striaght what you were up to. I was used to playing 4-7 days at a time vs. the AI, where you can really get into a rhythm. The pace of turns for you two lately isn't enough IMO to do that.

Just how many games has it been since you got to summer 1943? You must be gettijng monumentally tired of 1942.

[Canoerebel]

My last three games:

1. Vs. Q-Ball - ends in January 1943 when Q-Ball departs for WitE land.
2. Vs. Chez - ends in January 1943 (but Chez was very courteous at all times; that game needed to end right there).
3. Vs. PzH - probably going to end in June 1942.

The last time I got further than January '43 was in my game with Miller. I'd have to look it up, but that ended either 2+ or 3+ years ago. (I want to add, as I often do, that Miller is the optimum opponent if you wish to go deep into a game.)

I'm discouraged with this game. Steve asked for a turn late Monday morning. I sent it about two hours later. I haven't heard anything back. No turn. No message saying "Nothing's coming." Just total silence.