Testing the Transfer Rule

So Saturday night, Nate McLouth became the first Nats victim of the transfer rule. I could not find video of the play, but to cue the scene, Braves have runners on first and second with one out when Andrelton Simmons hits a loopy fly ball to right. McLouth senses the runner on second may tag so he positions himself to throw and catches the ball. As he swings his glove back to his cocked throwing hand, the ball slips out and falls to the ground. The runners move up and everyone is ruled safe. The Nats, having already used their challenge, had no recourse, and with Angel Hernandez involved, no real hope.

As Dave Cameron at Fangraphs wrote, Nate is not the first foiled by the new rule intended to improve the judgment mechanics on double play attempts. He certainly will not be the last, nor will the Nats be the team most grotesquely screwed over by the rule change. Watching the McLouth play a half dozen times, it is understandable how MLB could feel the transfer rule applies fairly to both infield and outfield scenarios. However, let me repaint the picture:

Braves have runners on first and second with one out when Andrelton Simmons hits a loopy fly ball to left. Harper charges and secures the ball in his glove. He takes a step or two towards the infield and sees an opportunity to end the inning. As he begins the motion to transfer the ball to his throwing hands- "OOPS! I dropped it!" Harper quickly regathers and fires a seed into Rendon at third to nail the lead runner. Evan Gattis, struggling from a rough hangover from the evening before, can't figure out why Doug Descenzo is flailing his arms on third base, Rendon flips the ball to second and the rally is wiped out.

The samples collected by Fangraphs show the a slew of the bizarre effects the rule can have, and the umpires are not too keen on change and replay, so we certainly have not seen the end of this.

Disaster at Nats Park

But at least we were able to scoop up the soggy nachos using the fork sticking out of Jason Marquis' back.

Nationals Baseball

Where it was just suggested that Nyjer Morgan may want to adopt a new at bat song... Somethng from Jane's Addiction.

Nationals Baseball

Leadoff double... nothing. At least they weren't stupid enough to yank Strasburg after 70 pitches.

Hasn't been a good 2 hours for the team as a whole.

Nationals Baseball

During Strasburg's last 19 innings, the Nationals have scored 1 run.

That is some opponents' ERA.

Nationals Baseball

Where the opponent can commit three errors in five innings, yet zero runs score.

Nationals Baseball

Where errors, much like celebrity deaths, come in threes.

(cue eerie music)

Distraction from the Disaster

Nationals baseball: I think they should have brought Obama out to start the sixth... couldn't have been worse than Batista. Yeah, that started to look like the opening escape scene in The Fugitive.

Anyways, feel free to tune into the Texas-Toronto game, where Shaun Marcum has a no-hitter through six, on just 69 pitches.

Nationals Baseball

Where the worst hitter in the ENTIRE LEAGUE can win a share of the starting right field job.

You want to know who Willy Taveras batting comp is? Craig Stammen. Yes, the pitcher, not Craig Stammen the astronaut. Now it was figured that either Eric Bruntlett or Taveras would make the team as the 25th player because they can run a little and play defense. However, neither should have been expected to make more than 50 plate appearances. Now, heading into a showdown with the reigning NL champs, the Nats will roll out THREE below replacement caliber hitters. The pitcher is excusable, and the Rodriguez/Nieves tandem hurts but doesn't kill. But looking forward, each of the 7, 8, 9, 1, and 2 batting slots cannot get the ball out of the infield regularly. This is a TERRIBLE IDEA! Mike Morse would have been a tough, but acceptable solution for platoon purposes. Even Justin Maxwell has been coat hanger abortion bad, but at least he has an "upside".

Fangraphs estimates that Willy Taveras was worth negative 1.3 million dollars to the Reds last season. In other words, the Reds should have taken three minor league replacement players, shot two in the face, and let the third bat 8th and play center field. The Nats just picked one of the corpses...

What We Have Here Is a Natural Disaster

Nationals Baseball: where a rainout is the most effective way to beat a losing streak. Hey, it worked for the Durham Bulls.

Nationals Baseball

In a Spring swing that saw the Nats dropping 50 runs in 3 days, there were plenty of opportunities to poke fun at their bumbling ways. I am so glad I held out for this one though.

Nationals Baseball: Where opposing groundballs become grand slams.

Seriously, this is almost rich enough to serve as the tagline for MLB Disney or something.

Nationals Baseball

Where nobody has paid any attention to this 2-10 skid, as the Redskins have been incomprehensibly worse.

Nationals Baseball

Where staving off a 100th loss is cause for celebration. Come on Dunn, let's get to 40!

For Good Measure...

Nationals Baseball: Making Livan Hernandez look good by comparison.

Great job getting someone in who can eat the innings, rest the bullpen, and hell, even put the team in position to win. Just don't expect him to anchor the rotation next year.

Nationals Baseball

Victim of the Little League "double steal".

Nationals Baseball

Please stop with the suicide part of the squeeze play and swing away.

Nationals Baseball

Where Bronson Arroyo and Jonny Gomes can turn into the Cy Young and Babe Ruth of our generation.

On a side note, I tried to take the metro home from DC tonight, Orange Line: GWU to Dunn Loring. I cught a metro immediately... luck must be on my side, right?

Halfway between East and West Falls Church, the train starts having "technical issues". This sucks, because I really have to pee. Anyways, a Metro buss picks us up on Idylwood and starts to drive us ahead, only, I swear to God, the bus breaks down, too. There are about ten of us, steaming, waiting... only when the bus picks us up, instead of taking us to Dunn Loring, he takes us back to East Falls Church. Then we have to switch busses AGAIN, then get driven the rest of the way home.

I get dropped off at my car after midnight. As I attempt to drive home, I realize that the ramp to my house is blocked and I am diverted onto the beltway south... for another 8 miles to turn around and take back roads home.

I left DC shortly after 10:30 and got home at 12:25, an 8.5 journey taking nearly 2 hours...

One time I had to walk home from Rosslyn to West Springfield and it took just under 3 hours to do the 13 miles... piss drunk. I'd like a refund Metro...

Nationals Baseball

Where .212 career SLG hitters go yard.

Nationals Baseball

Please stop trying to steal.

Nationals Baseball... again

Last season, the Dodgers staggered to a 13 hit, 3 walk donut against the Phillies. The 13 hits is the most in any shutout, matched twelve other times, since 1954. Today, the final game before the All-Star Break, the Nats figured they'd make a run at history.

They came close, managing 11 hits and 3 walks while getting blanked by future Hall of Famer* Brian Moehler. Wil Nieves accounted for four of those hits. All in all, this accomplishment has only been matched or bested 22 times in the past 55 seasons.

Another creative way to lose.

* UNC Greensboro HOF, not Cooperstown, fool.