Scot Shields
Shields has not had a particularly good year, at least not by his standards, but his rates are all about the same. His walks are a tad higher. I think I know why.
This is the first time I've seen him pitch all year, and I understand why he has only given up 6.8 hits per 9 IP over the last three years. I've never seen so much movement. His fastball moves a foot. His slider moves even more. It's like trying to swing and hit a heat seeking missile.
Maybe all that movement is hard to control, and results in a higher walk rate.
Bad Calls, Mike Scioscia and Ken Harrelson
Bottom of the 8th, one out, no one on, Angels lead 2-1. Jerry Owens hits a grounder to first. Owens is fast. He arrives at Casey Kotchman about the same time the ball does. Kotchman, in one motion, scoops up the ball and swipes at Owens. At the time their paths cross, their bodies are literally six inches apart. Umpire calls Owens safe, saying Kotchman missed the tag.
It was impossible to tell, in the live action, whether Kotchman made the tag. But at the same time, it seemed impossible he could have missed him. They almost collided. Kotchman complained loudly.
And here comes Scioscia. This is one of the most interesting arguments I've seen a manager make. He's very angry. He starts yelling, but mid-word gets control of himself. Puts his hands in a prayer like pose and says "Mike, Mike, Mike" pleading to the umpire. Then Scioscia is on the verge of rage and starts to explode, but again, gathers himself. Puts his hands in the prayer position and begs the ump. The sequence repeats a third time.
(MLB Gameday referred to this sequence as "On-field Delay")
WGN finally gets around to showing a replay. The replay is from the visitor's dugout camera. It is utterly inconclusive, because the shot is blurry and the angle is wrong. Nevertheless, the hopeless homer Ken Harrelson declares from the broadcast booth: "He missed him. They got the call right!" leaving both me, and his broadcast partner speechless. I still didn't know if Kotchman made the tag, but I knew that angle didn't prove anything.
We got two more angles. Both showed Kotchman tagged him. Twice. Once on the butt, and once on the back foot kicking up. Harrelson said that "just goes to show that it depends on the angle." Yeah, no kidding.
Mike Scioscia, reprise
Scioscia lost the argument obviously. He's in the dugout stewing, because he's leading 2-1 and the Angels are in a playoff race.
Podsednik is now at the plate. Shields throws three pitches, two strikes and a ball. Then wham, on the fourth pitch, Shields gets Podsednik looking, and catcher Jeff Mathis fires to first and picks Owens off first with a snap tag from Kotchman. Scioscia called for the catcher pickoff from the dugout.
Scioscia's awesome!
