04/19/24
July 25, 2015
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Those catches are hilarious. Does Herrera normally play that way, or was he nervous?
posted by rcade at 08:54 AM on July 26, 2015
Herrera was converted from an infielder to CF late in his minor-league career, and he makes it interesting out there from time to time. I think the wind at Wrigley was especially challenging for him. He's usually not quite that bad.
posted by mikemacman at 09:28 AM on July 26, 2015
If he keeps playing like that, Herrera has a chance to be part of something special: the Phillies' all time dream defensive outfield with Luzinski and Incaviglia.
posted by beaverboard at 10:05 AM on July 26, 2015
If he misses that second one, and it hits the ground, do you think the scorer would be smart enough to call it an error (and preserve the no-hitter)?
posted by grum@work at 02:20 PM on July 26, 2015
I think he'd have to, but I've been surprised before; maybe Howard can chime in? I've never been totally clear on the line between error and simply not making a tough play. He did run a good distance to get there, but then had a fair amount of time to stand there before just sort of...falling over.
posted by hincandenza at 04:34 PM on July 26, 2015
MLB scoring rules (section 10.12) state:
The official scorer shall charge an outfielder with an error if such outfielder allows a fly ball to drop to the ground if, in the official scorer’s judgment, an outfielder at that position making ordinary effort would have caught such fly ball.
I think it would be hard to argue against an error, considering how much time he had to get to the ball.
posted by mikemacman at 09:49 PM on July 26, 2015
I think in an ordinary game where a no hitter was not on the line the scorer would rule it a hit. It is very hard to get a fielding error in the outfield if it does not hit your glove. But under the circumstances I think it would have been scored an error.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:01 AM on July 27, 2015
For what it's worth, yet another no-hitter was thrown today by Cole Hamels of the Phillies; Hamels is the first pitcher to no-hit the Cubs since Sandy Koufax in 1965. Hamels has been the subject of trade speculation as we near the non-waiver trade deadline, so this performance can only enhance his value for teams in the hunt for that stretch run pitching boost.
If you watch nothing else, be sure to check out the absurd two no-hitter saving catches made by Odubel Herrera in the 8th and then 9th inning to end the game. Two of the weirdest, ugliest, most ridiculously beautiful catches in a no-hitter I've ever seen. The last play looks like something you'd see in a made-for-TV Bad News Bears sequel.