Via BBTF, this headline from 538:
Buster Posey’s Pitch Framing Makes Him A Potential MVP
Wrong! Buster, and his catcher ilk, are cheating. They are fooling umpires into making the wrong calls. When an umpire calls a ball a strike because of the way Posey catches the ball, he should be a good sport and turn around to the ump and say, “You got that wrong, it was a ball. I just caught the ball well!”
I’m really sick of pitch-framers getting celebrated. Every manager opposing the Giants, should, in the pre-game, home plate meeting, say to the home plate umpire, “Posey cheats. He tries to fool you with the way he catches the ball. I hope you call the ball and not the glove.” Batters should say it, too, just before they step into the batters box. It’s not arguing balls and strikes if the pitcher hasn’t thrown a pitch.
So let’s call the strike zone the way it should be. There should be no glory for Buster Posey due to his cheating. In fact, no one at all should vote for him, or Yadier Molina, or Russell Martin, or anyone who gains an advantage by fooling umpires.
The umpires should be roundly ridiculed for their ineptitude as well. Call the zone right, or get replaced by robots!
wait, i can’t tell if this post is tongue-in-cheek. if you are serious, David… whaaaa? the catchers aren’t cheating, there is no rule against moving the glove after catching the pitch. how do you propose catchers should act?? its obviously on the umpire to call balls and strikes properly based on where they cross the plate. catchers glove positions should ideally have nothing to do with it – and if they do, shame on the ump, not shame on the catcher!!
seth94110 » I was taking the opposite, extreme position from 538. Intentionally fooling umpires should not be rewarded with MVP votes. It’s unsportsmanlike.
Simple rule adjustment: if an umpire feels tricked, let him call a balk on the catcher for deception.
Theron, catchers shouldn’t use their gloves. They should just let the ball hit them in the chest. Can’t cheat that way.
Hans » Exactly!
David Pinto, I don’t know whether to pity your ignorance or laugh at your stupidity. Catchers have the main job of catching the ball from the pitcher & umpires call balls & strikes as he sees them. No one is cheating!!
This is moronic. And no one is giving Molina MVP votes anymore. Nor is Martin ever going to get any. The only catcher deserving of MVP votes this season is Posey–he’ll probably finish 3-5 in the balloting. No matter, his 2012 plaque and three rings (and counting) will hold him over. He could very well walk away with the Gold Glove this year, if the voters get their heads out of their asses. So stop your bitching and crawl back into your hole.
Gold Gloves are for everyday catchers…