Hilarious
Dave · July 1, 2008 at 10:36 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Willie Bloomquist finally drives an extra base hit into the gap, and he only gets credit for a single because the run scored before he reached second base. The no-extra-base-hit streak continues because he was too clutch for his own good.
You can’t make this stuff up.
How is the type of hit determined in a walkoff like that? Scorer’s discretion?
Last base reached by a batter when the winning run crosses the plate. Game ends as soon as the runner is called safe.
Ah. So Willie should’ve hustled.
Well, clearly he ran slower than could’ve.
He wants to secure his place in history!
Go Willie Go!
081 – Consecutive games without an XBH
155 – Consecutive at bats without an XBH
177 – Consecutive PAs without an XBH
086 – 2008 season ABs with no XBH
101 – 2008 season PAs with no XBH
Unofficial records:
100 – Consecutive games without an XBH – Greg Gross
223 – Consecutive at bats without an XBH – Jose Valdivielso
266 – Consecutive PAs without an XBH – Larry Lintz
124 – Full season ABs with no XBH – Dwain Anderson
144 – Full season PAs with no XBH – Dwain Anderson
This season had provided several moments of absolute elation and hilarity. Tonight was the topper.
I think the curious circumstances of Willie’s game-winning hit is a sign from the Baseball Gods.
Willie is destined for immortality!
You know, as crazy as this might seem, I’ve actually had a lot of fun with this team the last few days. I mean between getting to see Halladay pitch, Willie’s continued “pursuit of history”, and not giving a damn about who wins or loses, this has been fun. You have to admit, the Mariners provide some entertainment. Beltre hitting home runs off his knees and fastballs at his eyes, Morrow pitching, and Willie(again). This is going to sound stupid, but rooting for a crappy team has its benefits. Of course, once we start winning, all of that stuff goes out the window.
#5, Jack Howland – Why not track full-season games too, as long as you’ve got all the other categories? Am I missing something obvious?
(I mean, as if chasing history in five distinct statistical categories weren’t enough…)
I’m with you Cody. It’s kind of fun in a morbid way. Winning the game really doesn’t matter to me at this point, so I don’t get pissed when something goes wrong — that error by Lopez would have had me cursing up a storm, but tonight I was like, “Meh.”
It’s more relaxing — dare I say, easier to enjoy — when there is no hope.
That said, it is fun on a whole other level when the games mean something. A more intense, moment-by-moment, pull-your-hair-out-with-each-pitch kind of fun.
By my count, today is two weeks away from Willie going a full calendar year without an XBH.
Yep; thank you BBRef.
I actually thought about that. Luis Gomez played 89 games in 1975 without an XBH. I’m not sure if that’s the record or not. Maybe I’ll research more tomorrow, unless somebody wants to beat me to it.
That’s so unfair to our Willie!
(Kinda funny though.)
Let’s give the lad his due – there are at least three players on this crummy team (probably five or six) who bring less to the plate than Bloomquist – and each of them is making multiples of his salary.
Cody, this is what rooting for the M’s was like in the 80’s, before Griffey got here. “Oh, look, Phil Bradley might set a record for most homers by a guy who hit none as a rookie!” “Harold might win a Gold Glove!” “Dave Henderson made a fine catch!” We learned to pick out the little nuggets from atrocious teams. It’s even nicer that one a gorgeous evening, you got to watch baseball outside.
Hey, millions of Cubs fans can’t be wrong!
(Of course, they’re not so bad these days…but still.)
The way I read rule 10.06 (f) gives me reason to believe that Willie should have had a double if he touched 2nd base. Did he ever touch the base?
I have to admit that, since the season has been admitted as being lost by ownership in ditching Bavasi and McClaren, this team has been a lot more fun to watch.
But the best moment for me this season still has to be Felix’s granny…wow absolutely wow.
If I’m not wrong Raul was on second when Bloomquist hit the ball, right? With Willie’s speed and Raul’s lack of it, even with Raul’s head start, I think the great WFB could have made it to second before Ibanez crossed home. So my conclusion is that Willie, in his pursuit of history, intentionally did not reach 2nd base in time. To me, even if he reaches the record, it will be tainted. It’s like in basketball when a guy misses a breakaway layup on purpose so that he can get his triple double. A disappointing move by the person who so obviously is the heart and sole of this team, and further evidence that he is pure evil in spikes, or at least evil in spikes.
18: Rizzs said on the radio that Beltre stopped at second.. can anyone who saw the game confirm?
So maybe Beltre was just helping his teammate out?
Seattle Mariners 2008– They have a stat for that?
I think it was Valle that said on the post-game show that Beltre never made it to 3rd, but it was pretty clear that Willie did not hit 2nd.
Craig K said:
Ah. So Willie should’ve hustled.
Seriously, as you probably know, RAUL had quite a head start, and was probably running faster than WILLIE.
Even a deer might not have made it to 2B before RAUL scored.
I think Willie when walking moves faster than Raul running at top speed. I’m pretty sure I’ve actually seen Raul run so slow that he actaully started moving backwards when chasing down a ball in the outfield.
Nope. He got mobbed by teammates before he ever got to 2nd. I paid close attention, and watched the replays to be sure, since as soon as I saw the ball hit the gap, I immediately thought that Willie might have just blown his only XBH of the season by making it a walkoff-shot.
That’s how selfish Raul is. What a jerk.
Make fun of Wee Willie all you want – he seems to be leading the M’s (position players!) in OBP.
14..haha i remember those days, i was the proud owner of Starting Lineup figures that featured Alvin Davis, Jim Presley, and Harold Reynolds. I y was the tender age of 8 when I saw my first M’s games in 1985, expectedly they lost to the Rangers. I didn’t care how much they lost, I just loved the team. I was devasted the day they traded Mark Langston to the Expos, it turned out to be a great deal later. My heroes then became Ken Griffey Jr, Greg Briley, Henry Cotto. For some reason I was a huge Darnell Coles fan. Edgar Martinez’s homerun over the plexiglas in the bottom of the 9th
on some game on ESPN against the Tigers (1991, 92) cemented him as my hero.
I think all of us M’s were just used to losing and expected it, but since the competive years of 1995, 1996, 1997, and 2000-2003, we’ve expected to win.
Thanks for confirming Matt and others. It’s safe to say that the official scorer can’t change the call at this point if it was that clear that Willie never reached second.
Undoubtably the teammates that mobbed him are as much a part of this quest for infamy as we are.
Quote from Willie himself:
“I wanted a double. I haven’t had a double yet this year, so I was hoping to get to second” he said, laughing. “No, it was kind of instinctive running, I guess. You never know if a guy falls or trips and you get the next base. I was trying to outrun all the crew trying to tackle me.”
I just woke up and heard the Fox Sports update for the game. I heard Mariners come back and win 7-6 on a Willie Bloomquist single and for some reason, I read this post in my head. I had no idea exactly what kind of hit it was but I just felt the irony of it all.
I work at a hotel and Jays fans were coming back upset. One of them was questioning why the worst reliever on the team was brought on. “I can’t believe Gaston brought him into the game.”
I interrupted and said that I couldn’t believe the Mariners hadn’t traded for him. They laughed and stopped whining and went up to their rooms.
Didn’t you mean “I interrupted and said that I couldn’t believe the Mariners hadn’t traded Clement and Aumontfor him”?
The KJR morning guys just took a look at the rulebook… in addition to 10.06(g) that we heard about last night, there’s another rule that says that the batter will be credited with the base he would have advanced to in the natural course of play even if the winning run scored moments before, as long as the batter goes to that base.
In other words, blame Beltre for tackling Willie a foot and a half from second
That’s so rad!
I was thinking that as the game was ending…I said to my girlfriend, “He didn’t get to second!” She said, “So what? They won.” I just sat there laughing…
I love it…
I also loved how all the guys were grabbing and slapping his nose during the celebration/mobbing before he got to second…we all know that the guy’s got a beak on him…they made that thing was looking like Rudolph…kind of felt bad for WFB actually…
The other funny thing was that right after the game was over Angie Mentink asked Willie in the dugout “how have you figured Camp out?” (he was 1 for 3 against him coming into the game) and his answer was “it was the first time I’ve faced him”.
So I just want to make sure: you all still think he sucks, right?
38- That was funny…small sample size huh?
39- He still sucks. Should not be on a playoff team except as a pinch runner or defensive replacement for a day off or injury. He sucks. Bad.
Although, he did square up that ball last night…the swing and the sound…if it wasn’t a walk-off, he might have gotten third…he “crushed” it, well as much as a high school JV kid can crush a ball…
Yeah, that was the best contact I’ve seen Willie make all year, and the ball just barely got into the gap.
You can’t make this stuff up.
Tim Kurkjian, is that you?
Speaking of hilarious, here’s a quote I just read from ICHIRO! about rumors that he could be traded:
“I haven’t heard that, but what I think about it is that when things are not going well, many people have different ideas, and that’s only natural,” he says. “If a crow has thought it, it would surprise me. But since it’s human beings, it does not surprise me.”
He could not resist, though, getting in a dig, in his unique way establishing that, even at 34, he’s better than a package of young players.
“All those younger prospects people talk about, I’d probably have more youthful movements than them,” he said, smiling. “The way I move probably would be younger.”
Scott Miller, CBSsportsline.com
THAT’S why we should never trade him…best interviews ever…
I didn’t catch the game, but what’s hilarious to me is reading posts 186-192 from the game thread.
His OPS+ is 75.
What do you think that means?
This was the first thing I thought of when the play unfolded. Awesome.
I love the headlines at the Kitsap Sun
‘Walk-Off Willie’ Saves M’s
To be fair, OPS (and thus OPS+) undervalues OBP and overvalues SLG, because it treats them as being equally valuable (adding them together). Willie’s a pretty bad hitter, but he’s better than 75%, right now at least. His OBP of .366 is very nice to see, and has a lot of value, especially on a team where not making outs is rather scarce. He’s having his best season at the plate, so far. I think “sucks” is too strong at this point. If I was making a list of stupid things about the Mariners, Willie wouldn’t be in the top ten.
I can’t believe I’m defending WFB!
As much as I give him grief, Willie Bloomquist is by far not the largest problem on the 2008 Mariners.
He wouldn’t crack my top ten either.
Even Willie Bloomquist can’t save the Mariners season with a walk-off win.
What is with this obsession to see Willie fail?
As fans, shouldn’t we be pulling for him succeed?
My commentary. I don’t know the rulebook, but that hit last night should have been ruled a double. If it hadn’t ended the game it would have been a double, with possibly another base on a fielders choice.
Even if he does break the record (which I doubt if he continues to get consistent playing time), it should go in the books with a big fat asterisk.
51: most here don’t have an obsession with seeing Willie fail, they have have an obsession with the number of opportunities Willie gets to fail.
Occasional late-inning substitutions with a timely hit good. Regular starts in CF bad.
My commentary. I don’t know the rulebook, but that hit last night should have been ruled a double. If it hadn’t ended the game it would have been a double, with possibly another base on a fielders choice.
You’re absolutely right. You don’t know the rulebook.
I was at the game and had a good look at the play. Bloomquist and Beltre each ran 3/4 speed to touch the base. Beltre stopped right on the back and after Ibanez scored headed back toward first. Bloomquist never made a real try for second.
Rulebook or not, I think common sense says you can’t get a double if you don’t touch second base.
As for obsession with seeing Bloomquist fail… I think he’s symbolizes the Mariners problems as an organization — the obsession with all sorts of things that don’t help you win baseball games.
WFB has two full seasons worth of at bats in the majors. He’s proven that he’s a terrible hitter, no matter how much some may deny it. (He has value on defense and base running and is a fine 25th man on a roster.) While his short term success helps the Mariners, it also increases the chance that the Mariners start to believe he’s a valuable player and do something stupid like signing him to a $4M/2 year extension or playing him every day. And both of those things are bad for the Mariners future.
Right. He’s a professional baseball player on our team and he’s performing to the best of his abilities. You can’t have a problem with that.
The problems you can (and I think MUST) have a problem with include:
**Putting Willie in the starting line-up on a regular basis (unless forced to by unfortunate significant injury to a player of starting line-up ability.)
**Constructing a team where Willie is your best option to do anything other than be the 25th player on the bench.
**Elevating Willie’s perceived value versus his true value, exhibiting the poor thought processes that go into putting this team together (in regards to overvaluing unmetricable qualities versus predictive statistical metrics.)
**Feeding into the somewhat dangerous self-perpetuating myths of the fan base (that it’s more important to have guys we love rather than guys who help us win…because the guys we’re supposed to love have local ties, are good guys, really hustle out there, show veteran grit, are scrappy, etc.)
Last night was a perfect Willie storm. I cheered like a fan last night. We won the game in dramatic fashion…and that’s always fun.
Today…we wake up to the light of day…and the fact that this team has the same problems it’s had for far too long.
(PS–I, too, watched very carefully to see if Willie ever touched second base before the mob got to him. He never did. It’s like the other players recognized that in a lost season like this one, we need our “in pursuit of Sisler”-type of distraction.)
Signing WFB to a $4M/2 year extension wouldn’t be a crippling move. But it would be a symptom of a bigger problem — a front office that doesn’t understand how to value its personnel. Playing him every day, however, would be much worse…really, I’d rather they paid him $2M a year and he sat on the bench than their paying him league minimum and penning his name into the lineup day after day.
No doubt about it — the M’s obsess over the dumbest things, like “the face of the organization” and a “fan friendly experience.”
Uh…just win, baby.
And by the way — nice hit, Willie. That had double written all over it.
Craig K said:
How is the type of hit determined in a walkoff like that? Scorer’s discretion?
July 1st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
2Dave said:
Last base reached by a batter when the winning run crosses the plate. Game ends as soon as the runner is called safe.
Then, if RAUL had been on 3rd, and scored before WILLIE reached first – an RBI, but no hit?