Expect floundering Phillies to shake slump
When Philadelphia’s hitters come back, team should make surge
Lynne Sladky / APPhillies manager Charlie Manuel (41) fears his team, the defending NL champs, are battling complacency right now, NBCSports.com contributor Tony DeMarco says.
Q: With all the terrible plate calling we see every year, why hasn’t MLB moved to fully automated systems to call balls and strikes?
— Brian Murphy, Colchester, Vt.
A: You won’t be seeing that any time soon, Brian. Although your assertion has merit, as way too many pitches are missed, nobody involved has shown any interest in pushing that particular issue — especially the man with whom the decision ultimately rests, Bud Selig.
But the next thing I could see happening very soon is another step in the instant replay direction — some limited usage for on-the-bases calls, which me and many others have been asking for over the past several years.
Umpire Jim Joyce’s blown call at first base on what should be a perfect game for Detroit’s Armando Galarraga may be the impetus that leads to some permanent change.
But the first thing that should happen is Selig reversing that obviously blown call, and giving Galarraga, the Tigers and their fans what they deserve — the 21st perfect game in history, and third this season. (Selig has said he won’t.)
The technology is there; let’s use it. We see the replays within 30 seconds after a controversial play occurs. Umpires (or a booth official) could do so as well, and play would be held up for only three to five minutes after a challenge.
If you limit the amount of challenges, say one or two per game, time of games wouldn’t be affected much. (And, you would eliminate the time spent arguing — often that same three to five minutes).
Why the debate has gone on so long is beyond me. Purist-schmurist. What’s pure is getting the calls right. That should trump everything else.
Q: Is anyone going to sign John Smoltz this season, or do you think he will retire?
—Paul Gustafson, New York
A: Smoltz has settled nicely into a new role as a game analyst, which should come as no surprise, as he was one of the game’s talkative and insightful stars.
But unlike former teammate Tom Glavine, who is splitting time between the Braves’ broadcast booth and front office, Smoltz has not officially announced his retirement.
So naturally, there already have been rumors about possibilities for his return, including the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this season, when they were having pitching issues.
What I’d like to see is Smoltz return to the Braves for a stretch run that will mark Bobby Cox’s last season — so he says — in uniform.
But the likeliest scenario is Smoltz going to a pennant contender who suffers a key pitching injury in the near future. The problem is, there are two other veteran pitchers in Smoltz’s situation: Pedro Martinez and Jarrod Washburn, just waiting for the right offer from a contender.
But whether Smoltz pitches again, he’s already a Hall of Famer in my book. I’ll definitely be voting for him whenever he appears on the ballot.
What he did as a starter, reliever and then back again is unparalleled in baseball history: 213 wins (and only 155 losses), and 54 saves (including 55 in one season), and a 3.33 career ERA.
Smoltz’s only 20-win season was a 24-8 domination in 1996, when he also led the NL in innings and strikeouts, and won his only Cy Young Award.
He won one other NL strikeout title, led in innings pitched one other time, and also led the league in victories in 2006 at age 39 after returning to the rotation — a remarkable accomplishment.
Q: Does a hit batsman have to take first base, or can he choose to continue hitting?
— Gary Sacks, Albany, N.Y.
A: He has to go to first base, Gary -- no chance to get some immediate retribution with the bat. That will have to come in his next at-bat. And when a batter is hit by a pitch, the ball is dead and no runners can advance unless they are forced by the hit batsman.
Tony DeMarco writes regularly for NBCSports.com and is a freelance writer based in Denver.
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