The Jennings trade was particularly bad. It's not that the players traded for him turned into anything special, it's just that, at the time, they should have been able to get more.
I believe Purpura made that trade, though. I don't think they should have been able to get more... most teams knew what Willy T was. Hirsch was the key part... and at the time, Jennings had some proven MLB value (hence needing to give up a decent prospect to get something good in return) They also had the same trade worked out for Jon Garland... so perhaps they should have changed it when they were getting back a lesser pitcher after that trade fell through.
Error on Ortiz ball, changed to a hit. Too bad we'll never know if MLB would have done this had Darvish completed the no-hitter. http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story...id-ortiz-play-hit-error-yu-darvish-no-hit-bid If Rangers challenged the Springer error, I suspect it will be changed as well. MLB needs to allow balls that should be routinely played to count as errors even with no one touching them. Also, they should be allowed to rule errors on double plays. For example, if the Astros get the out at second and then Villar makes a terrible throw to first that would have gotten a guy out by 10 feet, they can't rule an error.
What about when players mis-play a ball, or use poor judgement to dive for a catch, miss it, and the ball rolls all the way to the wall turning possible singles into triples/inside the park HR's. How should those be ruled? I'd venture to say most inside-the-park HR's come as a result of a fielder's "error" in judgement, but since he doesn't "touch" the ball, its ruled a HR.
I am talking about the obvious ones. For example the Astros had 5 infielders stand around as a pop fly dropped between them all. It was a play that should have been made. Give them a "team" error.
If an error in judgement turns a single into a triple/inside park HR...it should be a single with an error ruled for the additional bases. Very subjective, but if a fielder makes such a huge error that he can't even touch the ball...he deserves the error at least as much as the guy that can at least play it well enough to touch the ball.
But that's basically every inside the park HR... the fielder always plays a role... whether its due to mis-judging a dive, losing the ball in the lights/sun, or mis-playing the ball off the wall. There would basically be no such thing as an inside the park HR (or they'd be even rarer).
Losing the ball in the sun/lights isn't a misplay or misjudge, just bad luck. Misplaying off the wall is unfair, because every stadium is so different (and once again could be just plain bad luck). Not an error example: http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/42160142/v27433597/colsf-pagan-delivers-walkoff-insidethepark-homer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh15tQoXiSg Possibly an error: http://mlb.si.com/2014/05/04/watch-wil-myers-inside-the-park-home-run-rays-yankees/ Definitely an error: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/R20RQmBFrYg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Simple question: Routine pop-up about 5 feet behind second base. Altuve runs over and yells for it as Villar does the same. They both stop. The ball falls right next to them. No sun or wind affect, simple miscommunication. Error or hit?
Misjudging a dive, though, might not really be an error - its a calculated risk to get an out while risking the possibility of something bad happening. Sometimes you try to make a difficult play and sacrifice an easier one. That's a different type of "mistake" than watching a ball fall between two people because you didn't communicate or otherwise did something stupid.
Sure, its a different type of mistake... but still a mistake. Still an "error" in judgement, which is what usually is the culprit of the other errors we are trying to point out. An overly aggressive OF who often dives instead of playing it on a hop... or gets a late jump due to not paying attention, or simply takes an awful route... are all susceptible to that sort of "mistake". Hence there is a ton of subjectiveness on all of these calls, which is why official scorers err to take the subjectiveness out of it and make the rule more universal (even though we know the difference between some non-hits and others).
Same scenario, one person calls for it... but trips and falls before he makes it there, and it falls in. Or he pulls a muscle, falls to the ground, and it falls in. Not really a miscommunication at that point... just an "accident" or an injury. Player crashes into a wall, gets injured after fielding the ball on a hop. Lies there motionless while baserunner scampers around the base paths. Can't really rule an error there either. Its all very subjective, with very similar scenarios all-around.
If it is a weird hop of the wall, I don't see it being an error in judgement as the player is giving normal effort. I have no problem with fewer inside the park HRs based on OFs making errors even if it is a hustle play.
Player pulls a muscle/has injury...no error. Player trips over his own feet...error. Errors are subjective. They are now. Runner gets the benefit of the doubt on close plays.
Some of our hitters have been hitting much better recently than it seems they have been. Chris Carter, .854 OPS over his last 20 games, with a tolerable 20 K's Dexter Fowler, .764 OPS over his last 19 games Jose Altuve, 931 OPS over his last 18 games Matt Dominguez, .848 OPS over his last 21 games Jonathan Villar, .805 OPS over his last 23 games I'm just saying it's a long season for those of you who were ready to raise hell because we were "supposed to be better" after 20 games. Team as a whole is 8-13 over the last 21, not gonna win us a pennant, but it is better.
