Early reviews of the ABS system in baseball

You know, I think ever since we've kind of moved that power play over to the other side

and operated off of that side, it's opened up tighter opportunities for Tom or, you know,

the downhill goal by Quenny was a good goal.

You know, there's just different places that Thompson can get to and I thought you got

to a good spot.

You put him in a spot like that with his wrist shot and he's as good as it comes at scoring.

So I thought our power play looked good.

Lindy Ruff last night, the Sabers now lead the lightning in the race in the Atlantic

division by two points.

Tampa with one game in hand left.

Tampa wins on ties.

Well, we've got a game left.

The Sabers have, I think the Sabers are, is it head to head?

I think that's the first.

So they've won two out of three.

Right.

I think, well, no, regulation wins.

That's what I thought.

Yeah.

So are they tied in that?

The Sabers have one more.

They have one more.

Okay.

So what if they end up tied in regulation wins?

And Tampa wins the game here is their tied head to head.

I don't know what the hell happens.

Is there a...

Rochambal?

The NFL during their season has at ESPN.com.

There is a type...

The tiebreakers are there for you.

They sort of lay them out.

I've never gone looking for them in hockey.

So I honestly, here's another thing.

We...

I'm out of shape.

I don't know.

I don't know what happens.

I really don't.

I do think it's right that regulation wins is the...

Once you're at all on equal games, I mean, for now, if you're tied in points,

the team that's played fewer games is ahead of you because of points percentage.

They have the same amount of points in fewer games, thus a better percentage.

But once you've all played the same number of games, I think it's regulation wins, and

then I don't know.

I'd like to be able to trust this.

So on the NHL app, three teams are tied with 86 points.

Just out.

Okay.

Ottawa, Detroit, and Philadelphia.

Iowa has 38 wins.

Detroit has 39, but Ottawa is listed first.

It's not alphabetical.

Regulation wins, however, Ottawa 32, Detroit 28, Philadelphia 23, I mean, what's embarrassing?

Yep.

And there's also a category, a column for regulation plus overtime wins, right?

And similar to overall wins, Detroit has more than Ottawa.

So in three categories, we're going to have head to head, but in three categories, Ottawa

has the lead and only one over Detroit, and that is regulation wins, and they're listed

first.

Yes.

Of the three teams.

Okay.

So the sabers have 38 regulation wins, and the lightning have 37.

Maybe the second tiebreaker could be regulation plus overtime, in which case Buffalo has 41,

Tampa has 42.

Well, I guess it's still not time for that.

It's getting close, though.

It's getting close.

It's good to have, it's not too early to bring it up.

Good to at least be thinking about that.

Again, I don't know if that definitively tells us what the tiebreakers are, but that's

a good clue.

I think regulation wins, I think, is right.

Probably it.

Frank is next.

Hello, Frank.

Hey, guys.

Thanks for having me on.

Sure.

One question is, well, kind of one question in the statement, I'll make it quick.

I hate when people talk for five minutes about nothing.

One, I think, to me, at least, it's super clear that the Zach Mezzo, like Timmin's experience

seems like it should be over.

I mean, he comes back and is just far and away, obviously, visibly better than any other

guy we've had in the six pair, and they put him on the penalty kill and he looked good.

So I think it should just be at this point, finding whoever his six guy is.

I don't know what your guys' opinion is on that.

And then the other statement is, I just wanted to get some gas to my boy, Dan Dunleavy.

No one's ever going to be RJ.

He's the best ever.

And when RJ first retired, I was like, oh, they stalked you, no one's RJ.

But now I think that Dan's gotten so good when I watch other teams, I'm like bored.

I think Dan is amazing.

I just wanted to give him his credit.

But that's a good thing.

I'm totally here for that.

I'm a big fan.

I like Dan personally so that, of course, would shade this, but I think objectively speaking,

he does a real nice job on the call.

So also, and I think it's a very tough spot.

To be thrust into.

I mean, I can remember talking about thinking about Rick stepping aside 20 years ago.

And we went through this with Van Miller too.

When Van was going to step aside, you don't want to be the guy that succeeds the guy.

Be the guy after that guy.

Because the guy that succeeds the guy, the legend, the living legend.

I mean, that's just, the fans are just going to take it out on him.

And I think Dan has largely avoided that.

I think I mean, I'm not on message boards or anything, but I think he does a nice job.

So good for him.

And I don't think it was the easiest place to end up, you know, following such a, such

a big, just monster personality like Rick.

No doubt.

I don't think there are sixth defenseman, if we're saying meta is five, if is really

up for debate.

I think it's Stanley.

Me too.

They brought him in to be that.

Look, the question is who Stanley is going to be paired with that almost makes him the

fifth guy.

Like I feel like thinking about the call earlier today, about the playoffs and physicality.

And do I have enough of that Stanley.

And I think Lindy Ruff is 100% on board with this.

At least that's my read from out here how he has sounded about it.

They felt they needed another guy that could just be hard, hard in front of the net, hard

in the corners and just not easily bounced around.

So he's playing to me like the trick to me has been to find the best partner for him.

And I do think it is Metsa.

And I think what they did, it was a pretty short stint for Timmins.

Metsa went away and is right back and even got the look on the penalty kill last night.

And that seemed like it went okay.

I don't want to say anything definitive, but to me, Stanley's in the lineup.

It's a question whether it's Metsa or Timmins or even Kusselring.

Maybe these guys will get a turn in place of Metsa at some point.

I mean, Timmins just did.

Maybe Kusselring will.

I don't think Shen really will.

I think they tried that and went like, okay, you're here, good, you're valuable as of

that.

You've won cups.

Thank you.

Just stay over there for now.

I would bet right now.

I mean, it's definitely trending towards Metsa and Stanley being that third pair when

the playoffs.

It seems like it.

Thank you, Frank.

803-0550 to join us.

You could be next.

Just missed it.

Maybe you didn't miss it.

I didn't miss it because you were talking.

I didn't see anything.

We had a review.

Oh, wow.

Yeah.

I missed it.

The batter was right.

The Mariners batter was right.

Instead of strike two, it went to ball one.

And this sixth inning at bat with one out on April 1st, the Mariners down, four to

nothing with no one on.

Thank God.

I mean, now I'm going to really hang on this to see what happens.

I guess I could be called a hater about this.

And everybody's having fun at one particular umpire's expense last few days.

CB Buckner.

Yeah.

I missed a play at first base last night now.

The managers literally were laughing looking at each other after this play was overturned.

It was a weird play and there was an overthrow from the second baseman over the head of the

first baseman coming some kind of toward the on deck circle.

And the batter, the base runner clearly just like ran right on first base.

Step down first base.

Step down first base.

But Buckner thought he did not and what did they tag them?

They tagged him and called them out and then they reviewed it and like, yeah, he's he

stepped right on the base.

Did you see the managers?

I did not see.

There's like trying to repress laughter, looking at each other like they camera went back

and forth.

And this Buckner is the same guy that had home played in the Reds game the other night

was like right, the key had back to back calls that were just off the plate.

He called strike threes and they were both balls driving in today.

There were so many games to choose from.

And at one point I was on that game.

It was Tampa Milwaukee was the play from last night.

So I was listening to Tampa Milwaukee and the announcer, probably the brewers announcer

said that Buckner had the plate.

That makes sense because he was the first base on player last night, that plate.

And like almost as soon as he said that, here's the pitch foul tip right in, right on

his face, like right into a space mask.

Yeah.

And he left the game today.

Yeah.

You know, I saw a headline.

I didn't.

Yeah.

I didn't connect it.

The same guy that's been in the middle of these couple of days worth of reviews.

They sent another umpire into the clubhouse to get the gear on and the brewers, I think

it was, whatever team was in the field left the field to give how much time does that take

though?

How much time does the third base umpire need to put the chest protector on?

Is it a different was the mask too?

Do you put on like the shin guard and all of it?

Yeah.

There's, there's, there's, take the clothes off.

Yeah.

Take the pants off, put the guards on, the shin guards on, put the chest protector on,

the mask.

Yeah.

Find that clicker.

I guess it's a process.

Yeah.

You got to find your clicker.

It needs, it needs a few minutes.

Sure.

A few minutes.

Yeah.

So that happened to Buckner today.

He's having a tough week.

I hope he's okay.

He's having a tough week.

Yes he is.

He's sort of the, the focus of the ABS system, like, look at this guy.

He's always, he's long had a reputation for missing, you know, kind of like, not maybe

not on the angel Hernandez level.

He's since retired, I think, or is that quote retired?

I don't know what happened there.

I don't think he's in the game anymore.

But then Buckner just goes and gets, gets a foul ball right on the mask today.

Poor guy.

Anyway, for nothing Yankees, the guy who got the call overturned, grounded out, didn't

help him, didn't save him.

Time well spent.

Yes.

But they do get to keep the challenge.

So we have a pretty good chance to see it another one.

Whoa.

Well, stay tuned sports fans, balls and strikes, and the fifth game of the baseball season.

I just, I almost, I almost don't care how efficient and accurate the system is.

Now, non-time consuming, it may be the whole concept is just going to make me insane,

I think.

I really do.

And I think baseball, you know, they've, if you don't like tinkering, baseball maybe has

driven, you're not here for a couple of years, because there's been stuff like the pitch

clock and the shift, I think most of that stuff has had as a viewer, as a watcher of baseball,

I think that is, that's had a positive impact on me.

I think I like the changes that have been made, and they mostly have worked for me as

a viewer.

This one, I've not sat and just watched a whole game yet.

I happen to be watching this thing with the, with the Reds Guy and Buckner the other

day.

It was Boston.

It just happened to see it and I like, oh, but I wasn't like sitting with the game for

an hour or two hours or anything.

So I don't know that it's going to, but my sense is I'm going to not like it.

The only thing I like about it is that there is strategy in it.

Is this pitch important enough for me to risk the challenge?

I like that.

I like that in sports, but I'm not going to hate this one more than certain other

advance, you know, quote, progress in reviews and technology.

It's just, it's all a step toward the abyss.

And it each time, and I don't, don't think people even recognize it, sucks the life out

of sports.

That's it.

Because you cannot really confidently buy that the thing that you just saw is going to

pull up.

And that's a soccer goal, quintessentially a soccer goal.

I mean, but it's now, now it's a ball in the sixth inning of a Mariners game in April,

in April.

Yeah.

It's just ridiculous.

It's hockey goals.

Yeah.

Offside challenges.

Yeah.

All of it needs to die and it frustrates me and I know you how few there are, how quiet

our side of that argument.

There are plays every night.

There was a play last night that looked like it could have been outside.

Sabers, right, third period going into the zone, well, that was close.

They got a scoring chance.

And I was like, I hope don't, don't score here.

I'm like, waiting for the puck to come out of the zone again.

Yeah.

Before I can sort of reinvest in sort of with a clear mind like, okay, go score a goal

now.

It's safe.

And I hate, I mean, I just could not hate that more.

Would you rather the Sabers finish with 109 points, but lose in an overtime playoff game

on an offside challenge or finish with 80 points?

Would you rather a finish, would you rather finish 12th in the east or lose a playoff series

on a review?

Not, not even offside, goalie would be worse because offside at least you're usually

sure.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Maybe.

Yeah.

Maybe.

Yeah.

There have been.

Yeah, man.

Every team probably has this.

The Sabers, both pro and con, goals that they've been given and goals that have been pulled

down that I am positive, often watching the game with someone who was a goalie, okay,

not in the NHL, but still like, you know, we're kind of goalie defenders a bit.

I'm like, we have no idea what the, I don't know.

I thought he's skates in there, and he's like, ah, there's a goal in Pittsburgh, remember

the Sabers won a game in Pittsburgh out of the break and the goal stood.

Yes.

Norris was involved in it.

Yeah.

And the penguin coach, you could read his lips.

He's over there like, how?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It was the goalie's glove extended out beyond the paint.

And therefore, if it was interfered with, it's okay is what people were saying.

And I'm like, okay.

So there's a halo around the net now, like the, like the, like the cone in football that

extends straight up to the roof of the building.

And if his glove is outside of that, even though the rest of his body is in the crease,

he's not in the crease.

What?

Are we sure about that?

What?

Are we doing?

That's, I guess.

Holy crap.

Sabers could have just went and stayed bad and saved yourself with potential.

Right.

Like, show up in the bulldog.

We'll be right back.

This is WGR.