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Baseball Software Can't Score What Jean Segura Did Friday

JimboFBX writes "Interesting piece of baseball history happened on Friday. Jean Segura of the Milwaukee Brewers stole second, tried to steal third too early, but made it back to second before being tagged. The problem was that teammate Ryan Braun already made it to second on the steal attempt. After tags were applied to both baserunners, Segura started trotting to the dugout before realizing that he wasn't out, Braun was, and his only option was to make it back to first. He then of course proceeded to try to steal second base again. The software for keeping the box score? Doesn't (yet) support someone running backwards on the bases. Looks like that will have to change." Here is video of the sequence.

32 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Had this same problem with women by Cyfun · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've had this same problem with women. One day you can get to second or even third base, then suddenly you're sent scrambling for first again. Wasn't sure how to score that either, but as long as you're still in the game, it's a win, right? ;)

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    1. Re:Had this same problem with women by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ah, but there's truly no place like 'home'!

    2. Re:Had this same problem with women by Gothmolly · · Score: 5, Funny

      Go straight to fifth base. If you get there, you win, if not, you're saved the trouble of trying for the others.

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    3. Re:Had this same problem with women by VortexCortex · · Score: 5, Funny

      I've had this same problem with women. One day you can get to second or even third base, then suddenly you're sent scrambling for first again.

      At least you got back to 1st base! I was accused of playing short stop when I should have been tending home plate -- I know! Makes no sense, right? That's what I said. Anyway, I held up in the dugout for the rain delay and when I finally was able to step up to bat they had called in a pinch hitter from the bullpen!

      That was a pretty foul play, but that's not even the worst of it. The guy turned out to be a catcher batting for the other team! He should have been disqualified so I rushed the mound, but thankfully a Ref was being a real friend and held me back. The managers got involved, and I found out this was more about contract politics than anything. Eventually everyone was ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct.

      Now I'm out in deep left, fielding balls all by myself, again...

  2. Re:(YouTube) footage? by thoth · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Segura attempted to steal third base too early, before the pitcher delivered the ball. Thus when Braun and Segura both wound up on 2nd, only Braun was out - Segura's attempted steal wasn't legit (Segura should never have left the base) therefore Braun's position was invalid and he was tagged. I think had Segura waited he would have been tagged out, since if his steal attempt was legit then Braun's position was fine and Segura would have been invalid.

    Anyway, while going back to the dugout he realized he wasn't out, and apparently there is an loophole in the rules which allowed his to then run to the closest available base to be safe, which happened to be first.

  3. Re:(YouTube) footage? by EvanED · · Score: 5, Informative

    This link someone else posted has a video and a much more comprehensible account of what transpired: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/jean-segura-steals-second-then-steals-first-bizarre-103642855--mlb.html

  4. Re:(YouTube) footage? by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's exactly like soccer.

    No, if it was like soccer, it would have taken at least 45 minutes to happen, five yellow cards would have been given out, and three fights would have broken out in the stands for no apparent reason.

    --
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  5. Re:(YouTube) footage? by peragrin · · Score: 5, Funny

    yea but the score would be the same. 2-0

    --
    i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  6. George Carlin: Baseball vs Football by SternisheFan · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Baseball is different from any other sport, very different. For instance, in most sports you score points or goals; in baseball you score runs. In most sports the ball, or object, is put in play by the offensive team; in baseball the defensive team puts the ball in play, and only the defense is allowed to touch the ball. In fact, in baseball if an offensive player touches the ball intentionally, he's out; sometimes unintentionally, he's out.

    Also: in football,basketball, soccer, volleyball, and all sports played with a ball, you score with the ball and in baseball the ball prevents you from scoring.

    In most sports the team is run by a coach; in baseball the team is run by a manager. And only in baseball does the manager or coach wear the same clothing the players do. If you'd ever seen John Madden in his Oakland Raiders uniform,you'd know the reason for this custom.

    Now, I've mentioned football. Baseball & football are the two most popular spectator sports in this country. And as such, it seems they ought to be able to tell us something about ourselves and our values.

    I enjoy comparing baseball and football:

    Baseball is a nineteenth-century pastoral game. Football is a twentieth-century technological struggle.

    Baseball is played on a diamond, in a park.The baseball park! Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium, sometimes called Soldier Field or War Memorial Stadium.

    Baseball begins in the spring, the season of new life. Football begins in the fall, when everything's dying.

    In football you wear a helmet. In baseball you wear a cap.

    Football is concerned with downs - what down is it? Baseball is concerned with ups - who's up?

    In football you receive a penalty. In baseball you make an error.

    In football the specialist comes in to kick. In baseball the specialist comes in to relieve somebody.

    Football has hitting, clipping, spearing, piling on, personal fouls, late hitting and unnecessary roughness. Baseball has the sacrifice.

    Football is played in any kind of weather: rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog... In baseball, if it rains, we don't go out to play.

    Baseball has the seventh inning stretch. Football has the two minute warning.

    Baseball has no time limit: we don't know when it's gonna end - might have extra innings. Football is rigidly timed, and it will end even if we've got to go to sudden death.

    In baseball, during the game, in the stands, there's kind of a picnic feeling; emotions may run high or low, but there's not too much unpleasantness. In football, during the game in the stands, you can be sure that at least twenty-seven times you're capable of taking the life of a fellow human being.

    And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different:

    In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.

    In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home! - George Carlin

    http://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor7.shtml

    George Carlin - “Baseball is the only major sport that appears backward in a mirror”

    1. Re:George Carlin: Baseball vs Football by VortexCortex · · Score: 5, Informative

      Does England not have the room for a proper field

      Hilarious, because cricket grounds are *much* bigger than baseball grounds ;p

      Okay here is a deal: Explain me baseball, and I will explain you Cricket, because frankly baseball is totally whacky for me (not that cricket is any simpler, mind you...)

      In baseball the object is to iterate as many tokens as you can through a 4 slotted dequeue FIFO (implemented internally as a self referencing doubly linked list); Iteration run time is earned by the batting team by causing the hardest to solve ball sorting problems possible for the other team (most entropic ball state). The opposing team manages a counter labeled "Outs" initialized to 0 each "inning". If the counter is incremented to 3 the teams switch objectives, and a the out counter is reset. Each full iteration of a player though the buffer increments a team's "run" variable. The team with the greatest runs wins (typically by earning the most loop execution time).

      The team managing the out counter distributes themselves optimally around the field such that they'll be able to detect the ball's location within a short period of time -- AND -- so that they can sort the ball back to their prime ball holder, the "pitcher". To get a chance to increment the out counter (and thus eventually have their turn at bat, and increase their runs) the pitching team gives the batting team a chance to hit the ball (and cause the ball sorting problem). While the ball is being sorted player tokens can iterate through the FIFO buffer nodes (bases). Only one additional player can enter base queue per sorting problem created. The bases are allowed to be null (no players), and players can move in both directions around the loop.

      A pitcher must give adequate chance for the ball sorting problem to be created by passing the ball through a volume called the "strike zone" which is created by clipping the prismatic space above home plate to the vertical interval between the batter's knees and the midpoint in their chest. The midpoint is a point half way between the shoulders and top of the pants. Note: Creating an impossible planar strike zone by pulling one's pants down to the knee and bending at the waste to bring the shoulders in line is considered extremely rude "unsportsmanlike conduct". If the batter does not swing at a valid pitch then it is counted against them as a "strike". If the bat is swung at the ball and no valid sorting problem is created it is considered a strike whether the ball passed through the strike zone or not. If a batter accumulates 3 strikes it is converted to an out and their iteration is preempted. The pitcher may throw outside the strike zone to trick the player into leaping at an unfair starting condition, but if the player does not swing at such invalid pitches then they are considered unfit "balls", four such balls allows the player to automatically reach 1st base safely, and if occupied the bases will increment, possibly causing a run to be scored. This is called Walking, since there is no danger of being interrupted. Walks in the park are quite nice, but do not make for good games.

      A batter must cause a valid sorting problem with the ball within 3 attempts (swings) at valid pitches, or they lose their chance to enter the FIFO and the out counter is decremented. Valid sorting problems are those where the post-hit ball travel vector is within the area formed by rotating a ray extending from home through base 0 until it intersects base 3 (inclusive). If the valid ball is hit out of the park (or strikes the pole erected along the base lines to make the problem space visible, while above the fence) then the ball sorting problem is considered infinitely complex and the iteration queue can be emptied of all players actively in the FIFO buffer and they all count as runs -- This is called a home run. The ball sorting problem is considered too simple if the ball is caught from out of the air dir

  7. Re:(YouTube) footage? by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Funny

    Since when could they score twice in 45 minutes in soccer?

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  8. Re:(YouTube) footage? by paiute · · Score: 5, Funny

    And the untouched baserunner would have flopped to the ground clutching his shin and grimacing.

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    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  9. Re:Reminds me of this book by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Are you sure? Can I please get a source on that?

    The following links says otherwise. (Though admittedly they are unreferenced and generally not trust-worthy).
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6

  10. Re:not just software.. my wetware is confused too by SternisheFan · · Score: 3
    For those who never saw Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First" routine...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA4LcsyczA8

  11. Re:(YouTube) footage? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    No, it's just not a good idea to do from second base where a right-handed pitcher can easily see you leading off and stealing. That also depends on whether the pitcher is throwing from the wind-up or the stretch. Typically, a pitcher delivers from the stretch with runners on base, as the motion is quicker and he can more easily see runners on 1st attempting to steal.

  12. Re:(YouTube) footage? by fermion · · Score: 5, Funny

    A professor of mine told us why he thought baseball was so frustrating. He was at a bar and a batter was just getting up to base. He went home, turned on the TV, and the same batter us still up.

    --
    "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
  13. Re:Reminds me of this book by SternisheFan · · Score: 5, Informative
    Alright, I'm gonna have to call myself 'out' on this. Rules say you have to touch all the bases or it doesn't count. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_you_have_to_run_the_bases_if_you_hit_a_homerun

    Also, rule 5.06 applies... http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/ball_in_play_5.jsp

    I learned an urban myth as a kid, I guess. Something about Babe Ruth not having to run the bases after he hit another out, he ran them for the crowd.

  14. Re:Reminds me of this book by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You have NO idea what you're talking about. Ask Robin Ventura, who hit a ball out of the park with the bases loaded, but was mobbed before he could round second base: he was officially credited with a single, known to Mets fans as "The Grand Slam Single." Game 5 1999 NLCS.

  15. Re:(YouTube) footage? by elashish14 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I think clip is available here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130420&content_id=45278350&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb - you can clearly see the runner trotting off the field before he realizes that he's not out and safely reaches first.

    Also, in this year's World Baseball Classic, Italy made it to the second round (top 8 of 16) and the Netherlands reached the semifinals (top 4). Not a bad showing for the Europeans....

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  16. Re:Reminds me of this book by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It takes real courage to admit your own mistakes. You have my respects.

  17. Re:(YouTube) footage? by sk999 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It is not against the rules, and I saw it happen, when Willie Davis of the Dodgers stole second against the New York Mets while the pitcher held the ball the entire time. This was way back when the Mets played in the Polo Grounds. Even thought the Mets were bad, it was still not a nice thing to do. It was one of many incidents that has led to my current mantra:

    "If the Dodgers lose, it was a good day in baseball"

  18. Re:Reminds me of this book by SternisheFan · · Score: 5, Funny

    It takes real courage to admit your own mistakes. You have my respects.

    Thanks, it's my first. There was one other time in my life where I thought I made a mistake, fortunately it turned out I was wrong! :^)

  19. Re:What is the Point of this Software? by Trepidity · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is the software that codes those records for storage. "Scoring" in baseball in this sense means compiling the records of what happened in the game, the kind of stuff you see printed in a newspaper box score and stored in game databases.

  20. Re:To write software that can score baseball by jfengel · · Score: 4, Informative

    No, that's what retarded people think "understanding baseball" means. The rule book is actually littered with dozens of complications: ground rule double, infield fly rule, fourth-out rule, etc. The basics of the game are simple, but there are a lot of corner cases in unusual situations, including the one this article is talking about.

  21. Re:Reminds me of this book by swalve · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Was this guy in the book? My great grand uncle.

  22. Re:Reminds me of this book by SternisheFan · · Score: 5, Informative
    I couldn't click your hyperlink (I think because of the space in it) on my tablet, found it on wiki:

    The game was tied 2–2, going into the top of the 15th inning, until Mets pitcher Octavio Dotel gave up an RBI triple to Keith Lockhart, giving the Braves a 3–2 lead. In the bottom of the 15th inning, the Mets loaded the bases against Braves relief pitcher Kevin McGlinchy. Mets catcher Todd Pratt drew a bases loaded walk, tying the score 3–3.

    The next batter was Mets third baseman Robin Ventura. Ventura crushed the 2–1 pitch over the wall in right-center for an ostensible grand slam, winning the game for the Mets and driving the Mets players and fans into a frenzied celebration. Ventura, however, never reached second base as Todd Pratt, the runner who was on first, picked up Ventura in celebration. Subsequently, Ventura was mobbed by his teammates, never finishing his trot around the bases. Because he failed to touch all four bases, the hit was officially scored a single. Roger Cedeño, the runner on third at the time, was ruled the only runner to have crossed home plate before the on-field celebration began and the Mets were awarded a 4-3 victory. Thus, Ventura was only credited with a single and one RBI. As a result, there had never been an official walk-off grand slam in MLB postseason history until Nelson Cruz hit one to allow the Texas Rangers to beat the Detroit Tigers 7–3 in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on October 10, 2011.

    And the video on MLB.com http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13062971

  23. Re:(YouTube) footage? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    From what I understand of the link: Segura made multiple minor league baserunning mistakes in this play.
    Segura was leading off second base and could have attempted to steal third base regardless if the pitcher threw the ball home or not, he just made his first baserunning mistake and went too early for third and saw that the pitcher could have easily thrown him out at third, so then Segura ran back to second before the pitcher could attempt to pick him off at second. Braun made it to second base, and in that situation Braun is automatically called out because two baserunners cannot occupy the same base at the same time. Segura's second baserunning mistake was when he thought he was tagged out on the play, so he started running back to the dugout. A runner more heads-up would know to just stay on second base. So Segura was still safely within the basepath when he was going back to the dugout (if he was outside of the basepath he'd be out) and was close enough to first base that the first base coach told him to get on first base and stay there. Segura possibly made a third mistake when he was never called out by an umpire, yet he still thought he was out on the play.
    Segura later attempted to steal second again, but was caught stealing second base, after he had previously stole second base in the same inning without the team batting around. Very bizarre indeed.

  24. Re:(YouTube) footage? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    You're right, but the ump didn't see the second tag on Segura while he was calling Braun out. I suppose if the home-plate ump saw it, he could have over-ruled the call. The third baseman didn't need to tag Braun either because he would've been out anyways, the tagging was just for good measure.

  25. Re:Reminds me of this book by sconeu · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When they resumed the infamous "Pine Tar" game, several months later, Billy Martin appealed at each base, claiming that George Brett didn't touch all the bases.

    However, the umpires were ready, and had affadavits from the original umpiring crew stating that he had.

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  26. Re:(YouTube) footage? by myowntrueself · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think clip is available here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130420&content_id=45278350&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb - you can clearly see the runner trotting off the field before he realizes that he's not out and safely reaches first.

    Also, in this year's World Baseball Classic, Italy made it to the second round (top 8 of 16) and the Netherlands reached the semifinals (top 4). Not a bad showing for the Europeans....

    Wow, so one day there might be a true international baseball competition. It should be called 'The World Series'.

    --
    In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
  27. Re:(YouTube) footage? by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Funny

    Football owns and you're wrong.

    Yes it does. Soccer, however, is kind of a funny sport.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  28. Re:(YouTube) footage? by colinrichardday · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Braun is automatically called out because two baserunners cannot occupy the same base at the same time.

    Is that the Ball-y Exclusion Principle?