Just call me "Babe" Wiz . . .

Baseball Insider Board
#1

As in Babe Ruth and his famous called shot.

Let me explain.

Among the guys i watch games with, I’m known as the guy who’s always making little predictions . . . “I’ll bet we throw the screen here” . . . “Watch them sucker us with the play action deep pass” . . . “DVH is going to call the hit and run”, etc. Of course, the running joke is that I’m never right (not completely true, but mostly) . . . but I’m sure it drives them crazy sometimes.

During baseball season, one or two of us occasionally go to a sports bar and watch. But with these games on the ESPN app that the bar can’t get, sometimes I’ll watch and text off and on with one of my buddies who - like me - pretty much watches all the games at home. And - yes - we both make predictions (use to be a cinch that DVH would call the sac bunt with a runner on first and nobody out - but not so much this year with our HR hitters).

Anyway, I’m still wrong most of the time.

With one notable and surprising exception. THIS year and this year only, i’m having a heck of a year calling my shot on Hog HR’s. I’m not talking about something like “it would be nice if Koch could do something”; I’m saying “I believe Fletcher will hit a dinger now” as he comes to the plate.

I don’t do it often, but I’m 4 for 5 making “the call” on homers this season. tonight, when Arledge was at bat in the 10th, I texted my buddy “if Jakes gets on base, I’m thinking the Hulk may go yard”. And then, when Arledge did get on base, I texted “I’m making the call. Time for a Spanberger dinger”.

If it was one time, well, everyone gets lucky every now and then. But with it happening 4 out of 5 time . . . and the rest of my predictions staying as poor as usual . . . well, it’s kind of spooky. I know it’s still just luck - but it’s weird. Starting to freak my texting buddy out.

Although, right after that, he did ask me to predict 3 outs for the Aggies . . . ha ha ha . . . if ONLY I could do that with any success (although Jake did take care of business in the bottom of the 10th, no thanks to me!).

#2

I’d congratulate you, Wiz, but Spanberger coming through in the clutch is becoming an easy call. In fact, we’ve got several who will go yard when we need it. It’s like this team has 7 or 8 Brett Eibners.

Oh, what the hell. Congratulations on making the call. :smiley:

#3

[quote=“Neastarkie”]
I’d congratulate you, Wiz, but Spanberger coming through in the clutch is becoming an easy call. In fact, we’ve got several who will go yard when we need it. It’s like this team has 7 or 8 Brett Eibners.

Oh, what the hell. Congratulations on making the call. :smiley:
[/quote]Not that you care, but the correct calls have all come with different batters . . . Shaddy and Bonfield (same game!), Fletcher and now Spanberger. None of them a surprise, as all have hit multiple HR. (The one wrong call was for Spanberger).

I didn’t post this to propagate that I’m prescient when it comes to truly predicting HR’s; I know it’s been a random fluke. It’s just a very rare fluke. Understand that the odds of predicting Home runs for 5 specific at bats (not saying “so and so is going to get a home run in this game”, but this AT BAT) and being right 4 of those times . . . for these batters (based on this season’s statistics) . . . should happen about once in every 30,000 times you attempt it. That is more than twice as unlikely as making a hole in one.

#4

You’ve had almost 70 chances to be right. I’d encourage you to “go for it” more often. The odds are you are going to be right on calling home runs with this bunch! Congrats. And, try a little harder!!!

#5

My constant prediction is (all in good humor) that Bonfield will take the first pitch and it will be a strike right across the plate. He will glance at the ump for a quick second, then back off and re-do his gloves and tighten everything up.

I think I have seen him swing at the first pitch once this year. I think they must tell the opposing pitcher to just throw it 50 mph just as long as you throw a strike. BTW, I know the arguments for taking the first pitch, etc. Just like I hate the automatic take on 3-0 situation. Yeah, if it’s obviously not there or it’s close, OK. I’ve watched Kentucky and LSU quite a bit this year on the ESPN app and noticed they will knock the crap out of a 3-0 pitch. At least the threat is there.