Brandon Belt's vanity 2

Belt ejected several years ago for same reason

I've blogged before about Brandon Belt's vanity about his knowledge of the strike zone. 

He's done it again---taking a called third strike yesterday to end the game. From this morning's Chronicle:

“We had a really good hitter coming up after that who could have tied the game for us and he never got that chance because (Eddings) calls a ball so far off the plate I don’t think I could have touched it.”

Bullshit. I missed most of the game and tuned in only for the last inning. I had a sense of dread when Belt came up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Damned if he didn't do it again---taking a called third strike with the bat on his shoulder! 

If not an obvious strike, the pitch was close enough to require a defensive, emergency swing to at least foul it off and live to see another pitch.

Anyone who plays baseball at any level learns as a kid that with two strikes you have to protect the plate by swinging at any pitch that's close. Otherwise you can get called out by the umpire like Belt has a habit of doing. 

Belt apparently thinks he can ignore that basic baseball lesson now that he's a highly-paid major leaguer---and a major prima donna. 

It's just bad baseball, and Belt's vanity---he knows the strike zone better than the umpires!---is hurting his team. Giants' announcer Duane Kuiper enabled Belt's egotism by commenting yesterday that "Belt has a better idea of the strike zone than the umpire."

Even if that's true---and the replay showed that the pitch was close, not obviously a ball or a strike---Belt's job isn't calling balls and strikes; it's to help his team by not striking out with the bat on his shoulder in critical situations.

Again, batters who take called third strikes should be fined, especially if the strikeout is the last out in the game.