A replay goes the Yankees way, and John Farrell argues and gets ejected. It appears he was upset that he didn’t get a call his way on Saturday, since MLB didn’t have the good angle from a local feed.
No system is going to be perfect, but the offices in New York should be able to get any feed available. I do think replay so far as been a positive. The play that was corrected was one where it was extremely close; it came down to the first baseman’s glove not closed on the ball. The fact they got that play right indicates this system is working decently.
The Yankees lead 3-1 in the top of the fifth.
There was a play just like tonights the other night where the call at first was not overturned and should have been. I believe it was Fox or ESPN announcers who tried to explain the ball did not have to travel all the way into the glove which I thought was absurd. Tonight they said it had to be clinched by the 1Bmans glove, which makes more sense.
At least 6 of the 20 challenges I have seen that were not overturned should have been.
I also see a lot of plays where managers before never would have bothered to come out of the dugout to protest and stall for 30 seconds only to go back to the dugout when they get the thumbs down sign. This happens a couple of times a game for both teams.
Meanwhile umps still call balls 6 inches off the plate a strike. Maybe we should put the players on the honor system and let them call their own game, and if someone blows a call we can have a bench clearing brawl and put some excitement back in the game. K’s and low scoring games are boring
I liked the new system when I read about it, but from what I’ve seen it’s been pretty awful. The call Saturday in particular was just head-shaking bad. I hate the idea that that kind of play is reviewed (sure, base runners should be careful standing up after a slide but that’s not exactly a tense action play), but if it is for gods sake get it right.
According to the ESPN announcers the interpretation (that the fielder’s glove has to close around the ball in order for the ball to be considered caught) is a new one, tied to replay.
I don’t like this new rule — it changes the traditional call (which the first base umpire made by watching the feet and listening for the sound of the ball hitting the glove), and it adds an unnecessary requirement for the fielder, just for show. With a first baseman’s glove and a straightforward throw, there is often no need to close the glove.
I also have a philosophical objection, I think, to changing the rules simply to accommodate the new technology of replay.
My interpretation of the rule would be — the catch is made when the ball hits the glove, unless subsequent events demonstrate that the fielder failed to control the ball. And in situations where it was too close to call otherwise, as it was last night, that is a situation in which you stick with the original call, which was made at the scene by someone with the benefit of on the spot sound as well as sight.