Tim McCelland watches the replays of his two disputed calls and has this to say:
After looking at replays, I’m not sure I believe the replay of the first one. I said in my heart I thought he left too soon. But the replay showed that he didn’t. We go in and watch replays regularly after every game, even during the regular season. That’s part of our procedures.
Then the second one it showed that Cano was off the bag when he was tagged. I did not see that for whatever reason. So obviously there were two missed calls. Obviously, or not obviously, but there were two missed calls. And I’m just out there trying to do my job and do it the best I can. And unfortunately there was by instant replay, there were two missed calls.
Link via Big League Stew. Why he got the first call wrong was pretty obvious to me. His eyes were up, so what he caught was the ball coming into the glove and the movement of Swisher’s body. Swisher started the movement of his body before the ball was caught, but his foot stayed in contact with the bag. In fact, it was a perfect example of how a runner should move on a sac fly, so that when the ball is caught his body is already accelerating toward the plate. When I saw the first replay in real time, I thought Swisher left early.
As for the second bad call, I agree with Rob Neyer:
My biggest problem with The Worst Call of All Time isn’t that McClelland blew it. Even the best umpires miss one occasionally, and McClelland was up-front about everything after the game. My problem is that nobody corrected him. OK, so maybe McClelland was screened by Jorge Posada and couldn’t see Mike Napoli tagging Robinson Cano. What about plate umpire Jerry Layne? What about left-field umpire Laz Diaz? Nobody saw it … except everyone else watching? Major League Baseball should use that play in their training program … Oh, except they don’t really have training program. Now everything’s starting to make a bit more sense …
It’s also possible that no one was going to overrule the crew chief.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:04 am | League Championship Series, Umpires | Permalink | 7 Comments
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October 21st, 2009 @ 9:04 am
Did McClelland ask any of the umpires for assistance on the play? They can’t overrule him unless he does that.
October 21st, 2009 @ 9:06 am
@Theron: I don’t think so, but I would think another ump could walk up to him and say, “Why don’t you ask for help?”
October 21st, 2009 @ 9:18 am
Wouldn’t the home plate ump have a better view of the Swisher tag up? Jerry Layne would have both situations, the tag up & catch, in front of him.
“Major League Baseball should use that play in their training program … Oh, except they don’t really have training program”
bangs head into desk
If a pro sport has no real training program, then that makes the SEC football refs off the hook.
October 21st, 2009 @ 9:25 am
@David: I agree that would make sense, but Rule 9.02(c) is as follows:
If a decision is appealed, the umpire making the decision may ask another umpire for information before making a final decision. No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire’s decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making it.
I can see why the other umpires would stay quiet, especially on a play involving (as you said in the post) the crew chief. They probably shouldn’t stay quiet. Just a bad situation all around.
October 21st, 2009 @ 10:16 am
@Theron: Thanks, Theron. I’m not sure I agree with that rule. The umpires as a group should be encouraged to get the play right.
October 21st, 2009 @ 10:59 am
So apparently there IS a neighborhood play when it involves a base runner near the bag, but not when it involves an infielder.
October 21st, 2009 @ 11:51 am
Just awful. How can everybody else in the universe get that call right, and not even in slow motion, while the one man paid to actually have a say over it gets it wrong? I’d been opposed to instant replay in baseball for a long time, but things like this have made me change my mind.