|
Anybody see this? Oh boy, I hope that 3rd base umpire knows he's 150% right on that one.
ASU and CSF are tied 2-2, no outs, bottom 9. CSF has 1st and 3rd, and the ASU pitcher is intentionally walking the batter. On the 4th pitch, the 3rd base umpire calls a balk, scoring the winning run.
I didn't see it in live action, and they showed the replay about a dozen times, trying to figure it out. I still couldn't find it. As soon as the pitcher released the ball, he scratched his nose, so I thought perhaps the ump was calling him for going to his mouth on the mound. Later, the ASU coach was interviewed on SportsCenter and was told that the pitcher did not come to a clear and discernable stop.
It sure looked like he stopped to me. Some folks are saying that the call shouldn't have been made because of the situation in the game. Well, I do disagree with that to a degree. If the pitcher just rolls right into the pitch, you gotta call the balk. But in this situation, it appears that he did in fact stop. Anybody else see this?
By the way, I just read a news report on the game on ESPN, which says the home plate umpire called the balk. However, it was in fact the 3rd base umpire.
|