Everyone knows I'm a Yankee fan - and have been for nearly 60 years.
Three plays:
1. A-Rod is out for slapping the ball out of the fielder's glove. Umpire: Joe West (plate) Last year
2. Runner is safe at second on a force because Cano was not in contact with the base when in control of the ball. Umpire: Joe West (second)
3. Cano is out for being out of the running lane. Umpire: Joe West (plate)
Does any of that prove:
Joe doesn't like Cano?
Joe doesn't like Latinos?
Joe doesn't like the Yankees?
Joe doesn't like rule violations?
Could all four be correct? After all, they do call him Cowboy Joe West.
Remember, Joe has to make his decisions in real time, without benefit of instant replay or slow motion.
My take? Three out of three is pretty damned good.
1. The A-Rod call: Piece of cake if you have
cojones. Obvious, unsportsmanlike action. And probably dumb as well. On A-Rod's part, I mean.
2. The Cano force play. We teach that an amateur umpire, who doesn't have to deal with instant replays from five different angles, should call the neighborhood play on force outs
if the first play is part of a double play. But we also teach that if the first play is the only chance the defense has for an out, then the fielder must have control of the ball while touching the base. Joe clearly saw Cano off the bag, and he clearly called the runner safe, and the instant reply clearly backed him up, Joe Morgan's opinion notwithstanding.
3. Here's what I saw - and I've run the play many times - and here's what I know:
(a) Cano was NEVER completely inside the lane. Evans says such a runner is not entitled to the benefit of the doubt as to wheter he was in or out of the lane.
(b ) The throw looks pretty good, so the catcher is absolved from blame.
(c) Someone said that Cano HAD to veer toward the base because the base is in fair territory, but the running lane is in foul ground. True, but wrong. A runner in the lane must be allowed (except in the NCAA) to leave the lane to touch the base. He leaves the lane by veering to his LEFT. Cano, not being in the lane, had to veer toward his RIGHT to touch first. Look at the video: When he moves to his right, he PROVES he wasn't in the lane.
(d) The catcher was not very far to the left of the plate. The rule that says the runner may not run to the right of the lane is there for plays where the ball runs away from the catcher in foul territory and up the line. For example: If the catcher had been ten or fifteen feet away from the plate in foul territory, Cano's position vis a vis the throw would have been immaterial.
(e) Joe was
out of position. The video shows him to the left of the line of the catcher's throw. Technically, he's supposed to be directly on the foul line. Since the throw got away slightly to foul territory to his right, a quick glance should have been enough to let him know he would not interfere by being on the first base foul line, slightly extended.
Based on the facts:
Joe was right every time.
Conclusion:
I hate Joe West.