Phillies/Marlins play at the plate, 5/23 game
 

If anyone has a link to the video of the slide under the tag, please post it. I saw it on sportscenter this morning, but can't find it online.

What a great call. A very gutsy call given it was in a MLB game, but the correct call. Every youth coach should see it.

Try here: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=fla

Why is the correct call a "gutsy call"??

Great job by the play-by-play man... :rolleyes:

"The throw to the plate. (Umpire signaling 'safe'.) Out at home plate. (Umpire still signaling safe.) Out at home plate."

"He said he was safe."

"He called him safe? Are you kidding me?!"

Nobody likes to see it called because most people only focus on the tag and not where the runner's foot is. I have similar calls every second or third game. When I see it, I point and say right away, "under the tag, under the tag". Sometimes I'll say "high tag" if the fielder has a chance to place the proper tag but does so very high that the runner is easily there.

Not a baseball guy, but years ago in Referee mag, the editors responded to a coach's letter by supporting the idea of "ball beating the runner, call him out." This play seems to suggest that at the very least, this umpire doesn't go by that. Does anyone go by that, or is that philosophy a thing of the past?

Harry Kalas. He also thought a ground rule double earlier in the game was caught by F8. Great, GREAT announcer in his prime, but at 71 his days of being great are in the past.

The philosophy exists as long as the fielder does what he's supposed to do. In other words, if F2 had laid his glove in front of the plate and R2 had *maybe* gotten a hand on the plate a microsecond before the actual tag, there'd be no debate here. But even in real time watching the game (I'm a Phillies fan), the runner was clearly safe, proving that Barajas is still a poor excuse for a Major League catcher.

Because the ball clearly beat the runner, and typically in MLB when that happens, the runner is called out. It was also in the 9th inning, and that run sent it into extra innings.

Looks like Barajas expected a collision and set up for that by forgot to 'close the door' (Keeping legs spread), letting the runner slide under the tag.

As Rich says, poor play for a HS let alomne MLB catcher.