Watch the replay here http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=nyy. Click on "Francona's Ejection" that is along the right side under Related Links. You can clearly see Youkilis take four steps away from Rodriguez as he attempting to tag him. Rodriguez didn't just flip the glove out there either, he went to a full out stretch to tag Youkilis and still couldn't tag him.

The video doesn't lie folks. Youkilis was out of the baseline and properly called out by Carlson initially and after the huddle.

When does Carlson call him out BEFORE the huddle?

I'm guessing that the MLB approach is to not signal safe when a close pay happens on a tag where the tag is missed. If in fact this approach does exist, then at least the story would include the Us mentioning the safe called from U2 is for the missed tag and U3 signalled out for leaving the basepath.

As it was, Francona was upset that U3 didn't have as good a look, in his opinion. He likely knows little about mechanics, so his claim has backbone only if he got lucky.

I'm guessing that since the play is going to 3B, the call is U3's. Why then did U2 make a call? I bet Cousins, U2, got the crew together and led the crew into reversing his crap call.

Thanks.

I have him safe.

Really??? Even after watching the video and seeing him run away from Rodriguez and take at least four steps and end up on the infield grass. Wow!

Please don't tell me you don't umpire any games in my area.

ARod took two steps forward and still couldn't touch Youkalis.

In the end, the correct call was made and I'm a Red Sox fan.

Although the runner began his route before the fielder had the ball, he clearly deviated more than a reach (and thus more than 3') as the fielder played on him. I have him out as well, and I'm surprised that the MLB guys missed it the first time around.

My speculation would be that, if there were in fact two different calls, the 3B umpire called the runner out of the baseline (he had a good angle on that), and the 2B umpire called "no tag" (he had a good angle on that). But they got it right in the end...

Not bad, Don, from what I have heard. Pretty much going to be in the 80's with less humidity for the holiday weekend.

Regards

This is a conspiracy. MLB can't stand the thought of having a playoff tournament without the Yankees...so they and their lackeys (the umps) have conspired to make sure the Yanks at least get the wild card. This is Bullsh!t.

That was a brutal call!

(Just joking...the umps absolutely got that call right.)

The only thing that I can say is Yuke was on the grass after passing A-Rod. His deviation at the time of the attempted tag was not more than three feet. And yes, I am a Red Sox fan but believe me, I'd feel the same way if A-Rod was the runner. This is my opinion and the way that I would judge the play. I am more pi$$ed about turning the diamond into a board room but it's all history and I am ready to move on!

Regards

That would have been great if A-Rod was in the baseline at the time of attempted tag. Has no one realized that camera angle is not directly over third base? The infield grass is just two feet inside the baseline, A-rod was not even in the actual baseline when the tag was attempted. His glove during the tag barely made the baseline! I'm not a fan of either team, and it's obvious, a fan sees what they want to see.

When judging this play, we need to decide when the baseline is established. This type of call is 100% judgement, and a tough sell either way. It's tough because the baseline is not established by a static reference point.
So when did Arod begin to tag Youk? I say at about 0:19 of Jim Porter's video link. Now Youk move to his left. Did he move three feet? Maybe, but I really don't think its as easy a call as some would believe.

I had him safe in live action and out after the replay.

As an aside, why didn't Arod just start the 5-4-3 double play on this ball?

~sigh~

You can't be serious... please read rule 7.08.

You don't know the rule.

A fielder gets the ball. He reaches for the runner going right by him and misses. A man's arms are about 3 feet long. If the fielder misses the tag, the runner has deviated more than 3 feet from his baseline. The runner is out. QED

If you don't follow this line of reasoning, your fanboy circuits have blocked your logical circuits.