Odd Yanks-Royals call today

[canadaump6]

The umpires made up a new rule to please Jeter. Whenever there is a call, the benefit of the doubt goes to Jeter by default. That's the only explanation I can think of. Got to stay on his good side, even if he is only slightly better than average by MLB playing standards.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

The umpires made up a new rule to please Jeter. Whenever there is a call, the benefit of the doubt goes to Jeter by default. That's the only explanation I can think of. Got to stay on his good side, even if he is only slightly better than average by MLB playing standards.

Assuming (yeah, I know) that was sarcasm -- well done.

On the OP, I didn't see it, but the explanation (weak interference) makes sense if that's what happened. If not, then they likely kicked it. Not the first time, won't be the last.

[Dave Reed]

I typed
Yankees Royals Jeter Damon followthrough
into Google. The first entry is this Official Forum thread, and the second is this link:
http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/messages/thread/9948265

It appears to be a thread (40 pages!) in which people are commenting on the game as it happens. Here's a 3 consecutive posts:

1:50 pm Ponson is getting all the Royals hitters to swing early in the count..Jeter with a horrible error
1:55 pm Damon hits it hard so it's scored a base hit...Yankees gotta get somethin going here
1:58 pm WTF. That was Jeters follow through that hit Buck....Now instead of being 1-1, its 1st and 2nd...wow

Absent an elaborate cover-up effort (by MLB? Wally Bell?) involving fake posts, I'd say that at least one TV observer of the game saw something or heard commentary that supports the call.

[johnnyg08]

very interesting call...I'm waiting for some of the regulars to chime in here with something other than "Jeter gets all the calls" BS.

[greymule]

That was Jeter's follow through that hit Buck....Now instead of being 1-1, its 1st and 2nd...wow

In any case, that didn't make it "1st and 2nd." It was Damon back to 1st with Jeter still up. The Yankees announcers didn't say anything about follow through or backswing at all. They said they couldn't understand the call, and later declared that they had received the ruling that on "inadvertent" interference, the runner returns with the batter still up. But what do they know? They thought that if Jeter had interfered, the runner would be out.

I wish there were pictures of the play. No way it was "backswing," though you could argue that Jeter's "follow through" carried him out over the plate to cause the contact (which would likely be INT).

Remember that 6.06 (c) mentions the backswing hitting the catcher or the ball before the catcher has securely held the ball. This contact occurred on the throw to 2B, well after Buck secured the ball.

[Dave Reed]

Originally Posted by greymule

In any case, that didn't make it "1st and 2nd." It was Damon back to 1st with Jeter still up.

Wow, you're not usually this "mule-like".
The guy writing the comment is a Yankee fan, who believes that Damon should have been left at 2nd instead of returning to 1st, and then when Jeter hit his single, Daman would have scored, making the score of the game 1 to 1.
You didn't see contact on the follow through; somebody else watching the game did, or heard some announcer say it.

Remember that 6.06 (c) mentions the backswing hitting the catcher or the ball before the catcher has securely held the ball. This contact occurred on the throw to 2B, well after Buck secured the ball.

This seems to be the ol' "I don't like ruling so I'm going to insist on following the rules exactly as written."
As I already told you, this issue is covered in the PBUC manual and in J/R. It's also in the BRD (#262 in my 2004 edition), because FED has an out, while NCAA and OBR have, well, the ruling that Bell gave at the game.

From the PBUC:
"This interpretatin applies even if the catcher is in the act of making a throw to retire a runner. That is, if the batter is in the batter's box and his normal backswing or follow-through strikes the catcher or the ball while the catcher is in the act of throwing, "Time" is called......."

[greymule]

Thanks, Dave. Your explanation makes sense.

[canadaump6]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Assuming (yeah, I know) that was sarcasm -- well done.

On the OP, I didn't see it, but the explanation (weak interference) makes sense if that's what happened. If not, then they likely kicked it. Not the first time, won't be the last.

How can you get sarcasm out of what I said? It is very possible that the umpires wanted to stay on Jeter's good side. That's just the way it is in Yankeeland.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

How can you get sarcasm out of what I said? It is very possible that the umpires wanted to stay on Jeter's good side. That's just the way it is in Yankeeland.

Why would a professional umpire risk damaging his reputation to stay on a player's good side?

[canadaump6]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Why would a professional umpire risk damaging his reputation to stay on a player's good side?

It baffles me as much as it baffles you, but that is about the only explanation I can think of, other than really bad judgment.

[mick]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

How can you get sarcasm out of what I said? It is very possible that the umpires wanted to stay on Jeter's good side. That's just the way it is in Yankeeland.

If what you had said was sarcastic, it would have been rather clever.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mick

If what you had said was sarcastic, it would have been rather clever.

Yes, and that means that my original observation was correct. He was serious! YGTBSM!!!

Walt, just keep on calling them the way they are, buddy!

[Fritz]

Computer problems kept me from signing on yesterday or I would have posted earlier. KC Royals fan here (yes, there are a couple of us left!) and was watching the game and this play. Jeter swung and missed, his follow-through went all the way around and ended with the bat head in the dirt down by his feet, at an angle to his hands and in front of the catcher's left foot. Buck, the catcher, comes out throwing (poorly as he has done most of the season) and his left foot hits the bat (which isn't in motion as the follow-through is done). Doesn't really impact his throw, but the PU immediately pointed down at the interference. Called time after Damon was safe at 2nd and walked out and made the award, no discussion with anyone else on the crew.

At first glance, I couldn't figure out why Jeter stayed at the plate and Damon went back, but as pointed out earlier, J/R cites an example almost identical to this and the award matches what was enforced at the game.

[canadaump6]

Originally Posted by mick

If what you had said was sarcastic, it would have been rather clever.

Shhh let's pretend it was sarcasm.

[mick]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

Shhh let's pretend it was sarcasm.

Okeedokee !