He is a 12 year MLB umpire......

Here's what I think happened after watching it a few times.

The pitch was initially called a strike - that is quite obvious. But the catcher was asking for an appeal on the swing even before he was aware that the PU was in the process of ruling it a strike. If you watch, the catcher appeals very quickly.

Since it is a policy to honor all check swings (but only on pitches called a ball), I think the PU instinctively honored the appeal, momentarily not realizing that he had just signaled the pitch as a strike. In fact, the umpire did not finish his third strike mechanic as he was interrupted by the catcher's prompt appeal. The PU went from "third strike mechanic mode" into "appeal mode".

Just a brain fart.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

I hope I would have made the call on what the swing/no swing dictated.

Nothing else.

I hope I would have been thinking quickly enough to repeat what my partner just called. If my partner rings up a strike, it remains a strike.

I'll try it this way: Oh, I'm sorry to have implied that he lacked courage. I was trying instead to emphasize how the Philadelphia fans will be somewhat harsh. Is there a code to use to warn everyone that a joke is coming?

Not with people devoid of a sense of humor, unfortunately.

As the base umpire, whenever asked about the swing, I always just rule how I saw it, with total disregard to the fact that the homeplate umpire had called it a ball.

But I think, in this particular case, I would have called it a strike regardless of what I really thought - based on the fact that the homeplate umpire had already called it a strike.

It was clearly a knee-jerk mistake by the plate umpire in honoring the appeal. I would not have compounded that mistake by overruling his indication of a strike.

You have to remember, the catcher signaled for an appeal on a pitch that was called a strike. That is highly unusual and I think that is what fooled the plate umpire.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Ke-Zone!
 

The batter's performance would win an Emmy for good acting and no one talks about it. The batter was swinging at a close pitch on the corner and held up when it appeared to track out of the strike zone. He tossed his bat and ran to 1B, selling it to both PU and BU. It would have looked just as bad if the batter was called out half way up the first base line.

There is.

You missed it.:)

I think he started to call strike three and changed his mind and called for help on the swing.

Well, so did you.

How do you change your mind in the middle of a punchout?

well we all know now how you do it...

My general philosophy has been if the batter has a bat in their hands they went. in that instance the philosophy would have worked. :cool:

Not to pile on
 

I feel the K-zone pitch tracker, or whatever name it goes by, has been a bit inconsistent.

Is that anything like "the truth has a liberal bias"?