Red Sox/Yankees Question
 

Hey y'all, first time poster, 2nd year LL ump.

Just say Jacoby Ellsbury steal home and just as he was sliding the home ump pointed his index finger with his right hand.

What was that supposed to show?

TIA.

Ed

That he did indeed touch the plate and was safe.

Score the run
 

Umpire may have determined no need for the safe signal.

Probably that he touched the plate.

I think the pitch was a strike so he was signaling strike...and no need for the safe signal, everybody in the stadium could see that he was safe...there was no attempted play on him...no different than a pick off attempt at 1B where F1 throws over and there's no play...U1 does not signal safe every time.

The point was a strike, and there was an attempted play, which was signaled safe.

Or that. I didn't see the play, so I was guessing.

or that

Cool, thanks.

I was confused b/c it was more of a point into the air, rather than an indication of a strike. I thought maybe, for a second, the ump was thrown off by the play. :)

The pitch was a curve ball, and called a strike, by the PU. The PU tonight uses the point to call strikes. It was not his usual more casual point, but definitely a point to signal strike. A safe signal was immediately given next, on the play. Posada tried to tag Elsbury and may have, but it was in the butt as Elsbury slid head first across the plate.

I was also a little confused. It was an odd point straight out with his right arm as his head was still looking straight ahead. Then he signaled safe!

That would make sense, since the strike call had priority over the safe call.

I'm surprised no one posted a link yet.

Yes, the point was for the strike as the pitch comes first, then a safe or out call for the runner. The video shows that there was a safe call made on the play also.

Jacoby Ellsbury steals home

When there's an immediate play after the strike call, the strike signal sometimes gets "rushed."

They showed a highlight on sportscenter this morning with ambient audio, and you can hear the PU verbalize on the point "that's a strike," and then "safe" on the plate play signal.

I thought perhaps the reason for the slightly more exagerated strike call than usual might have been that the batter abandoned the box when he saw the runner coming and maybe the PU initially thought the batter was going to attempt to call time late or something. Also the pitcher altered his delivery a bit when he saw what was happening, and maybe the pu was running through whether the almost-quick-pitch was a balk as the pitch was on the way, and so put a bit extra on strike call to emphasize no balk. Lip reading during the game, the pitcher seemed to ask the PU after the play whether a balk had been called, which seemed unusual. Maybe he was asking "ball"?, but it looked like "balk?"

Usually the point mechanic is given for non-verbal "swinging" strikes. I don’t know if this umpire uses the "hammer" mechanic for his called strike, but if he does, this could have been confused with an "out" call on the runner if he had given it. Good job by the PU to keep his presence of mind to single strike then make the safe call. I guess that’s why he is a professional :-)

I thought Pettit asked the PU if it was a "ball" or not. I don't know how it would be a balk as Pettit was going out of the windup and not the stretch.

very good point

Yup -- I've now seen the replay that inlcudes Pettite, and you're right. He wasn't pitching from the set position. Full windup, which is pretty much what allowed the steal.

Bases were loaded, some pitchers like to go windup from there. Ellsbury was damn near into his slide when the ball was delivered.

Watching it on ESPN and I was impressed with the PU's timing. Smooth, nothing seemed to phase him.

Thanks
David

If he hadn't tripped on his last step, he may not have slid at all.