Red Sox/Yankees Question

[edinatlanta]

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

[SanDiegoSteve]

That he did indeed touch the plate and was safe.

[SAump]

Umpire may have determined no need for the safe signal.

[cc6]

Probably that he touched the plate.

[johnnyg08]

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.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

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.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

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.

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

[johnnyg08]

or that

[edinatlanta]

Originally Posted by Matt

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

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.

[DG]

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.

[JR12]

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!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Matt

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

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

[ozzy6900]

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

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by JR12

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!

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

[rulesmaven]

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?"