Changing a foul ball to fair
 

Thoughts?

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | CWS@CLE: Wedge is ejected for arguing a reversed call - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

he had to have been blocked out... fair ball

If you freeze it at the 0:07 second mark, you can see that the PU had a clear shot at the call. I had thought maybe A.J. had blocked him out, or the pitcher put his foot in front or something, but no, the PU apparently just kicked the call.

I think it's horsebleep to change a foul call to fair on a live ball, as it sets a bad precedent.

He wasn't blocked out, but if he had been, why would he make a call that he didn't see. He could have let the play happen, and then gone for help with Hernandez. Wedge had a legit beef on that one. Go Sox anyway!:)

the fielder swept the ball up on the line and was heading foul maybe he was blocked and when he caught a glipse it looked as is the ball were foul having missed the actual touch of the ball. He had to have missed a piece of info to go for help no reason he would go otherwise.

This is were MLB has taken the "get the play right" to an extreme. Since no one slowed down, or quit on the play, the umpires decided to correct the obvious wrong. Not saying I agree, or disagree, but I guess they figure on these plays the bottom line is they got the call right without anything else being affected... Other than the ejection that everyone knew was coming......:D

That is horrible umpiring. That is PU's call and you just have to live with it.
How could BU have seen the ball anyway because the glove was blocking his view of the ball.

Don't agree with that at all, but that's the new world of MLB.

Thanks
David

Irony
 

The PU was not blocked and the BU was completely blocked. I think the PU went to the BU and said "I just kicked a call, correct it." Sound crazy?

thats not completely crazy. screwed up... probably not completely unfeasible

yeah, and the crew chief made the final call went along with it. Now that's crazy.

thanks
David

That's how it works. If two umpires make opposite calls the crew chief decides who is most likely right. Check rule 9.

So Tom Hallion, working over 100 feet away on the opposite side of the field determined to overrule a call of foul. Interesting.:rolleyes: Well, at least he got to be the lucky guy to run Wedge, and rightly so since he made the final call.:)

Their bottom line is that the play was called correctly. After all the smoke clears on one of these calls they can play the trump card - THE CALL MADE WAS THE CORRECT CALL. PERIOD.

Its going to take a while to get used too, but this is the trend in pro athletics. Amateur will follow kicking and screaming.....

Two umpires do not have concurrent jurisdiction on a batted ball short of the base.

Hmmmmm.....
 

I don't see where he was blocked except perhaps by the way F1 fielded the ball (more glove than line)---Yet it COULD be MLB and the "get it right" mentality. For the rest of us (perhaps mostly those who do FED ball) - once you "kill it" your done. Sometimes it can be fixed but you know that your going to have a shi$ house on your hands.<O:p</O:p
Hell, if he saw it foul I think that he should have stuck with it. But then again I only work up to HS ball....and not even getting to the show.

<O:p</O:pOnly other point..... Several posters referred to this as the PU being 'over ruled' and I feel that this characterization is flat wrong! No one ran over and changed the call...the crew got together and came to a decision. Then the PU changed the call. No one over ruled anyone.<O:p</O:p
Tom<O:p</O:p

Late Take
 

Wasn't it just a couple of years ago they put in the "Brinkman Rule", once you kill a ball, by calling it foul it is dead? I understand the pressure MLB guys are under, no matter what you are drawn and quartered on SportsCenter for making a mistake. But so what?

You kill the ball, it's foul. It has to be a dead play. Ugly, ugly call in Cleveland, and if any of us made it on any level, we would be ejecting half of a field we were working on.

Not only that, but we would be given a very poor rating, and probably dropped in level for it as well. Very bad precedent set here, very bad. Now, all these bozos in the dugout/coach's box/stands will be hollering for us to get help and reverse our foul calls because they "saw it on TV."

This is very bad joo joo.

"Is very bad to steal Jobu's rum. Is very bad."

Exactly
 

You are correct. MLB's umpires are in the spotlight. under a microscope, but they are also in a bubble.

They can get away with just about anything. The players can't afford to all be ejected, they have all kinds of security, sure they might throw out one or two but that's about it.

In our world, we would be running for our lives on a call like this and have to forfeit the game due to all the ejections and so forth.

thanks
David

Define "afford" as it pertains to the MLB players. Thanks.

I am all for getting the call right regardless of some perceived notions of what it may or may not do for your reputation.

In fact, I believe for the rulebook enthusiast, "getting it right" is probably more in line with the rules than maintaining this air of perceived bullcrap that you will be looked at as indecisive, if you change your call.

That to me is more of an EGO and control problem if anything else.

So have at me boys because you have to have balls to umpire and be real good too. Making the right calls when there tough is what your there for. I call that, earning your pay baby.

That's all well and good, but changing a foul ball to a fair ball on a live play is not a good thing. Tengo huevos aqui, pardner!

I understand, but...
 

Don't get me wrong, yes, the idea is to get the call right. The problem here as I see it is that when you kill the ball by calling it foul, the ball is dead. You know, you put your hands up, and yell "Foul", or "Time", or "Dead Ball" or "Pizza's here", whatever you use.

Sorry, it's a judgment call, and they killed the play. You can't unburn the firewood, which is what they did. If the PU did not see the ball, then he should have let the play burn, then talked it over with his partner if they need to. But overturning the foul call violated a basic tenant of umpiring.

I have the guts to make the right call, no matter what when or where; but I also have the guts to eat a call when I am wrong, and take the heat for it, if I can't change it. Do you?

There have been times, yes.

But these guys are held at a much higher level of expectation than we are. Our decisions sometimes only mean the difference between a 1ft. or 2 ft. plastic trophy, big deal. Theirs can help decide the fate and career of the coaches and players. Should that matter in the way an umpire officiates? No but, it does to their bosses and they are the one's that are saying "Get it right."

Believe me, I DO NOT KISS BUTT in my day job but, when the man says my way or the highway, I take him a lot more seriously.

I would assume so...
 

Ji,

The level of Baseball I do, and I assume you do, or you would not be on this board as much as you are, is more than just for a plastic trophy. There is a lot riding on the games I do, be it for the players, or my self-esteem and reputation as an umpire.

But we are not MLB guys. However, in this case they by rule did not get the play right. On this play they were wrong twice and they ejected a manager over it. They were wrong in the original call, no big deal, and if Ozzy wants an early shower, he will take it. They were wrong the second time too when they let the play go. Two wrongs still don't make a right in this case.

I can't believe someone is NY is saying this crew did what should have been done in this case.

Truthfully, my original comment about "getting it right" was not about what thay did for this game or not.

However, I have viewed the video several times and (from my seat here at my house, which you know is always easier to umpire from), bottom line was the ball was fair and the runner was out. That is how the call ended up. How they came about arriving at that decision is the discussion here. Yea someone screwed up and a manager, that usually finds a way to get thrown out anyway, got tossed. But bottom line was the correct call was made.

I do take every game I do very serious and so do the participants and coaches but, the truth of the matter is that unless it's D1 ball or above, they are just playing for a trophy. I only had the priviledge of doing 1- D1 game many years ago so I can't count that.

If we can have the Umpire Hook, why not Hats for Bats? :D

"Keep bats warm...is VERY good!"