Marty Foster's call at 3rd base today

[Kevin Finnerty]

There is no automatic call on a headfirst slide, where the runner evades the tag. I'm sorry, but the automatic call is on a feet-first slide, in which the fielder is imperiled by the slide if he hangs in there. There is no danger from a guy's hands, only his spikes. This was a blown call and a blown explanation.

I have called outs on which the ball simply beat the runner, but it was always one-man or two-man, where you are not on top and the play and the coverage dictates that the call be made that way. But, come on, the guy was right on top of the play and still blew it---badly. And on a headfirst slide, which is employed just for that reason: to evade a tag at the last second. Bad call, bad explanation, bad situation ... 100 percent due to bad umpiring.