Cubs Rockies
 

Noticed the 2nd base umpire using a stopwatch. What is he timing?

Time between innings and half innings.

Why? Do they need to speed things up if they start to drag? Because of MLB or TV?

TV.

They are making sure all the commercials get in and they are doing it without the Red Cap football uses.

Thanks, that makes sense...

In the MLBUM there are a few pages on how the between inning timing goes for each network and just for between inning times.

Maybe he was timing how long it took Lou to hobble out to argue after he kicked that call.

Lou tripped on the dugout steps trying to get at Guccione. Then he ran his butt off getting there. It didn't take him long, much to his credit. I don't like to take his side very often, but he sure had a beef on that one!

One of the replays I think I read his lips-after Guccione walked away.....

Holy SH!T...What kind of SH!T was that?

It was indeed the smelly variety.

When I see one that bad I wonder what the heck happened.

Did he really give him THAT much off the bag on purpose?

When the Tigers played the Cubs this year, the Tigers' announcers were goofing on how long it takes Lou to get to the mound to talk to a pitcher and just how fast he can make it when he wants to chat with an umpire.

I thought he was going to have a heart attack today.

I just saw another angle....it was not just sh!t....there was the copulatory variety.

I saw the replay of the play Gucc dumped Lou...he missed it badly. He appeared to be in the right position...just blew it.

It looked like an easy routine DP. He probably just anticipated and rushed the call. Just poor timing. He probably knew it at the time and didn't need to see a replay.

Last year I saw a play at first where the Atlanta runner was clearly past the base (absolutely no doubt wasn't even close to being a wacker) for the third out of the inning. Here comes Bobby Cox and I'm waiting for the ****house. After a brief discussion Boby smiled and walked back to the dugout.
I'm guessing he told Bobby he blew it.

By the way that Piniella was ejected for pointing at the spot where F4 caught the ball, I would venture to say that Guccione didn't tell him that he blew the call.:)

If you watch the video Chris doesnt make the call quickly or anything - I just think in his mind as the play happened he said in his head "Im going to give that to him."

correct...i didn't see him make a call either.

The runner should have stayed on the base and asked Guccione why he was being called out and see how that got explained. I sure don't know why. Piniella wanted to know why too.

That would get two people ejected. Why would an umpire have to explain anything like this to a player, right or wrong?

well, he didn't make a call...he could ask if he was safe or out...

Sure, I would give another out signal then. Then what?

run the manager

No reason (other than to not be being an arrogant as$), but if I were the player, I'd want to know how he came up with such a bonehead call. "Why was I out?" sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I normally call people out because they are out. What's Guccione going to say in this situation? He couldn't possibly have really not known he kicked it immediately after he made the call.

When I kick one that bad, I may say, "you know what, I could have messed up there." I'm not in favor of always apologizing for calls, but when you obviously miss something like this, sometimes that keeps players and managers in the game. If he had told Pinhead this when he came out, maybe he wouldn't have gotten run.

If a player asked that, he'd be asking it to my back. I'd make that call and go right to my next position.

Look, there are times when a player holds the bag and tumbles off awkwardly and everybody except the umpire who was watching the bag thinks the fielder came off (when he didn't). Wasn't the case here, but I've had this happen at least once or twice this season. Why would I answer a player who asked this question? Or an assistant coach?