I am not replying to any post on this.

I saw the video posted of the play in question. That was not a neighborhood play. His feet were about 6 inches from the base during the whole play. Not even close to a neighborhood play.

I will give it in situations when I am not sure if he touched the base or not. Such as, F6 drags his foot behind 2B and is close to the base. How can you dispute if he touched or not? The base isn't going to move if he just clips it.

I'll give that or if one of his feet comes within just a few millimeters of the base. Again, hard to tell if he touched it or not at regular speed. But, Aybar's feet were never close to 2B and that is the right call. That is not a neighborhood play at all.

I don't believe the neighborhood play is dead by no means. I just think the umpires need to make the players work a little more than that to earn it. Be a little more deceptive than that. The nose bleed section could tell he didn't touch the base or even come close.

At least be in the neighborhood, to get the neighborhood call.

... See!

Of course I can. A routine play at second base does not require any "protection" for the fielders, they can move their feet and get out of the way. The "neighborhood" call is supposed to protect them from runners sliding at them with intent to break up double plays?

At the plate on bangers the catcher has very little chance to brace himself for the collision and the catcher's gear is little help against a 200+ lb runner at full speed crashing into him with malicious intent.

My point was the neighborhood call is supposed to "protect" middle infielders, who don't reallly need it if you compare the collisions they might indure to those at the plate, and MLB does not "protect" catchers.

Touch the bag or you don't get the call.

maybe we outta have a football style instant replay, each skipper gets two challenges a game, if he wins both, he gets one more, if he loses BOTH challenges, he gets ejected, if he gets ejected for anything else, his team loses any challenges remaining. no extra challenges allowed for extra innings. make for some more skipper strategy...:D

I am 28 years old, played baseball (SS in fact) all the way though college at a major division 1 school as well as 2 years in MiLB. I have also umpired for the past 10 years. This is in NO WAY a neighborhood play. In order to get the call, F6/F4 should at least attempt to touch the base or swipe at it with your foot.

What F6 did in the video is not even a technique taught above little league because it will get you killed. All F6 had to do was use the proper technique and either step across the base or slide behind it within 6" or so and he would have gotten the call.

That did not look like an out so it was no called an out.

Aybar did shuffle his feet in a crow hop after straddling the base initially, and his right foot ended up about 6 inches from the back of 2nd base when he released the throw to first.

Let's put it this way, Jeter would likely have gotten the call. Not a conspiracy theory either, just plain common sense.

It's common sense that the umpire makes calls depending on which fielder is taking the throw?:confused:

Yes, veterans often get calls that rookies do not. What part of that is unfamiliar to you?

no he didn't...he caught the throw and sorta "Hopped" as he threw... No one is taught to straddle a base anyway since little league. If he would have used a commonly used method such as a catch and sweep or stepping directly across base.

It must be a fluid motion that gives the illusion of touching the base...what he did just did not look like an out...call it F6 being lazy, brain fart, over-confident or whatever...

Or....he is used to getting that call, which was my premise to start with. It could just be that he's gotten that call his entire career, and was genuinely shocked when Layne didn't give him the out.

I had a partner call a beautiful neighborhood play today on a textbook 4-6-3. (Very skillful infielders and fast runners.) The shortstop's footwork was very smooth and he got his out and was clear to throw even though he was two feet past the bag (having already touched it, of course) when he took the throw. It was very slick, and that's when you see it called. Good umpire; good players; slick footwork and good timing.

Another "neighborhood" play in top of 3rd in game 5 of WS.....and they even referred to the Aybar play!

Neighborhood only in McCarver's eyes. The replay showed that Rollins brushed the bag with his left foot as he stepped back to throw.

It was actually Mr. November, not Rollins.

[QUOTE=SanDiegoSteve;631702]And naturally, I'm old school as well. I guess it will take my retirement (again, as I have more lives than Bret Favre apparently:))[QUOTE]

We'll never forget you, Brent! :D

JJ