The death of the neighborhood play...

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by DG

During pre-game show for tonight's game Cal Ripken said he does not believe in the neighborhood play, SS needs touch the bag.

Oh, like he was never the beneficiary of such a call during his career.

It's all because Layne and others don't want to be made to look bad on replay, which IMO has done more harm than good for umpires in recent days.

[DG]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Oh, like he was never the beneficiary of such a call during his career.

It's all because Layne and others don't want to be made to look bad on replay, which IMO has done more harm than good for umpires in recent days.

He may have benefitted, but since he said he did not believe in it I expect he did not expect it. Go to the truck and review the video and tell us of a case where he argued because he did not get it when he really did not come close to touching the base.

As long as ML baseball allows a runner to maliciously steam roll the catcher the argument for the neighborhood call, to protect middle infielders is weak. They are big boys too, and unlike the catcher, they can get out of the way after making the touch.

I don't think any of them want to be proven wrong on slo-mo, that is an excellent point and excellent reason not to call the neighborhood play on national TV during an ALCS.

I will admit I have made the neighborhood call and never been questioned on it. But I believe my neighborhood is a bit closer than this one. Touch the bag, sometime during the play, drag a foot, do something to make it appear you touched the bag and you have a better chance of getting the call. Straddle it, with good distance between your feet and the bag and you get what you get.

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by DG

Straddle it, with good distance between your feet and the bag and you get what you get.

Exactly, and in two man, you probably still get the out. But in 3 (if U3 is on inside), 4, or 6, its alot easier to have safe. But if you don't touch, and you don't get the call, nobody to blame but yourself.

[DG]

I was a middle infielder when I played long ago, mostly F4 but played some F6
also. Both of my sons were catchers. It is a real mystery to me why some think the neighborhood call is necessary to protect middle infielders from sliding runners and catchers are still subject to crashing base runners in MLB.

Touch the base sometime during the play...

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

It's all because Layne and others don't want to be made to look bad on replay, which IMO has done more harm than good for umpires in recent days.

Does that translate to "I don't have to get the call right"?