.....Defense rests.

So does the prosecution.

OK let me try again
 

Steve,

I do not understand why you are being dense here. I am not trying to tear down another MLB "controversial call". I am an umpire, and I teach people how to umpire. My part in the thread is to being up a question in my mind and seek answers. Since more than likely such a play will happen to me or one of my students in the coming season or two. I want opinions, not smash and bash on umpires who might be better than me :p

Does that make it any clearer?

First of all, one thing I'm most certainly not is dense.

Second, I was speaking of the entire conversation in general, not you specifically. I can't for the life of me see how you interpreted that I was addressing you in my post.

I didn't mean to bash anyone, just pointing out that the subject was well-covered by the esteemed members of this forum. It was said very tongue-in-cheek, and you are the only one apparently that didn't see that.

The thing that kills me is how the longest guy on the club literally passed over the plate from the tips of his fingers to the tips of his toes without ever touching it. It's supposed to be impossible.

I would have called him safe too. Close enough for government work.

Speaking of which, how's the weight loss going? :D

It's going just fine, thanks for asking.

What about the malicious contact? Howard missed the plate cause he was throwing a flying elbow at Posada.

What about it?

Find the malicious contact rule in OBR and see what it says about this type of collision.

No have... I can't read the rule but it seems clearly in slowmo that Posada is clear of the plate without the ball but Howard is intent on contacting the catcher no matter what. I understand the freedom to mow down the catcher blocking the plate but is it legal to mow down the catcher without the ball, or in the process of catching the ball, when he is clearly not blocking access to the plate or attempting a tag?

victory,

I believe Seth's point is that there is no "malicious contact" rule in the text of the OBR.

While there is some language in the Major League Baseball Umpire Manual (Section 6.1, 3rd paragraph) that suggests that there are, at least hypothetically, some actions the runner could take which could be considered malicious contact - penalized as intentional interference - under the "custom and practice" of MLB, Howard's actions were completely permissible and "not even close" to an infraction under MLB rules and interpretations.

JM

Got it. What about other levels such as LL and you saw a big kid veer into a little catcher elbow first off-line like that?

victory,

In pretty much any level below professional baseball that I'm familiar with, malicious contact is severely frowned upon.

Different amateur codes have different standards by which it is judged to have occurred or not. Generally, the player is ejected and, if a runner, declared out.

JM

OK, thanks. I'm starting to catch on...