A different take

[Steven Tyler]

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | Must C Curious: Morgan out at home for contact - Video | nationals.com: Multimedia

Saw this play on SportsCenter this morning.

The person giving the run down on the play was saying Morgan was called out because Rodriguez had committed interference by an another teammate. It puzzled me at first because as I watching the play, I was thinking why would Morgan be trying to make contact with the catcher in this situation as that would be interference on his part. Then they showed that Morgan had missed the plate.

My question is wouldn't this be interference my Morgan and not interference by Rodriguez?

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by Steven Tyler

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | Must C Curious: Morgan out at home for contact - Video | nationals.com: Multimedia

Saw this play on SportsCenter this morning.

The person giving the run down on the play was saying Morgan was called out because Rodriguez had committed interference by an another teammate. It puzzled me at first because as I watching the play, I was thinking why would Morgan be trying to make contact with the catcher in this situation as that would be interference on his part. Then they showed that Morgan had missed the plate.

My question is wouldn't this be interference my Morgan and not interference by Rodriguez?

Did you see the player grab Morgan, stop him from heading to the dugout, and shove him back towards the plate?

[greymule]

Out on the physical assist. (A runner who has scored is no longer a runner.) The umps got the call right. The announcers claim, over broadly, that "you can't touch a baserunner who is a live runner."

I don't know whether OBR (like some other codes) includes a tap on the shoulder to get the runner's attention. I always figured the touch had to be an actual physical assist like a push or a pull.

[callstrikes]

I couldn't get the video to run (problem on my end) but I did see it on Sportscenter. Despite what the announcers stated, he was clearly out on interference. The runner lowered his shoulder and hit the catcher who did not possess the ball and missed the plate in the process. This business of aiding or assisting the runner by another player is not backed up by the rules. Where do you guys come up with this? What rule do you use?
It amazes me that a seasoned announcer like Bob Carpenter would assume that an out was called because of a rule that doesn't exist. After all, it makes sense. He was redirected and assisted by his teammates.
As umpires, we should know the rules, or at least take a run at the rule book before speculating on a message board. Easy interference. The runner went out of his way to prevent the catcher from making a play.

[UmpJM]

callstrikes,

Originally Posted by callstrikes

I couldn't get the video to run (problem on my end) but I did see it on Sportscenter. Despite what the announcers stated, he was clearly out on interference. The runner lowered his shoulder and hit the catcher who did not possess the ball and missed the plate in the process. This business of aiding or assisting the runner by another player is not backed up by the rules. Where do you guys come up with this? What rule do you use?
It amazes me that a seasoned announcer like Bob Carpenter would assume that an out was called because of a rule that doesn't exist. After all, it makes sense. He was redirected and assisted by his teammates.
As umpires, we should know the rules, or at least take a run at the rule book before speculating on a message board. Easy interference. The runner went out of his way to prevent the catcher from making a play.

You have a real gift for irony. Thanks for sharing.

JM

[Publius]

Anybody know for sure why he was called out? I saw nothing illegal.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by greymule

Out on the physical assist. (A runner who has scored is no longer a runner.) The umps got the call right. The announcers claim, over broadly, that "you can't touch a baserunner who is a live runner."

I don't know whether OBR (like some other codes) includes a tap on the shoulder to get the runner's attention. I always figured the touch had to be an actual physical assist like a push or a pull.

grey...It was a touch for sure. Rodriguez grabbed Morgan with two hands (his right hand was around his waist) and then he pushed him toward HP.

Bill Ladson writing on MLB.com confirms that Angel Hernandez made the call.
Morgan out as a result on Rodriguez assisting the runner (Morgan).

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

Bill Ladson writing on MLB.com confirms that Angel Hernandez made the call.
Morgan out as a result on Rodriguez assisting the runner (Morgan).

Angel made up a rule.

[Rich]

7.09(e) covers it nicely, IMO.

They added "runner who has scored" to this rule in the past few years. Did the scoring runner impede the defense? Well, I would say so, yes. Without Rodriguez grabbing Morgan and shoving him back towards the plate, Morgan doesn't retouch and there's a possibility of an appeal.

As far as the collision goes, that's a big fat nothing.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Angel made up a rule.

Reading OBR 7.09(h), it sure looks like he did.

[callstrikes]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

grey...It was a touch for sure. Rodriguez grabbed Morgan with two hands (his right hand was around his waist) and then he pushed him toward HP.

Bill Ladson writing on MLB.com confirms that Angel Hernandez made the call.
Morgan out as a result on Rodriguez assisting the runner (Morgan).

Has anyone heard from Angel Hernandez? Writing on MLB.com for Washington does not confirm it for me. People have been stating or speculating that Rodriquez assisted the runner. Where in the rules is that illegal? He was practically carried back to the plate, but what rule did Mr. Ladson site? He said this, he said that, but what is the rule?
Also, comparing this play with another in which the catcher had a partial block of the plate, is like comparing Horseshoes to hand grenades. In this play the catcher was a step up the first baseline with his back to the runner. The runner had to go out of his way to contact the catcher, thus missing home. I have no idea what happened officially, but I do know that an apology was issued to Tony LaRusa about the contact.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by callstrikes

Has anyone heard from Angel Hernandez? Writing on MLB.com for Washington does not confirm it for me.

Well actually yes, Jim Ringelman heard from Angel during the ensuing argument. Quoting from Lasdon's article: "Ringelman argued the call but the play stood. The skipper admitted that he didn't see Roderiguez push Morgan toward the plate." Lasdon then quotes Ringelman directly, "You can't do that and he got caught, Ringelman said about Roderiguez pushing Morgan."

So we do know what Angel said, Ringelman just told us.

People have been stating or speculating that Rodriquez assisted the runner.
Where in the rules is that illegal? He was practically carried back to the plate, but what rule did Mr. Ladson site? He said this, he said that, but what is the rule?
Also, comparing this play with another in which the catcher had a partial block of the plate, is like comparing Horseshoes to hand grenades. In this play the catcher was a step up the first baseline with his back to the runner. The runner had to go out of his way to contact the catcher, thus missing home. I have no idea what happened officially, but I do know that an apology was issued to Tony LaRusa about the contact.

This is not to say that Angel was necessarily correct, but we do know he told Ringelman what it was that he called Morgan out for.