Pirates/Braves ending

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I didn't play baseball (golf was a Spring sport in Ohio when I was in H.S.) but Mark, Jr., and Andy (my younger son, but doesn't officiate basketball or umpire baseball, but Junior and I are working on him) both played baseball.

They both do not understand the expected call. Why? Because they feel that since MLB players are the best players in the world, they believe that they should be held to the highest standard of play. Just because the throw beat the runner, doesn't been the runner should be called out. The throw is only the first part of the play, the second part is the tag. Another play that bugs them is call the Runner out on a force at 2B to start a DP when the Fielder is only in the zip code of the bag; I am sure we have seen that call when the Fielder wasn't even in the same area code as the bag.

I guess I am saying screw the expected call: Call it correctly the first time and if idiots want to act like idiots, let them and take care of business.

MTD, Sr.

[DG]

OUT, OUT, OUT, play on. I don't remember ever seeing a blown call that was so easy to make correctly. This one made national news tonight, not just sports channels. Not only is out the correct call, it is the expected call. My wife pointed this one out to me, she saw it on O'Reilly show for heaven's sake.

[dileonardoja]

Only two post out of all these about moving the bat? To me that was his critical error. It broke his concentration and he failed to get in a better position.

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I

They both do not understand the expected call. Why? Because they feel that since MLB players are the best players in the world, they believe that they should be held to the highest standard of play. Just because the throw beat the runner, doesn't been the runner should be called out. The throw is only the first part of the play, the second part is the tag. Another play that bugs them is call the Runner out on a force at 2B to start a DP when the Fielder is only in the zip code of the bag; I am sure we have seen that call when the Fielder wasn't even in the same area code as the bag.

IMO, they do not understand the expected call because it was not explained to them properly.

You said

The throw is only the first part of the play, the second part is the tag.

The aforementioned is not a valid definition of the expected call. We are not talking bang bang or Close plays.

here's the expected call.

1. Runner is going to be out by a good margin
2. QUALITY throw
3. Tag where it it supposed to be.

Example:

R1 stealing

The throw beats R1 by some 6-10 feet. F4/F6 has glove down near base = OUT. As they say in Brooklyn NY "Forget about" the actual tag the runner is OUT.

The aforementioned is the way the game was called (and hardly a peep from either side) UNTIL the advent of Super Slo Mo Replays and differerent angles and the play being reviewed a zillion times.

Same with the neighborhood. We are talking about a play in which the runner is out by a mile. Why have F4/F6 risk injury - no need to. As long as they are in the vicinity of the bag and the throw is a quality throw used to be good enough.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Pete Booth