LLWS Video on last play?
 

I was watching a LLWS game on TV, and they were showing a list of the rules for video review on the screen. It included a rule that the last play of the game is always reviewed. Does that apply if a game ends on a called pitch?

Pitch isn't a "play" so it isn't a game-ending "play" so it wouldn't get reviewed.

Does it apply on, say, a one-hopper to F3 who steps on first before the batter can get two steps out of the box?

Yes.

So what?

Maybe he missed the base.

Yeah, I agree with some on here. Why even have six umpires working? With all of the reviews and the cameras...they could easily work this as two man. I know, it gets for umpires into the stadium to work and I guess if that's the only reason, that's good enough for me.

And the circus continues....

It seems like a ridiculous redundancy, that's what.

Wouldn't this be sweet...the championship game ends on the play I posted above. Celebratory pandemonium breaks loose. Some kids are screaming, some kids are crying, some are piling up in the infield, the fans are going wild and the television announcers are spouting their usual analytical drivel...

Wait! get 'em back out on the field! The game's not over! The officials we've chosen to call our most important game aren't able to get the most basic routine call right!

And if you say that is an unlikely scenario...then you're saying that reviewing the final play of the game, no matter how routine or obvious, is redundant.

By the looks of that simple safe/out call at first that was blown (and should have been challenged), these umpires can use all the help from replay they can get.

The calling them back after the last play already happened in this series.

Do you really want the game to end on a disputed call?

If you're talking the one in this game it was a banger and not that obvious and the CA coach was so focused on the "out of baseline" discussion he overlooked the thing he should have seen.

Only a banger to the untrained eye. Fairly routine for competent umpires to never miss.

Like Jim Joyce in the perfect game fiasco?

Or Don Denkinger in the WS.

Or Richie Garcia on the Jeter HR/Interference in the playoffs?

Nope - competent umpires never miss a call do they?

Rarely.

No. What I think is silly is to just automatically review a non-disputed call.

But it is what it is and it's their game and they can do what they want with it. I'm just throwing out an opinion on a high-profile policy involving a hobby I enjoy (umpiring).

When it comes right down to it, on the "This Gets Me Worked Up" scale, it registers about the same as what you posted earlier..."So what?".

The Gods of Baseball got that game correct. The Tigers' F3 had no business fielding the ball. Had the F3 allowed F4 to field the grounder the B/R runner would have been out F4 to F3 by 30 feet. Both Mark, Jr., and Andy (my younger son, and both F3's in their playing days) both said that the very first time they saw the play.

MTD, Sr.

P.S. Besides the Tigers' F1 appeared to bobble the throw.

Rich, you have jumped the shark.

NHL does it all the time.

And?

Gee, and I always thought it was all part of the game of baseball. I guess LL has become so important that no call can be left to human interpretation. Tell me, how soon will cameras make it to your local LL field? Hell, if the call is that important in the LLWS, then it has to be important during the regular season!

After all, as all of you LL'ers always say - "it's all for the kids!!!!!!"

Reviewing the final play doesn't necessarily mean stopping the post game celebrations. They just do a quick check and if it's OK then things CONTINUE to proceed as normal. Only if there is an issue would the celebrations / crying need to be stopped.

This isn't about the cameras. It's about people disparaging LL and saying that an experienced umpire would not make a mistake.

Rich ... I think part of this lies in the fact that a real umpire would be offended if every single call was reviewed to this extent (even if they didn't say so out loud). I think most of your readers are offended on behalf of the umpires forced to work under these conditions and perhaps make the leap from there to inferring that any umpire with a grain of pride in his job would actually NOT work given these conditions.

LL is basically saying that the assumption is that the umpires suck, and they must act accordingly.

I watched most of the games, and the umpires were reversed several times. There were a few real doozies. I don't recall missing this many calls in a year, much less in such a short time frame as this series.

And it doesn't change the pace of the game unless it's a real close one. In fact, with some of the changes they're making to the nets this year, the reviews will be completed even quicker.

NFL, MLB, NHL & NBA have replay and I'm not under the assumption they suck. People have choices. Make the one that you can live with.

I wonder (seriously) if the knowledge that their calls were going to be scrutinized via instant replay didn't somehow facilitate the bigger misses.

Tim.

So...this relates to baseball how?

I wonder about this too. It's been a discussion point re: NFL officials here and there.

How would it affect your game if you knew you basically never had to 'sell' any calls? Interesting.

1) No, they are not. They are declaring finality to a system that involves players and umpires from around the globe. They have experienced problems prior and seek to have a means to address it. That is all it is.

2) Anyone who has been through pro school or worked in the Minors knows this type of scrutiny exists.

3) I find it funny that umpires would ridicule those who have achieved the highest accolade in small ball - the opportunity to work the LLWS. Those umpires work without pay for years, finance their way through tournaments and when called, pay for the Williamsport trip too. It is a proud moment for youth officials and hardly warrants suck attack from others. I don't work small ball but believe that the crews who worked this year did a great job. Making fun of them and their achievement is petty. Do you also ridicule the CWS crews that worked this year?

4) We dedicated a thread to congratulating Bob on winning an award in Illinois this year. Why is it so hard to simply do the same to those who worked the LLWS?

It's not true. I was fortunate to attend a conference a few years ago with several pro officials - NFL, NBA and MLB. At one discussion the topic of scrutiny arose. A man who has worked several Super Bowls addressed the dismissal of making tough calls firmly because IR would make you look bad. He said that any official who is even slightly hesitant will be shown the nearest exit. He stressed the need to be firm in making tough calls. Not all calls will be challenged and selling it is still vital to top officiating - even more so on amateur fields where camcorders and phones abound, but discretion doesn't. If the best of the best believe that IR helps them call the game properly, I will happily concur.

Jim Joyce looked at replay and admitted he blew the call. What are missing, Mark?

Well put. Some people don't ever miss.

Start the clock.

?

How many people on this thread have worked a game where replay review was involved?

Well put.