Phillies protest IR ruling

[umpjong]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

Just because MLB says it is, doesn't make it so. We have the replay directive. What West did is not allowed by that directive. MLB can say the sky is green as much as they want but it doesn't make it so.

Obviously one of two things is going on here: MLB has issued a new, nonpublic directive that permits more extensive use of replay than we've been lead to believe or West went off the reservation but MLB is unwilling to reign him back in.

MLB has suffered for years from being overly secretive so neither one would surprise me.

What part dont you understand? The PU questioned whether the ball would have been a home run less the fan interference. Thus the replay. Just like the directive states. Even without replay the umpires could have got together and the information from the PU could have changed the call without the replay. Sounds like it might have been ruled a home run with the information provided by PU but with the replay the umpires were able to get it right. Will the directive be re worded? Probably, but give West credit for this one, we all know he needs one once in a while.

Heres a quote from a Philly paper,

It appears those that do study the rules intently found that once a review is being used to determine the boundaries of a home run call, which is what umpire Joe West said was the intent and reasoning behind the replay use, that the umpire can then make an interpretive call on the play if something different appears to be the case. In this situation, West and the league contend that the ruling of the recalled double came after replay revealed fan interference on a ball West deemed catchable by the defender.