NLCS blown base award

[rpumpire]

Did anyone catch the blown base award on the pickoff attempt by Matt Cain in the bottom of the 3rd inning of today's NLCS game? Cain threw the ball out of play and the umpires awarded the runner second. But the replay clearly showed Cain had stepped off prior to the pickoff throw, so the runner should have been awarded third.

[Welpe]

Not seeing it, was it possibly a jab step or jump turn?

[maven]

Probably ruled the move a jump turn. That's more likely than such a basic mistake.

[rpumpire]

Here's a video:

http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s...nt=pickoff.mp4

[zm1283]

That is a clear disengagement and should be a two-base award. That is not a jump turn or jab step.

[maven]

Originally Posted by zm1283

That is a clear disengagement and should be a two-base award. That is not a jump turn or jab step.

On the contrary, that's a classic jump turn. Perhaps the slo-mo is deceiving you.

[UES]

Close enough to a jump turn for me - especially in LIVE speed. I think you're over analyzing it even though you may be "technically" correct. Let me put it to you this way...

Option #1: Award the runner second (pretty much what everyone is expecting) and continue the game with no further incident.

Option #2: Be a "hero", pull a 2 base award out of your a$$, point the runner, who has already stopped at second, over to third, try explaining to an irate manager that the pitcher became an infielder blah, blah, blah, huddle up with the rest of your crew who, like everyone else, is wondering what the hell you just called, and then watch yourself on the highlights 1000 times over the next day or so trying to defend a call that only you and maybe a few other internet umpires about how great of a call it was.

No thanks, I'll take option #1 Yeah, go ahead, call me a wuss and tell me I have no balls...I'd rather take a little crap from a couple of people than get dragged through the mud by everyone else in the world. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then call it a duck.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by UES

Close enough to a jump turn for me - especially in LIVE speed. I think you're over analyzing it even though you may be "technically" correct.

Agreed.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by zm1283

That is a clear disengagement and should be a two-base award. That is not a jump turn or jab step.

Um ... that's EXACTLY a jump-turn. Textbook.