Pirates vs Cards - 2 missed calls on same play

[rbmartin]

Tempers rise after disputed call in sixth inning | pirates.com: News

5.09 The ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without
liability to be put out, when— (a) A pitched ball touches a batter, or his clothing, while in his legal batting position;
runners, if forced, advance;

6.05 A batter is out when— (f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him;

[bob jenkins]

I see one missed call on the play -- what was the second?

And, I've often postulated that the ball off the back foot was hard to see -- you get blocked out. But, I'm surprised one of the BUs didn't have it.

[rbmartin]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I see one missed call on the play -- what was the second?

I guess it all boils down to missing the ball hitting his foot. So you're right, it's just 1 missed call, which is 1 too many.
I thought by looking at the replay that the HP umpire acnowledged the ball hit him but i guess he didn't.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

But, I'm surprised one of the BUs didn't have it.

Might've been tough for them to see as well. Probably hard to discern if the ball came off the batter's leg or the catcher's mitt.

OTOH, someone should have noticed when the batter raised his foot after getting plunked.

[Robert E. Harrison]

In the old days they would have looked for shoe polish on the ball.

[Forest Ump]

The angle the ball took after hitting his foot and his lifting of his foot after being hit should have been enough evidence to call him out. Easy to call from my kitchen table. Not so much on the field.

[rbmartin]

What signal was HP making with his right hand immediately after the pitch?

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

What signal was HP making with his right hand immediately after the pitch?

An unorthodox one?

I thought the approved mechanic for an uncaught third strike was to first signal the strike, then give a safe signal while verbalizing No Catch. But I could be wrong. Perhaps this is the new and improved way of doing it?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

What signal was HP making with his right hand immediately after the pitch?

Strike.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Manny A

An unorthodox one?

I thought the approved mechanic for an uncaught third strike was to first signal the strike, then give a safe signal while verbalizing No Catch. But I could be wrong. Perhaps this is the new and improved way of doing it?

It was clearly no catch so there wasn't much need to signal that. Given that he didn't think the ball hit the batter, then it was correct to just signal the swinging strike. I don't think he really needed to hold it that long, though.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by Manny A

An unorthodox one?

I thought the approved mechanic for an uncaught third strike was to first signal the strike, then give a safe signal while verbalizing No Catch. But I could be wrong. Perhaps this is the new and improved way of doing it?

I think the safe signal is going to start moving out of favor. At the NCAA meetings earlier this year, I believe there was more than one video of third strike situations where the umpire caused confusion with a two armed signal. I know Dale Scott was one of them, where he went to signal safe/no-catch but the catcher bumped straight back into him and his arms went up more like he was calling time.

I moved this year to pointing the strike and keeping the right arm out for a few extra seconds until it's become clear that the strike wasn't caught, we're live, the runner can go, etc.

[Matt]

Out of sheer lazy reflexiveness, I started pointing to the ground after my hammer. Seems to do the trick.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Strike.

Hmmmm, unless he recently changed his mechanic, that's not Cooper's normal swinging strike signal.

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