How to not sell a call...

[BretMan]

Considering that:

- The catcher never achieved control of the ball.

- There was no tag made.

- The ball is rolling around on the ground.

Isn't the correct mechanic to make no signal at all?

That's what the umpire was doing, up until the point that the catcher finally retrieved the ball and did move to put a tag on the prone runner. The safe signal at that point seemed to be a confirmation that the runner had indeed touched the plate (in the umpire's opinion- I have yet to see a replay that is conclusive one way or the other).

Still, with the magnitude of the game and the drama of a final play in extra innings, if I was in the umpire's shoes I can easily see myself making a big "safe sell" the instant the plate was touched- dropped ball or not. Maybe that's not "by the book", but I honestly think that would be my reaction.

My gut feeling is that the umpire might have been unsure about the touch of the plate (though McClelland says otherwise in subsequent interviews) and was waiting to see the reaction of the players to "help him make his call".

From the runner's standpoint, it's probably a good thing that he was too banged-up to move after his slide. Had he not been dazed, he may have made some scrambling effort to retouch the plate.

That might have sold the umpire on the notion that he hadn't touched it. The follow-up tag attempt by the catcher may have retired him (an out would be an easy sell in that scenario) and the game would have moved along to the 14th inning!