baseballrules

Bottom of the seventh inning, runners on first and second and one out in World Series Game #2.

Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees hits a sinking liner to first. The first base umpire rules it a clean catch and Jorge Posada, who was on first and running to second, is tagged at second for an inning-ending double play.

But it wasn’t a double play. Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard knew he didn’t catch the ball cleanly and that is why he threw to second to get the force. But the first base umpire ruled that Howard caught the ball on the line. Instead of inning over, it should have been one out and the bases loaded.

How can an umpire who is behind the first baseman and off to an angle clearly make that call? What was the home plate umpire looking at? He probably had the best view.

Granted it all happened in a split second and possibly faster than the naked eye could process. The umps did the right thing and had a meeting on the field while the teams changed places. Based on what they saw, they allowed the call to stand.

But this call changed the outcome of the inning. It could have changed the outcome of the game. If it did, it could have changed the outcome of the series.

To prevent this, MLB has to confer with the electronic umpire. This was a key situation to rely on video replay.

A.J Burnett’s bid for his first World Series win could have been squashed by the call in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Last night, during World Series Game #1, the umpires actually collaborated on the ball hit by Robinson Cano with Hideki Matsui on first base. Jimmy Rollings tried to trap the ball to get the double play, but actually caught it just off the ground and threw to first, where Matsui was tagged as he was left in no-man’s land.

The play seemed confusing at first, but quickly it was clear to those watching on television that it was a double play. The umps were smart and talked it over before coming to a decision. It was the right decision - a double play.

If umpires continue to work together, more calls will be made correctly without the need for replay.

If Major League Baseball and its umpires want to receive less flak from fans and media, the crews on the field need to discuss difficult plays more often on the field. When plays are confusing, or the vision of umpires are blocked, they need to ask if another umpire had a better angle and to help with the call.

This doesn’t work at all for bang-bang plays, or even for calls that are blown when the umpire is in position, but a short conference can help arrive at the correct decision for a difficult call. It isn’t an embarrassment to ask for help. It’s a mistake not to ask for it.

Example: Why didn’t Tim McClelland, a crew chief who is considered one of the best umpires in the game, call a conference to help him with the two New York Yankees runners at third base during the recent playoff series with the Los Angeles Angels? Looking down the line, you would think that the home plate umpire would have seen that Robinson Cano was not on the base.

A conference might have led to the right call. Instead, McClelland did not discuss it with his crew members and Angel fans who saw the replays on the television screens throughout the stadium rained the field with boos.

The objective is to get it right and if talking it over for a minute results in the right call then they just need to talk it over.

It is obvious that the traditional four-man crew that oversees Major League Baseball games needs further assistance. Since MLB adds two umpires on the outfield foul lines during postseason, they should also employ the same six-man rotation during every regular season game.

Having umpires down the line will provide several benefits:

1. It is a good way to break in rookie umpires.

2. It can help with continued education for young umpires who have just one or two years in the majors. They will have the opportunity to learn from five other umpires who have considerable experience.

3. The umps on the lines have different angles of the game. They can help with calls on various infield and outfield plays, including those near the outfield stands. They can see behind infielders and base runners, possibly providing a clearer view of plays around one of the bases. (This could have helped Tim McClelland at third base during the New York Yankees-Los Angeles Angels series. But, that would have meant that the left field umpire needed to watch the play unfold and McClelland would have had to call a crew conference.) They are nearer to the corner outfielders and they can take a closer look than the infield umps to determine if fly balls are catches or traps. (They also could help with similar calls in center field with the support of the second base umpire.) They will have better angles on determining right field and left field home runs that might not require replay delay of the game.

The problem with these two extra umpire positions as MLB currently employs them during the post season is that they are positioned too close to the first base and third base umpires. They are right behind them, at most 20 or 25 feet. They need to be positioned farther down the lines to be effective. They are umpires for the left field and right field lines, not extensions of the first and third base umpires.

During the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers could have had a double play when Pedro Martinez attempted a sacrifice bunt during the top of the third inning during Game #2. However, a little gamesmanship by Dodgers first baseman James Loney did not go unnoticed by the umpires.

With one out and Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz on first base, Martinez popped up his bunt. Loney had the ball in his glove, but let it drop. Ruiz, thinking the ball would be caught, had gone back to first.

Loney threw to Ronnie Belliard, who covered first base and stepped on the bag before tagging Ruiz. The umps ruled only Martinez out on the play and allowed Ruiz to occupy first base.

The umpires ruled that Loney intentionally dropped the ball. According to MLB rule 6.05 (L), the batter is automatically out if an “infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases.”

If he had fielded the ball on a hop, Loney could have attempted a more conventional double play by throwing to second base to force Ruiz and trying to double up Martinez at first.

Major League Baseball is sticking with experienced umpires for the World Series.

Longtime crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis, along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson and Mike Everitt will handle the games, according to several people with knowledge of the decision. The official announcement has not been made by MLB.

During 24 of the last 25 World Series, the six-man crew has included at least one umpire working the event for the first time. MLB rewards newer umpires with the plum assignment and also includes umps with WS experience.

CB Bucknor was in line to work the World Series for the first time this year. But he missed two calls in Game 1 of the division series between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, reportedly damaging his selection chances.

Phil Cuzzi’s foul call on a drive by Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer that was fair by a foot, Jerry Meals’ error on a ball that bounced off Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley’s leg, Dale Scott’s miss on a pickoff and Tim McClelland’s call on a tag play have escalated discussion about using replay by sports journalists and sports talk radio nationwide. Fans have been incensed.

Using only veteran umpires, however, is no guarantee that they will make the correct calls. Reportedly, the umpires union is against expanding replay beyond difficult home run calls. You would think, though, that umps would want the replay backup on certain difficult calls to either prove that they were right in the first place on these calls or, at worst, reverse a decision to get the call right. After all, none of the umps have egos or arrogance to want one of their decisions to affect the outcome of a game.

West, DeMuth and Davis each have worked three World Series and have been major league umpires for more than 25 years. Gorman, Nelson and Everitt all have called one World Series, and have been on the big league staff for at least 11 years.

World Series umpires are chosen from the pool of 24 umpires who work in the first round, with those two dozen picked on merit. Umpires who work the league championships aren’t available, because umps don’t work in consecutive rounds of the postseason.

I had to comment again on the umpiring embarrassment from Game #4 of the American League Championship Series.

After reviewing more angles of the Jorge Posada/Robinson Cano double play at third base that was not called a double play, I concentrated on umpire Tim McClelland rather than the players. McClelland was a bystander. He did not move with the play to see what occurred. He did not try to get an angle or avoid having his sight blocked by players.

He said after the game that he thought Cano was standing with his foot on the base. If he had moved to try to see from another angle, he might have noticed that Cano was not close to the base. After the play was called, he could have asked other umpires if they saw anything that he did not see. The left field umpire was behind him and may have had a better angle. Or the home plate umpire may have had an angle looking down toward third.

As the crew chief, he should have asked for an umpire conference. Why didn’t he do this? If another umpire saw that Cano’s foot was not on the bag, it could have reversed a bad call and embarrassment for McClelland and MLB. It would have been reversed without replay but would have been stamped the right call backed by the replays.

So, in addition for for his terrible call, McClelland also is faulted for laziness by not becoming engaged in the play and, as crew chief, for not calling an umpire huddle.

On the Nick Swisher tag up play an inning earlier, he also failed to move to obtain a proper eye angle to see the catch and watch Swisher leaving the base. New York sports talk radio was abuzz on Thursday with comments that McClelland could have been covering for the earlier call that inning at second with umpire Dale Scott incorrectly called Swisher safe on a pick-off tag.

McClelland has more than 25 years as an MLB umpire and has a long history as a good umpire. However, he should not be considered for the World Series crew. MLB has to step up and reward umpires who do the job on the field.

It was the up and down of Nick Swisher in Game #4 of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels last night.

In the top of the fourth inning, Swisher clearly was out on a pick-off play at second base from pitcher to shortstop. The tag was on his forearm when he was about six or maybe 12 inches from the bag. MLB umpire Dale Scott looked to be in proper position to make the call, but he missed it. The right call was clear on television even before the replays.

Later that same inning, with Swisher now on third base, he is called out for leaving the bag early as he tagged up after a fly ball was caught in center field. Crew chief Tim McClelland called him out to end the inning. Replays show Swisher did not leave early and that McClelland had not lined up the runner with the outfielder making the catch to obtain a good view of the play. He wasn’t even looking at Swisher or his foot, which was on the base when the catch was made.

Was this just a bad blown call? Clear incompetence? Or was McClelland erring in the other direction to protect the earlier bad call by Scott so that Scott’s call wouldn’t cost the Angels?

Let’s hope it is the first. Can’t believe that McClelland, one of the best umps in the game, could get this call so wrong. I would be blown away if he was helping his crew mate with a call that could affect the outcome of the game.

If umps keep making such blatant errors in the postseason, the chatter about including some form of replay will get louder.

The next inning, the top of the fifth inning, you had the classic stupid is as stupid does.

Jorge Posada, on second base, first misread a ball hit be Robinson Cano that struck the left centerfield wall and moved up just one base, making it safely to third base. He should have scored. Then, with the next batter (Swisher again), hitting a ground ball, Posada gets caught in a rundown between third and home plate. This is the proper play for Posada, who should try to remain in a rundown long enough to get Cano to third and Swisher to second. He runs back to third and instead of staying on the bag, he runs past it. Cano, meanwhile stops a step or two from third. Both are tagged and both should be out. But, McClelland calls out only Posada.

WRONG. Both should have been out. Double play. Inning over. Angels manager Mike Sciossia came out to complain. I would like to know what McClelland told him. Probably that he thought Cano was on the bag.

Bad base running here by the Yanks was compounded by awful umpiring. The Yanks were stupid on the base paths and the umpire just followed their lead.

These umpiring mistakes did not affect the outcome of this game, but MLB needs to take steps to prevent such obvious mistakes from having an affect on the outcome of any postseason or regular season game. Open your eyes, MLB!

Wanted for poor umpiring: Crew Chief Tim McClelland

Former MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent has some solid background about MLB umpiring and what needs to be done going forward. His comments appeared in The New York Times.

The current commissioner should create a panel overseeing the umpire situation and appoint Vincent as the chair. Let’s tart making some recommendations to go into effect next season. Maybe some action will avoid, or at least scale back, the need for replay reviews.

Second base umpire Jerry Layne made the proper rule book call on the double play ball hit by Jorge Posada in the 10th inning of the New York Yankees-Los Angeles Angels Game #2 of the American League Championship Series Saturday night/Sunday morning.

The ground ball to second was tossed to Angles shortstop Erick Aybar to begin a double play, but Aybar wasn’t close to the second base bag. This usually is the neighborhood play that umpires routinely call to ensure that middle infielders are not injured during take out slides.

But the runner was not near Aybar to interfere with his throw to first nor to take him out of the play. The neighborhood play still could have been called, but Aybar wasn’t in the neighborhood. He wasn’t anywhere in The Bronx on that play. His feet weren’t close enough to even spray infield dirt on second base.

Good call and gutsy call by umpire Jerry Layne. We need more MLB umpires to make the rule book call on this kind of play as long as the middle infielder will not get upended or sent flying into the outfield.

Good for Layne for getting it right. Umps immediately need to begin making rule book calls. Let’s get back to basics.