1B Umpire Angel Hernandez ejected Rangers Manager Ron Washington and 1B Coach Gary Pettis for arguing a balk no-call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Marlins-Rangers game. With one out and one on, Rangers baserunner Nelson Cruz was picked off while trying to steal second base. Replays indicate Marlins pitcher Michael Dunn did not appear to perform any illegal action specified by Rule 8.05, the call was correct. The call is now inconclusive.* At the time of the ejection, the Rangers were leading, 2-1. The Marlins ultimately won the contest, 6-4.
These are Angel Hernandez (55)'s third and fourth ejections of 2011.
Angel Hernandez now has 16 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (8 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 16)
Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by yawetag, who is now in 1st place in the UEFL with 29 points.
Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by ump_24, who is now in 3rd place in the UEFL with 20 points.
Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by Ring_Tail, who is now in 4th place in the UEFL with 19 points.
Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by MrBillMueller, who is now in 5th place in the UEFL with 16 points.
Angel Hernandez is owned as a Secondary Umpire by BONZ_kansascity, who is now tied for 6th place in the UEFL with 14 points.
*Quality of Correctness was challenged, deferred, and reverted ("Correct" ==> "Inconclusive" ==> "Correct")
These are the 102nd and 103rd ejections of 2011.
This is the 54th Manager ejection of 2011.
This is Ron Washington's second ejection of 2011.
This is Gary Pettis' second ejection of 2011.
The Rangers' seven team ejections in 2011 leads all western division teams in both leagues.
Wrap: Marlins at Rangers 7/3/11
Video (1): Cruz is picked off and Gary Pettis, Ron Washington are ejected
I do not believe Dunn stepped "directly toward" first base...
ReplyDeleteRon Washington is going to get a sizeable fine for this one: "Angel is just bad," Washington said. "That’s all there is to it."
ReplyDeleteBefore we dismantle Angel, let's just consider that the call was correct...
ReplyDeleteIf you consider this call correct (no balk), then the balk Angel called earlier this season (resulting in Terry Francona's ejection) must be considered incorrect, rather than correct. The Florida pitcher stepped MUCH more towards home than Tim Wakefield did in that earlier scenario.
ReplyDeleteYou can't have it both ways!
@11:33am I would agree if your going to use Wakefield as precedent, then this call should be challenged. How can Angel miss this call? I think I know how: The runner broke immediately on the pitchers 1st movement. I'm thinking Angel was still watching the pitcher's leg, but because it was so close (which it was)to a balk, Angel let the play continue under the idea he really didn't have much to hang his hat on. I think if the runner simply returned to the base on the move, it's more likely Angel would have called a balk under the idea he would have been watching the leg more closely because there was no other action taking place to have to stop (steal). I'm not saying Angel was distracted, or was correct in letting the play continue, what I'm saying is once the ball is thrown to second base, it's too late to make a balk call. But with the runner returning on the move, you would have slightly more time to process what happened, not much more time, but a little more. And it would be more natural to make the balk call late, rather than making the late balk call when the ball is being thrown around.
ReplyDeleteI challenge this call. Angel called a similar balk on Mark Buhrle, and we had the diagrams to show it was indeed correct. If the call was a good one, that's fine, but from the video evidence it looks inconclusive to me. I think this is a similar situation to the link below:
ReplyDeleteLast Year: http://cascreamindude.livejournal.com/184519.html
It's not Angel's call to make. It's plate guys call.
ReplyDeleteThis ruling has been challenged and is under review.
ReplyDeleteI would like to propose, if the ruling comes back correct or incorrect it be ruled as called by a crewmate, the plate umpire. Not only is the possible balk-no balk not the call of the first base umpire, it is impossible to call from first base. This is a call where an umpire trusts his crew that they will make the call if necessary, and that call can only really be called by either the plate umpire or possibly a second base umpire.
ReplyDeleteJasper
1) Umpires have equal authority in calling balks. To say this call belongs exclusively to the PU is incorrect.
ReplyDelete2) To throw to 1B, the pitcher must gain distance and direction with his step to 1B. It certainly looks like he stepped to home and threw to 1B. Not sure how this one got missed.
I agree it is a balk, and while I am not a fan of Angel I cannot fault him for not calling this balk.
ReplyDeleteWe know that all umpires have authority in their ability to call a balk, however from the shallow A position it is nearly impossible to see how much distance a pitcher's foot gains towards first base. You are completely straight lined on this play as the first base umpire, short of the pitcher going two to three feet towards the plate and gaining no ground toward first I would be troubled to see that while straight lined in the shallow A position.
Jasper
This isn't related to this ejection but I was watching a game today when the announcers said that Jim Joyce is out for the year with a knee injury. Can anyone confirm this?
ReplyDeleteJoyce hasn't been in the Boxed Scores for quite a few weeks---John Thumpane has been filling in on the Cousins crew.
ReplyDeleteJoyce, Mark Wegner and Tschida are all out right now... Wegner and Joyce for the season Tschida indefinite
ReplyDeleteAlso Paul Schreiber, Paul Nauert and Lance Barksdale have all been missing for an extended period of time. Schreiber also missed significant time last year.
ReplyDeleteThis ruling has been challenged.
ReplyDeleteAfter review, the Quality of Correctness has been deferred. The call is now inconclusive.
After review, including examination of the real-time play, replays, and alternate angles, the decision of deferring the original Quality of Correctness was made. From provided angles, it is ultimately unclear whether the pitcher stepped directly (without changing direction or stopping) toward first base, there is not enough video evidence to overturn this call, yet there is not enough evidence to confirm it, either. As a result, this appeal must be deferred under UEFL Rule 6.d.iii. Rule 7 considers deferred challenges, and as specified by rule, this inconclusive classification is subject to review and resolving and/or reversion at any time, up to the conclusion of the current phase of the season, as defined by Rule 8. As specified by Rule 8.a.iii., the current phase of the season concludes at the All-Star game.
Deferred.
I don't think that Hunter Wendelstedt is back yet either. I notice that this week Tim McClelland(?) is in the box scores in his spot.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Tim Tschida to make him "indefinite?" He "became ill" before a game a few weeks ago and hasn't been back?
ReplyDeleteAfter exhaustive review, the ruling has been reverted to "Correct."
ReplyDelete