HP Umpire Mark Ripperger ejected Red Sox Manager Terry Francona for arguing an out call in the top of the 4th inning of the Red Sox-Mariners game. With one out and two on, Red Sox batter Dustin Pedroia hit a 2-2 fastball from Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez to right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, who threw home in attempt to double off tagging Red Sox baserunner R3, Jacoby Ellsbury. After a violent collision with Mariners catcher Josh Bard, Ripperger ruled no out had been recorded due to a bobble. After umpire consultation, the call was reversed to an out. Replays are inconclusive as to whether Bard maintained possession of the ball throughout his tag attempt, while replays do conclusively show Ellsbury never touched home plate; therefore, the out call is correct.*^ At the time of the ejection, the Mariners were leading, 5-0. The Mariners ultimately won the contest, 5-4.
This is Mark Ripperger (90)'s first ejection of 2011.
Mark Ripperger now has 5 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 3 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 5)
Mark Ripperger was not drafted in 2011.
*This call is correct per UEFL Rule 6.b.ii.g.
^Ripperger is the Primary Umpire per UEFL Rule 6.b.iii.a.1.
This is the 156th ejection of 2011.
This is the 74th Manager ejection of 2011.
This is Francona's fourth ejection of 2011. All four of Francona's 2011 ejections are associated with a 'correct' QOC.
This is Mark Ripperger's first career ejection.
Wrap: Red Sox at Mariners 8/13/11
Video: Ellsbuy-Bard Collision at Home Plate Results in Reversed Call and Francona Ejection
Good call blue!!!
ReplyDeleteOn X-MO, You can see that Bard never has the ball in the glove when he tags Ellsbury, and the ball is controlled in his hand, but he doesn't tag him with it. Challenge.
ReplyDeleteDisregard that challenge, I was looking at the 3 minute video of Ichiro, M's turn 2 and the play was blocked out, after reviewing your Must C Video, I can see that the call was correct.
ReplyDeleteAgreed that replays are inconclusive as to whether the catcher maintained secure possession.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not Ellsbury touched the plate is completely irrelevant in determining if this call is correct, as that would only come into question is there was an appeal. Absent the appeal, the runner is assumed to have touched the plate.
@ 6:08 AM, when you have the pitcher saying that the runner misses home plate and your catcher is holding the ball while sitting on the plate, I think you have your live ball appeal (time was not called yet).
ReplyDeleteAre you sure Ellsbury's left toe didn't slide across the plate? Honestly though I think Bard had the tag the whole way, applied well before Ellsbury may or may not have touched the plate. Good control with Bard, hand on ball in glove, makes the tag, then after Bard rolls away, he brings the ball out with his bare hand. Yeah the ball kinda squirts away or held awkwardly, but he had control, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they just overturn every disputed play at the plate, then?
ReplyDeleteThe umpires' goal is to get it right. They got it right. Only fans of the team negatively affected are going to be unhappy. Fans of baseball should be okay with it (then again, our average intelligence level is low... and dropping...). Fans of umpiring should be very pleased.
ReplyDeleteI love when Francona gets tossed. It doesn't happen often,but when it does it is entertaining..
ReplyDeleteUltimately got the call correct in the end,but there never should have been a safe call made on that play. Mistakes do happen,and given that Bard had it in his hand,maybe it confused Mark at first.
Good call by the umpires!
ReplyDeleteYou can see around minute 2:18 where the catcher is adjusting the ball in his hand and might've pushed the ball against his chest protector. I can understand how he called it safe but it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion.
I am going to go with Rip on this one. But not for lack of secure posession-but for lack on "intentional and voluntary" release of the ball by the catcher.
ReplyDeleteOn the replay shown at the 2:15 mark, the catcher pulled the ball out of this glove, but then laid/dropped/rested the ball down on his chest protector with his hand resting on the ball, at which point Rip IMMEDIATELY called the runner safe. It was not, in his judgement (or mine) a "voluntary and intentional" release.
It should be noted that emphasis has been made the last few years that all the requirements necessary for a "catch" must also be also be applied to determining if a "tag" is made (secure possession of the ball in and or glove, control on momentum, voluntary and intentional release).
Whether they appealed a the touch of home by R3 I cannot tell, nor what the ultimate reason they gave for "reversing" the call, but great timing and rules knowledge by a AAA call-up.
Technically this is NOT the correct call but it is the right call. If you pay attention ANON 5:41 Is correct. Bard had the ball in his bare hand and the awkward slide pushes his body away from the plate where it never contacts the runner. While i do have the advantage of watching both broadcats on mlb.tv and being able to slow the play down, i will say in fast motion it looks like an out all day. SHould be called an out all day. And was correctly overturned.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting is the out call is over ruled due to volantary release. WHich is all the more confusing because he never had the ball in is glove when the supposed tag was made. So here's the question for all you rulebook lawyers out there. When does voluntary release occur when you tag someone with the ball in your bare hand?
Remember this was the SAME site that ruled that Jim Joyce got the call right at first base last season (the perfect game call) b/c the ball wasn't in secure possession at first base.
What an interesting play!
I'm not convinced that Ellsbury missed home plate. From the video, I would say it is inconclusive. What I do notice was Ripperger was about to call Ellsbury out, but changed his mind at the last second, and signaled safe. He must have seen something that indicates that Josh Bard lost possession of the ball.
ReplyDeleteThey got the call right but how can an umpire 100 feet away overrule a guy inches away in perfect position? I have never seen that on abplay at the plate before.
ReplyDeleteSeriously people stop challenging calls by umpires that arent even drafted. there is no point. I wouldnt even review it if I was incharge of this.
ReplyDelete"they got the call right but..." isn't the whole point to get it right? Who cares how they did it... they just did. BTW, I agree he missed the plate and was out when the pitcher/catcher made the appeal, but I thought it was conclusive that he did NOT have possession throughout the tag. Either way, the out call was proper and that's all that matters. And the fact that Tito Francona has been tossed over only correct calls this season should tell you how much he cares about getting it right vs getting it to go his way even if it's wrong.
ReplyDeleteVoluntary release is not called for in a tag....the rulebook says the fielder is no longer in the act of tagging....voluntary release and/or momentum of catch has stopped is required for a catch
ReplyDeleteWedge must have set a new speed record coming out to argue. The dust hadn't even settled and there he is to chime in.
ReplyDeletei thought that the catcher might not have had control of the ball, you can see at about 215 he has to readjust the ball on his chest protector to get a better grip, the ball was clearly coming out of his hand before that. Call was correct the first time
ReplyDeleteI must comment on the NESN (Red Sox) broadcasters. We typically hear broadcasters savagely rip umpires in a situation like this, even when they get the call right. These guys acted professionally the whole time. They were clearly biased toward the Sox, but didn't rip anyone. They showed their disappointment (as would be expected), but acknowledged that the correct call was made, and didn't gripe or rip anybody about it.
ReplyDeleteKudos to them!
Anon @ 6:00pm:
ReplyDeleteAgain, this is up for debate, and has been/is being debated among the MLB rules committee over the past few years. Some MLB umpires has strong feelings about this on both sides of the argument.
Bard NEVER lost control of the ball, Ripperger knew he booted the call the minute he made it and reversed it at light speed. The MLB video is not in the least bit inconclusive and shows Bard's bare hand with the ball in it touching the runner's shin when runner was a foot from the plate. The ball was in exactly the same position in his hand when he held it up to show Ripperger.
ReplyDeleteI believe the only rule set that requires voluntary release on a tag is NCAA. It has not been added to FED or OBR at this point.
ReplyDelete