Ejections: Bill Miller (1)

HP Umpire Bill Miller ejected A's left fielder Josh Willingham for arguing a strike three call in top of the 8th inning of the A's-Royals game. With one out and one on, Willingham took a 1-2 fastball from Royals pitcher Aaron Crow for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located at the thigh and off the inside corner of the plate, the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 3-3. The Royals ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

This is Bill Miller (26)'s first ejection of 2011.
Bill Miller now has -2 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2).

Bill Miller is owned as a Primary Umpire by #1UmpFan, who is tied for 31st place in the UEFL with -2 points..

This is the 31st ejection of 2011.

This is the 13th player ejection of 2011.

Prior to his ejection, Josh Willingham was 0-4 in the contest.

Wrap: A's at Royals Wrap 05/07/11

Video: Miller ejects Willingham

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Ejections: Mike Muchlinski (1)

HP Umpire Mike Muchlinski ejected Mariners left fielder Milton Bradley for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 8th inning of the White Sox-Mariners game. With one out and one on, Bradley took a 0-2 fastball from White Sox pitcher Matt Thorton for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located at the hip and barely off the outside corner of the plate, the call was incorrect. The call is now correct per UEFL Rule 6.b.ii.a.* At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 2-2. The Mariners ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

This is Mike Muchlinski (76)'s first ejection of 2011.
Mike Muchlinski now has 5 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 3 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 5).

Mike Muchlinski was not drafted in 2011.
*Quality of Correctness was challenged and affirmed ("Incorrect" ==> "Correct")

This is the 30th ejection of 2011.

This is the 12th player ejection of 2011.

This is Milton Bradley's second ejection of 2011.

Prior to his ejection, Milton Bradley was 1-4 in the contest.

Wrap: White Sox at Mariners 05/06/11 Wrap

Video: Muchlinski ejects Bradley

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Ejections: Angel Hernandez (2)

HP Umpire Angel Hernandez ejected Red Sox Manager Terry Francona for arguing a balk call in the top of the 2nd inning of the Twins-Red Sox game. With two out and two on, Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield was called for a balk; Twins R3 Ben Revere scored and R1 Denard Span was awarded second base. Replays indicate Wakefield failed to properly step directly toward a base with his non-pivot foot while in contact with the rubber and/or disengaged and immediately and in practically the same motion "wheeled" and threw to first base, under MLB Rule 8.05(c) and 8.05(c) Comment, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Twins were leading, 4-1. The Twins ultimately won the contest, 9-2.

This is Angel Hernandez (55)'s second ejection of 2011.
Angel Hernandez now has 8 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (4 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 8).

Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by yawetag, who is now in 1st place in the UEFL with 17 points.

Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by MrBillMueller, who is now tied for 2nd place in the UEFL with 8 points.

Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by Ring_Tail, who is now tied for 2nd place in the UEFL with 8 points.

Angel Hernandez is owned as a Primary Umpire by ump_24, who is now tied for 2nd place in the UEFL with 8 points.

Angel Hernandez is owned as a Secondary Umpire by BONZ_kansascity, who is now tied for 7th place in the UEFL with 4 points.

*Quality of Correctness was challenged and denied ("Correct" ==> "Correct").
This is the 29th ejection of 2011.

This is the 16th Manager ejection of 2011.

This is Terry Francona's second ejection of 2011.

Wrap: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_05_06_minmlb_bosmlb_1

Video (1): Francona ejected for arguing a balk

Video (2): Wakefield balks in a run

Video (3): Francona on the balk and his ejection

Discussions: Stuck in a Wall

Two fence-grabbing plays occurred in the past few days. Anonymous wrote:

I thought this might be something interesting to discuss:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14484981&topic_id=11493214&c_id=mlb
Really not sure what the correct call would be- it seems odd that the fielder would have the option to play it or call it a double??

The video referred to is this one, and features a Tampa Bay 'stuck in the base of the wall' play in which a Blue Jays outfielder elects to play the ball, and a Kansas City 'stuck in the base of the wall' play in which an Orioles outfielder elects to request time instead. Joe West's crew is in Tampa Bay (3B: Paul Schrieber), Tim Welke's crew is in Kansas City (2B: Tim Welke). Yes, the Blue Jays-Rays contest this play occurred in is the same Blue Jays-Rays contest that saw Ejections: Joe West (2) and Ejections: Chad Fairchild (1, 2).

Case Plays: How Many Outs? (Answered)

This Case Play has been completed. Congratulations to UEFL League Members BrooklynUmp, kickersrule, and RichMSN for correctly answering both parts of the posted play. mtn335, cyclone14, sachmet, clement30, TonyTheRed, and josh7377 answered (a), but not (b), correctly. Several non-league participants also were successful in answering various parts correctly. The correct response is:

(a) B1 is out and the ball is dead. R2 is awarded home plate. Part (a) is fairly straightforward. Rule 7.05(g).
(b) B1 is out and the ball is dead. R2 is awarded home plate. Part (b) is not as straightforward as (a), and led to some confusion. When F3 (with the ball in his possession) deliberately enters DBT, such as a Bench (Rule 2.00 FOUL TERRITORY, OBR DIAGRAM #1), the ball is dead (Rule 7.05(f) is the closest direct citation). Rule 2.00 LEGAL and Rule 2.00 "TIME" specify that a ball leaving the playing area is a dead ball if not excepted by rule. Rule 7.04(c) is inapplicable; F3 did not fall into a bench while attempting to catch a fly ball. Rule 5.10(f), which provides for keeping a play alive while a fielder steps into a bench (herein, 'the momentum exception'), refers to a fielder stepping into a bench in concert with the process of making a catch of a fly ball. The momentum exception to Rule 5.10(f) applies only to a fly ball as specified by rule; a fly ball by rule must be a batted ball and momentum is obtained by being actively engaged in a play (Rule 2.00 FLY BALL). As observed in the video, F3 has made the catch far, far in advance of approaching the bench and is not actively engaged in a play. Furthermore, a bench is the area reserved for (among others) team members when they are not actively engaged on the playing field; any player entering a bench, except as provided by rule, may be considered not actively engaged on the playing field, and therefore, may not be in possession of a live ball (Rule 2.00 BENCH, RULE 2.00 DEAD BALL).

In responding to this Case Play, RichMSN mentioned The 2011 BRD: Baseball Rule Differences. The BRD is an excellent rules resource for NFHS, NCAA, and pro rules. I have added a link to Amazon, which has this book in stock. If you are looking for a baseball rules resource that goes beyond the surface, I recommend this book.

2 Points Added to:
kickersrule and RichMSN are now tied for 16th place in the UEFL with 0 points.
BrooklynUmp is now in 31st place in the UEFL with -1 points.

1 Point Added to:
mtn335 is now in 3rd place in the UEFL with 5 points.
cyclone14 is now tied for 4th place in the UEFL with 4 points.
sachmet is now in 10th place in the UEFL with 2 points.
clement 30 and TonyTheRed are now tied for 11th place in the UEFL with 1 point.
josh7377 is now tied for 32nd place in the UEFL with -2 points.

Thank you for participating in this Case Play and congratulations to those who responded correctly. Stay tuned for further Case Plays. The original Case Play post has been reproduced below.

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Pursuant to UEFL Rule 4.f., this Case Play is open for 48 hours from the time of this post (5/4/11 at 12:00AM). During this time, all Case Play responses will remain in moderation (screened or invisible) until the 48 hour submission period is closed. To receive full point(s) credit, you must answer the following scenario correctly, including any relevant MLB Rule(s) and all relevant results of the play after applying said rule(s).

Video: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14442967

In the top of the 3rd inning, with one out and a runner on second base, B1 hits a ground ball to F6, who throws to F3 for the second out of the inning. Thinking instead that the inning is over, F3 begins to leave the field. F3 either (a) tosses the ball into the stands or (b) takes the ball with him into the dugout before realizing his error, upon which he reemerges from the dugout with the ball still in his glove. For each part of this scenario, determine the correct result of the play, how play will resume, and the basis on which you reached that decision (cite your rule[s]). (1pt for [a], 1 pt for [b]).

Consult the UEFL Rulebook for further information regarding Rule 4.f and Case Plays.

Ejections: Tom Hallion (2)

HP Umpire Tom Hallion ejected Astros second baseman Bill Hall for arguing a strike call in the top of the 7th inning of the Astros-Reds game. With none out and none on, Hall took a 0-0 cutter and 0-1 slider from Reds pitcher Logan Ondrusek for called first and second strikes. Replays indicate all callable pitches during Hall's at bat were accurately ruled, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Reds were leading, 6-1. The Reds ultimately won the contest, 10-4.

This is Tom Hallion (20)'s second ejection of 2011.
Tom Hallion now has 8 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (4 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 8).

Tom Hallion is owned as a Primary Umpire by zcr57, who is now in 2nd place in the UEFL with 8 points.

This is the 28th ejection of 2011.
This is the 11th player ejection of 2011.

Prior to his ejection, Hall was 1-3 in the contest.

Wrap: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_05_05_houmlb_cinmlb_1

Video: HOU@CIN: Hall gets ejected after striking out

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Umpire Odds & Ends: No Hitter

On Tuesday night, Bruce Dreckman (1) umpired the plate for Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano's no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. Liriano faced 29 White Sox hitters, striking two out and walking six.

Here is a quick look at the statistics of how Bruce Dreckman called Liriano's no-hitter:

Total Pitches: 123

Callable Pitches: 81

Balls: 57

Called Strikes: 24

Correct Ball Calls: 53

Incorrect Ball Calls (Called balls within the strike zone): 4

Correct Ball %: 92.88%

Correct Called Strikes: 24

Incorrect Called Strikes (Called strikes outside the strike zone): 0

Correct Strike %: 100%

Correct % of Called Pitches: 95.06%

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

*Note: Brooks Baseball is promoting a Sabermetrics seminar hosted by those at the Jimmy Fund with all the money collected going to cancer research, the link to the seminar can be found here.

Ejections: Joe West (2)

1B Umpire Joe West ejected Rays Manager Joe Maddon for arguing an out call to end the bottom of the 7th inning of the Blue Jays-Rays game. With two out and two on, Rays batter Sam Fuld hit a 1-2 fastball from Blue Jays pitcher Jason Frasor to Blue Jays third baseman Edwin Encarnacion to first baseman Adam Lind for a double play. Initially ruled safe on a tag play at first base, West entered an umpire consultation, resulting in the reversal of the original call, and Fuld being ruled out. Replays indicate Lind failed to tag Fuld prior to Fuld touching first base, the call was incorrect, and Joe West is the calling umpire under UEFL Rule 6.b.iii.a.1.* At the time of the ejection, the Blue Jays were leading, 3-1. The Blue Jays ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

This is Joe West (22)'s second ejection of 2011.
Joe West now has -2 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2).

Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by mtn335, who is now tied for 2nd place in the UEFL with 4 points.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by BONZ_kansascity, who is now tied for 10th place in the UEFL with 1 point.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by sachmet, who is now tied for 10th place in the UEFL with 1 point.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by Scumpire, who is now tied for 10th place in the UEFL with 1 point.Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by DanNJ316, who is now tied for 29th place in the UEFL with -2 points.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by kickersrule, who is now tied for 29th place in the UEFL with -2 points.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by RichMSN, who is now tied for 29th place in the UEFL with -2 points.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by thexfactor264, who is now tied for 29th place in the UEFL with -2 points.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by whenindoubt55, wwho is now tied for 29th place in the UEFL with -2 points.
Joe West is owned as a Primary Umpire by jhagen88, who is now in 36th place in the UEFL with -5 points.
Joe West is owned as a Secondary Umpire by BGMTOM, who is now in 37th place in the UEFL with -6 points.

*Joe West is the Calling Umpire under Rule 6.b.iii.a.1.

This is the 27th ejection of 2011.
This is the 15th Manager ejection of 2011.
This is Maddon's second ejection of 2011.

Wrap: Blue Jays at Rays 05/03/11 Wrap

Video (1): West ejects Maddon

Video (2): Maddon after loss to Blue Jays

Video (3): Three ejections occur in game

Ejections: Chad Fairchild (1, 2)

HP Umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Blue Jays Manager John Farrell for arguing a ball two call in the bottom of the 7th inning and Rays center fielder B.J. Upton for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Blue Jays-Rays game. In the 7th, with two out and two on, Rays batter John Jaso hit a 2-2 fastball from Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow to Blue Jays right fielder Rajai Davis for a single. Farrell was ejected during the subsequent pitching change, which, under UEFL Rule 6.e.iv.b., makes this ejection eligible for review of the entire Morrow-Jaso at bat. Replays indicate the 1-2 pitch was located belt high and over the inner half of home plate, the call was incorrect. In the 9th, with none out and none on, Upton took a 1-2 fastball from Blue Jays pitcher Frank Francisco for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located belt high and several inches off the inside edge of home plate, the call was incorrect. At the time of both ejections, the Blue Jays were leading, 3-1. The Blue Jays ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

These are Chad Fairchild (75)'s first and second ejections of 2011.
Chad Fairchild now has -4 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -4).
Chad Fairchild was not drafted in 2011.

These are the 25th and 26th ejection of 2011.
This is the 14th Manager ejection of 2011.
This is the 10th player ejection of 2011.

Wrap: Blue Jays at Rays 05/03/11 Wrap

Video (1): Fairchild ejects Farrell

Video (2): Fairchild ejects Upton

Video (3): Three ejections occur in game

TweetPic Upton

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

*Note: Brooks Baseball is promoting a Sabermetrics seminar hosted by those at the Jimmy Fund with all the money collected going to cancer research, the link to the seminar can be found here.

Ejections: Alfonso Marquez (1)

HP Alfonso Marquez ejected Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman for arguing a strike three call in the top of the 4th inning of the Nationals-Phillies game. With one out and none on, Nationals batter Adam LaRoche took a 3-2 fastball from Phillies pitcher Vance Worley for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located thigh high and over the inner half of the plate, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 0-0. The Phillies ultimately won the contest, 7-4.

This is Alfonso Marquez (72)'s first ejection of 2011.
Alfonso Marquez now has 4 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Alfonso Marquez was not drafted in 2011.

This is the 24th ejection of 2011.
This is the 13th manager ejection of 2011.

Wrap: Nationals at Phillies 05/03/11 Wrap

Video: Marquez ejects Riggleman

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

*Note: Brooks Baseball is promoting a Sabermetrics seminar hosted by those at the Jimmy Fund with all the money collected going to cancer research, the link to the seminar can be found here.

Ejections: Lance Barksdale (1)

3B Umpire Lance Barksdale ejected Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel for arguing a check swing call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Mets-Phillies game. With two out and the bases loaded, Phillies batter Brian Schneider attempted to check his swing on a 2-2 slider from Mets pitcher Chris Young. Barksdale ruled that Schneider attempted to strike the ball for strike three. Replays indicate that Schneider attempted to strike the ball and was unable to check his swing, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Mets were leading, 1-0. The Mets ultimately won the contest, 2-1 in 14 innings.

This is Lance Barksdale (23)'s first ejection of 2011.
Lance Barksdale now has 4 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Lance Barksdale is owned as a Primary Umpire by jdbr78, who is now tied for 3rd place in the UEFL with 4 points.

This is the 23rd ejection of 2011.
This is the 12th Manager ejection of 2011.


Wrap: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_05_01_nynmlb_phimlb_1&mode=wrap
Video: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14380849

Ejections: Cory Blaser (1)

HP Umpire Cory Blaser ejected White Sox center fielder Alex Rios for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Orioles-White Sox game. With one out and two on, Rios took a 3-2 slider from Orioles pitcher Kevin Gregg for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located belt high and off the outer edge of home plate, the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Orioles were leading, 6-4. The Orioles ultimately won the contest, 6-4.

This is Cory Blaser (89)'s first ejection of 2011.
Cory Blaser now has -2 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 3 AAA - 1 Penalty - 4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Prior to his ejection, Rios was 0-5 in the contest.

This is the 22nd ejection of 2011.
This is the 9th player ejection of 2011.


Wrap: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_05_01_balmlb_chamlb_1

Video: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14380299 (Ejection at 15:30)

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

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*Note: Brooks Baseball is promoting a Sabermetrics seminar hosted by those at the Jimmy Fund with all the money collected going to cancer research, the link to the seminar can be found here.

UEFL Standings: End of Phase ii

Pursuant to UEFL Rule 8.a., as Phase ii of the 2011 Season draws to a close, here are the league standings through April 30, 2011. You can view the UEFL Roster and Standings at any time via the Roster and Standings page.

1. yawetag (Hernandez/Joyce) - 13
2. mtn335 (West/Hudson) - 6
3. Tie (MrBillMueller, Ring_Tail, ump_24, zcr57) - 4

Umpire Ejection Leaders
1. Jim Joyce - 3
2. Brian Knight - 2
3. Marvin Hudson - 2
4. Tim Tschida - 1
5. Dana DeMuth - 1
6. Bob Davidson - 1
7. Angel Hernandez - 1
8. Adrian Johnson - 1
9. Chris Guccione - 1
10. Jim Reynolds - 1
11. Doug Eddings - 1
12. Paul Schrieber - 1
12. Joe West - 1
14. Todd Tichenor - 1
15. Tom Hallion - 1
16. Gerry Davis - 1
16. Dan Bellino - 1


Umpire Points
1. Jim Joyce - 12
2. Marvin Hudson - 8
3. Angel Hernandez - 4
4. Adrian Johnson - 4
5. Chris Guccione - 4
6. Jim Reynolds - 4
7. Todd Tichenor -4
8. Tom Hallion - 4
9. Dan Bellino - 4
10. Dana DeMuth - 3
11. Brian Knight - 2


Accuracy
1. Jim Joyce - 100% (3)
2. Marvin Hudson - 100% (2)
3. Dana DeMuth - 100% (1)
4. Angel Hernandez - 100% (1)
5. Adrian Johnson - 100% (1)
6. Chris Guccione - 100% (1)
7. Jim Reynolds - 100% (1)
8. Todd Tichenor - 100% (1)
9. Tom Hallion - 100% (1)
10. Dan Bellino - 100% (1)
11. Brian Knight - 50% (1/2)

Place	Username	Prm	Sec	Prm Pts	Sec Pts	Case Pts	Total
1	yawetag	55	66	4	9	0	13
2	mtn335	22	51	0	6	0	6
3	MrBillMueller	55	35	4	0	0	4
3	Ring_Tail	55	33	4	0	0	4
3	ump_24	55	95	4	0	0	4
3	zcr57	20	47	4	0	0	4
7	BONZ_kansascity	22	55	0	3	0	3
7	cyclone14	47	80	0	3	0	3
7	tt49	21	68	0	3	0	3
7	Scumpire	22	97	0	3	0	3
7	sachmet	22	93	0	3	0	3
12	Bino	6	77	-2	3	0	1
13	#1UmpFan	26	58	0	0	0	0
13	15_and_done	24	15	0	0	0	0
13	BSBALLUMP	19	30	0	0	0	0
13	clement30	95	48	0	0	0	0
13	DanNJ316	22	46	0	0	0	0
13	HIGHSCHOOLUMP	53	34	0	0	0	0
13	IWU_Titan	95	28	0	0	0	0
13	jdbr78	23	44	0	0	0	0
13	jeruhmed	12	7	0	0	0	0
13	kickersrule	22	21	0	0	0	0
13	KTurner14	47	24	0	0	0	0
13	marvin16	8	57	0	0	0	0
13	rasseul	57	53	0	0	0	0
13	RichMSN	22	50	0	0	0	0
13	Spballsandstrikes	47	16	0	0	0	0
13	spence1222	12	45	0	0	0	0
13	thexfactor264	22	49	0	0	0	0
13	TonyTheRed	53	63	0	0	0	0
13	Tswo7	46	17	0	0	0	0
13	ump_78	50	1	0	0	0	0
13	whenindoubt55	22	19	0	0	0	0
34	josh7377	52	88	0	-3	0	-3
34	BGMTOM	6	22	-2	-1	0	-3
34	BrooklynUmp	53	6	0	-3	0	-3
34	jhagen88	22	4	0	-3	0	-3