Discussions: Safe at First

For our first official umpire forum discussion topic, we take a look at the 6/16/11 Mets-Braves game, during which Mets batter-runner Angel Pagan was called safe at first on a wide throw by Braves third baseman Chipper Jones (and an awkward tag by Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman). Raising the possibility of obstruction, UEFLer thexfactor264 (13th place, 8 points) wrote:

How about this play: (Video link)

What did Tom Hallion call? Did he call obstruction for the trip or did he think Pagan touched first base? Was this obstruction?

Discussion Point: What do we have here? Obstruction? Fielder in the act of fielding? Interference? Safe? Out? Missed call?

Because the possibility of Obstruction has been raised, this post shall be tagged with "Rule 7.06."

MLB Debut: Tyler Funneman

Congratulations to Tyler Funneman, who umpired his first Major League Baseball contest this evening, as the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-3. Funneman, an umpire in the AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL), flew in to work his debut game after crew chief Tim Tschida took ill. 3B Umpire Funneman wore HP Umpire Mike Estabrook's #83 jersey and made an accurate call of spectator interference on a Jeff Keppinger hit to left field in the top of the 6th inning. According to our updated Historical Data page, Funneman becomes the 111th person to work a Major League regular season contest since 2005.

Wrap: HOU @ LAD 6/18 Wrap

Ejections: Ted Barrett (1)

HP Umpire Ted Barrett ejected Marlins Manager Edwin Rodriguez for arguing a runner placement call in the bottom of the 8th inning of the Marlins-Rays game. With one out and two on, Rays batter Sean Rodriguez hit a 2-2 fastball from Marlins pitcher Steve Cishek down the right field line. Rays R2 Matt Joyce and R1 Evan Longoria scored on spectator interference. Replays indicate that Longoria was well past second base at the moment the fan touched the ball, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Rays were leading, 5-1. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 5-1.

This is Ted Barrett (65)'s first ejection of 2011.Ted Barrett now has 3 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).

Ted Barrett was undrafted in 2011.
*Ejector Classification was Challenged and Overturned ("Secondary" ==> "Calling")

This is the 78th ejection of 2011.
This is the 42nd Manager ejection of 2011.
This is Edwin Rodriguez's first ejection of 2011.

Wrap: FLA @ TB 6/17/11 Wrap
Video: Longoria Scores on Fan Interference (Play Only)

Video (2): Ejection and Split Screen (1:09 to 1:37 mark)

Video (3): Rodriguez is Ejected

Discussions: Walk-Off

Sure, every person affiliated with baseball - umpires, players, coaches, and fans alike - is familiar with what is referred to as "the walk-off." Baseball experts and amateurs alike define the walk-off as a hit (for it usually is a hit or home run) that ends the game, winning it for the home team. The Official Baseball Rules (OBR) doesn't even use the verbiage "walk-off"; instead, Rule 4.11(c) simply states that a game shall end immediately if "the home team scores the winning run in its half of the ninth inning (or its half of an extra inning after a tie)."

Most dedicated fans of the game are also aware of the fact that a walk-off refers to the losing team walking off the field as a result of the winning hit; it does not refer to the winning team because they are presumably so excited they are skipping, jumping, or jogging... they aren't walking. The term first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 21, 1988 when Lowell Cohn wrote about A's pitcher Dennis Eckersley's "Eck-isms," one of which was "walkoff pieces," referring to a home run that ends the game under Rule 4.11(c). The UEFL rarely discusses the walk-off, as when a game ends under Rule 4.11(c), an ejection rarely follows. But even without an game ending ejection today, Penwhale wrote about a unique kind of walk-off:

I know this doesn't apply here, but the balk-off to end Mets-Braves on 6/16 deserves a mention and perhaps people can talk about their balk stories (in addition to talking about their ejection stories).

Penwhale is referring to the "balk-off" called on Mets pitcher D.J.Carrasco, which scored Braves baserunner Diory Hernandez to end the 6/16/11 Mets-Braves contest in the bottom of the 10th inning. Though this balk off (different broadcast feed) is hardly the first balk-off in baseball history: the Braves were last involved in a balk-off during the September 9, 2008 Rockies-Braves contest, the balk-off is rarer than the more common walk-off which occurs just about every day or two. MLB saw its last balk-off on May 31, 2010, in which the Dodgers defeated the Diamondbacks on an Esmerling Vasquez balk which scored Dodgers baserunner Casey Blake.

And here's an interesting footnote for statistical coincidence fans - two of the umpires who called the balk on Vasquez last May 31, 2B Umpire Tim Tschida and 3B Umpire Bob Davidson, both had ejections today. And the third most recent ejection (on Tuesday) was credited to, you guessed it, the Plate Umpire from the May 31st contest, Alfonso Marquez.

Discussion Point: What's the craziest ending - under Rule 4.11(c) or otherwise - that you've ever seen or have participated in (as an umpire, player, etc.)? Have you ever called a "balk-off"?

Ejections: Tim Tschida (2)

3B Umpire Tim Tschida ejected A's Manager Bob Melvin for Unsportsmanlike-NEC in the top of the 3rd inning of the Royals-A's game. It is unclear which particular play Melvin was arguing when ejected; Quality of Correctness only applies to calls made directly prior to ejection, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the A's were leading, 4-0. The A's ultimately won the contest, 8-4.

This is Tim Tschida (4)'s second ejection of 2011.
Tim Tschida now has 2 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (-2 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 2).
Tim Tschida is owned as a Secondary Umpire by jhagen88, who is now tied for 29th place in the UEFL with 2 points.
*This call is correct under UEFL Rules 6.b.ii.e and 6.e.iii.

This is the 77th ejection of 2011.
This is the 41st Manager ejection of 2011.
This is Bob Melvin's first ejection of 2011 and first ejection as A's Manager.

Wrap: KC @ OAK 6/16/11 Wrap
Video: N/A

Ejections: Bob Davidson (3)

HP Umpire Bob Davidson ejected Blue Jays catcher Jose Molina for arguing a strike call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Orioles-Blue Jays game. With none out and none on, Molina took a 0-0 fastball from Orioles pitcher Jason Berken for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located thigh high and over the outside corner of home plate, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 2-2. The Orioles ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

This is Bob Davidson (6)'s third ejection of 2011.
Bob Davidson now has 6 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (2 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 6).
Bob Davidson is owned as a Primary Umpire by Bino, who is now tied for 11th place in the UEFL with 9 points.
Bob Davidson is owned as a Primary Umpire by BGMTOM, who is now in 23rd place in the UEFL with 5 points.
Bob Davidson is owned as a Secondary Umpire by BrooklynUmp, who is now tied for 11th place in the UEFL with 9 points.

This is the 76th ejection of 2011.
This is the 34th player ejection of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Molina was 0-3 in the contest.

Wrap: BAL @ TOR 6/16/11 Wrap
Video: Davidson Tosses Molina

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Discussions: Miscellaneous Edition

Over the recent days, we have seen quite a few interesting plays worthy of discussion. This post will address a couple of them; and comments will be open to discuss any of the given plays.

Our first play was brought to our attention by Dan both here on blogspot and on our Facebook page. Dan writes to us:

I thought this might make for a good discussion. It's from Monday night's Mets/Pirates game. Jerry Layne called Jose Reyes for interference on baserunner Jose Tabata, as Tabata was running in between second and third based. I would be curious to see if everyone thinks this was a good call or not.

As Dan mentions, he is referring to the 6/13/11 Mets-Pirates game. In the bottom of the 1st inning, with none out and one on, Pirates batter Xavier Paul singled to Mets center fielder Angel Pagan. Pagan threw to third basemen Justin Turner who tagged out Pirates R1 Jose Tabata. However, 2B Umpire Jerry Layne ruled that Mets shortstop Jose Reyes obstructed Tabata on his way to third base and awarded Tabata third. The play can be seen here. According to Rule 2.00, obstruction is defined as: "the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner." Obstruction is dictated by Rule 7.06, which states, "When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal 'Obstruction.'" More specifically to our situation, Rule 7.06(b) states, "If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call 'Time' and impose such penalties, if any, as in his judgment will nullify the act of obstruction."

Discussion Point: Was Layne's call correct? What standard or guidelines can be used to determine whether obstruction occurred or not, both in general and on this particular play?

Our second play also occurred during the Mets-Pirates series during the 6/12/11 game, which also included an ejection by Bob Davidson and an ejection by Jerry Layne. Anonymous writes to us:

This happens on the play before the ejection [of Hurdle]...
Can anyone see Pagan touch second, or is this a "he went by the base so he must have touched it" type of ruling?

Anonymous refers to a play that occurred during the top of the 7th inning (that can be seen here). Mets batter Jason Bay flied out to Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen. Mets R3 Daniel Murphy tagged up and scored on the play. However, Mets R1 Angel Pagan did not tag up from first base and rounded second base. As Pagan attempted to return to first base, he failed to retouch second base on appeal, thus making the third and final out of the inning. This particular play brings us back to a previous case play (this shows us those case plays our bound to show up!), as well as a previous umpire odds & ends that are quite similar to the situation in this game. This gives us a basis for a discussion. We will leave this as an open discussion on appeal plays and the importance for umpires to be vigilant of the runners, situation (outs, scored runs, etc.) and the rules, but also this particular play with relevant rules 7.10(b) and 7.12.

Ejections: Alfonso Marquez (2)

HP Umpire Alfonso Marquez ejected Cubs Manager Mike Quade for arguing a ball call in the top of the 9th inning of the Brewers-Cubs game. With none out and none on, Brewers batter Prince Fielder took a 2-2 slider from Cubs pitcher Carlos Marmol for a called ball three. Replays indicate the pitch was located thigh high, but off the outer half of the plate, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 4-4. The Cubs ultimately won the contest, 5-4, in 10 innings.

This is Alfonso Marquez (72)'s second ejection of 2011.
Alfonso Marquez now has 8 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (4 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 8).
Alfonso Marquez was not drafted in 2011.

This is the 75th ejection of 2011.
This is the 40th manager ejection of 2011.
This is Mike Quade's second ejection of 2011.

Wrap: MIL @ CHC 6/14/11 Wrap
Video: Quade is Ejected by Marquez

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Ejections: John Tumpane (1, 2)

HP Umpire John Tumpane ejected Rays Manager Joe Maddon and pitcher David Price for arguing an out call in the top of the 7th inning of the Rays-Tigers game. With one out and three on, Rays batter Casey Kotchman flied out to Tigers right fielder Magglio Ordonez on a 3-2 fastball. Rays R3 Justin Ruggiano was ruled out at home, Ordonez to Tigers catcher Alex Avila. Replays indicate that Avila did not touch Ruggiano on his swipe tag attempt before Ruggiano touched the plate, the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Tigers were leading, 1-0. The Tigers ultimately won the contest, 2-1, in 10 innings.

These are John Tumapne (74)'s first and second ejection of 2011.
John Tumpane now has -4 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 3 AAA + -1 Penalty + -4 Incorrect Call + 3 AAA + -1 Penalty + -4 Incorrect Call = -4)

John Tumpane was undrafted in 2011.
*Quality of Correctness was challenged and confirmed ("Incorrect" => "Incorrect")

These are the 73rd and 74th ejections of 2011.
This is the 39th manager ejection of 2011.

This is the 33rd player ejection of 2011.

This is Joe Maddon's third ejection of 2011.
David Price did not participate in this contest.

These are John Tumpane's first and second career ejections.

Wrap: TB @ DET 6/13/11 Wrap
Video: Maddon is Ejected by Tumpane

Video (2): Alternative Angle

Ejections: Bob Davidson (2)

HP Umpire Bob Davidson ejected Pirates right fielder Matt Diaz for arguing a strike one call in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Mets-Pirates game. With none out and none on, Pirates batter Andrew McCutchen took a 0-0 fastball for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located navel high and over the inner half of home plate, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Mets were leading, 7-0. The Mets ultimately won the contest, 7-0.

This is Bob Davidson (6)'s second ejection of 2011.
Bob Davidson now has 2 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (-2 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 2).
Bob Davidson is owned as a Primary Umpire by Bino, who is now in 22nd place in the UEFL with 5 points.
Bob Davidson is owned as a Primary Umpire by BGMTOM, who is now tied for 29th place in the UEFL with 1 point.
Bob Davidson is owned as a Secondary Umpire by BrooklynUmp, who is now tied for 19th place in the UEFL with 6 points.

This is the 72nd ejection of 2011.
This is the 32nd player ejection of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Diaz was 0-4 in the contest.

Wrap: NYM @ PIT 6/12/11 Wrap
Video: Diaz is tossed by Davidson

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Ejections: Alan Porter (1)

HP Umpire Alan Porter ejected Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Cubs-Phillies game. With one out and none on, Phillies batter Roy Oswalt took a 3-2 fastball from Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located at the knees and over the middle of the plate, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Cubs were leading, 3-2. The Phillies ultimately won the contest, 4-3 .

This is Alan Porter (64)'s first ejection of 2011.
Alan Porter now has 5 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 3 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 5)
Alan Porter was undrafted in 2011.

This is the 71st ejection of 2011.
This is the 38th manager ejection of 2011.
This is Charlie Manuel's second ejection of 2011.
This is Alan Porter's first career MLB ejection.

Wrap: CHC @ PHI 6/12/11 Wrap
Video: Manuel is Ejected

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Ejections: Jerry Layne (1)

3B Umpire Jerry Layne ejected Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle for arguing an out (catch) call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Mets-Pirates game. With none out and none on, Pirates batter Lyle Overbay flied out to Mets center fielder Angel Pagan on a 3-1 pitch. Replays indicate that the ball did not hit the wall, but rather the ball entered the glove of Pagan as Pagan's glove was against the wall, the call was correct. Hurdle was simultaneously ejected by Layne and HP Umpire Bob Davidson; Layne is credited with the ejection as Crew Chief and per the official box score. At the time of the ejection, the Mets were leading, 1-0. The Mets ultimately won the contest, 7-0.

This is Jerry Layne (24)'s first ejection of 2011.
Jerry Layne now has 3 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB +1 Correct Call [Crewmate]= 3)

Jerry Layne is owned as a Primary Umpire by 15_and_done, who is now tied for 19th place in the UEFL with 6 points.

Jerry Layne is owned as a Secondary Umpire by KTurner14, who is now tied for 19th place in the UEFL with 6 points.

This is the 70th ejection of 2011.
This is the 37th manager ejection of 2011.
This is Clint Hurdle's second ejection of 2011.

Wrap: NYM @ PIT 6/12/11 Wrap
Video: Hurdle is Tossed