This is Jerry Meals (41)'s second ejection of 2012.
Jerry Meals now has 2 points in the UEFL (4 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = 2).
Crew Chief Gary Darling now has 7 points in UEFL's Crew Division (7 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 7).
This is the 72nd ejection of 2012.
This is the 37th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is the Dodgers' 7th ejection of 2012, 1st in the NL West (SD 2; SF, COL 1) & tied for 1st in MLB (DET).
This is Don Mattingly's first ejection since June 4 (D.J. Reyburn; QOC = Incorrect) and 4th of 2012.
This is Jerry Meals' first ejection since May 23 (Lloyd McClendon; QOC = Correct).
55 comments :
Dale Scott just ran Astros pitching coach Doug Brocail
Awful call, this is practically Pirates. Braves part two, except this wasn't a walk-off safe call in the 14th inning. Just a bad blown call that cost the Dodgers the game. Mattingly was absolutely livid at Meals and Darling who appeared to signal "safe" as Meals did "out." Looked like Mattingly bumped Darling at the end near home plate. Huge call, b
What was Meals looking at? Looks like he got suckered into that call by the Sox. Pretty bad missed call.
Replay showed meals wasn't even looking at Treanor as he left the bag! How can he make that call!
Umpiring 101 for what NOT to do. You have to be sure about a appeal out. To be sure, you have to actually look at the base and runner. Ouch.
Bad call by an umpire who now has a track record of making bad calls. Big time mistake by Jerry Meals. Bailed out by the Dodgers coming back to tie in the ninth and win on Dee Gordon rbi in the tenth. Sigh of relief for umpiring community.
Wow. Not really that close, either. And catch where Meals's eyes are, too.
http://30fps.mocksession.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012-June-17-17-57-9.jpg
And, you bet Brocail got canned in the 9th. Which, considering the pitch he was thrown out over was the strike called in the lower portion of the zone, picked the wrong one to get tossed over. http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/location.php-pitchSel=457779&game=gid_2012_06_17_houmlb_texmlb_1&batterX=0&innings=nnnnnnnny&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gif
Don't know what Meals was thinking. Proposal that APPEAL PLAYS ONLY should be subject to instant replay? After all, It's a natural break in the action and wouldn't disrupt flow after the fact. Easy to review for a huge call that could be a game changer. I mean, this was obviously screwed up.
i had the game on sat radio. treanor even SOUNDED safe.
Mattingly video: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22384365&c_id=mlb
Brocail video: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22385045&c_id=mlb
Good job by Miller coming over to break it up, he's a more efficient crew chief than Scott is. As for the actual ejection, I'd guess it probably takes a lot to get tossed from the dugout by Dale Scott.
Why hasnt the website posted the Brocail ejection??
Yes, this was an atrocious call and one of the worst umpiring moments of the year. In Wrigley, Cubs fans would have littered the entire outfield for this kind of a call. However, it did appear Mattingly fired up his team and sure enough, they pulled it off. As basketball would say, 'ball don't lie.'
Mattingly knew Meals really screwed the pooch and I guess he just got po'd that Darling called time as the first appeal was made, prolonging the experience. To be fair, Darling, Barry AND Emmel had time out on the play when they tried to appeal the first time (can't appeal a dead ball!), so Meals made a mistake there too. Then, I'm assuming, when time was put back in, Mattingly was upset that (in his mind), the Sox got two chances to appeal, which obviously, if it happened, would be against MLB rules. I'm convinced Darling did this play right and Meals really messed every aspect about this play up as bad as he could possibly blow the call.
That's why Mattingly got tossed - he knew Meals was way off-base in his wacky out call and wasn't going to leave until he got his say. Maybe Don even is playing against someone who owns Meals in the UEFL and wanted Meals to get some negative points.
I will be INCREDIBLY interested to see if Mattingly gets suspended for drawing this one out. On the one hand, this was a dreadfully bad call by Meals. As Vin Scully said, Darling calling time in advance of the first appeal didn't help matters, but hey, time was out (they were putting a new ball into play). Meals should have picked up on that and withheld the out mechanic. Anywho, my interest lies in whether Joe Torre (aka Donny Baseball's Father for Father's Day) would dare suspend one of his own friends on one of his own former teams for a clear mistake one of his current employees (e.g. Umpire Meals) made.
Hmmm.... Considering Papsmear, er papelbon, didn't get suspended for blasting the umps in philly when Paps had a bad day and the umpires made the correct calls, I doubt Mattingly will get suspended when his outburst is actually warranted.
Young umpires, take heed: This is what happens when you guess. Trainwreck city.
Personally, I see absolutely no reason for Mattingly to be suspended.
I'd like to see Jerry's angle somehow. From 100ft over head, and simultaneously looking in 2 different directions, the mistake is quite clear.
I submit, at ground level, and 300ft away, it mite not look so clear. Jerry's height could have been a factor.
However, I really expect Jerry to get himself out of this call. He had plenty of time to think about it, and yet he still couldn't find a way to get it right.
I expect more from a Big league umpire.
If your posting any reference to the Pirate call last year, your way out of line. Chastising an umpire 1,000's of calls later is well.......KMA
Btw...
I did not see a bump, and not sure why Torre would even look at this tape?
Yeah, that call looks bad -- really bad. The miscommunication about time being called before the appeal didn't make it look any better. Shame...Meals is a fine umpire, but on the wrong end of some really bad ones lately.
Catcher requests time, Darling grants it. The precise language of Rule 7.10 regarding appeals states that "If the defensive team on its first appeal errs, a request for a second appeal on the same runner at the same base shall not be allowed by the umpire." Unfortunately, Meals calling Treanor out during the time out dead ball period makes it seem to the Dodgers that two successive appeals on the same runner at the same base have occurred. But time out negates the appeal - there is no such thing as an attempted play during a dead ball.
Watching this game, Bobby Abreu tagged up from third on Rivera's sac fly in the ninth, was hoping the Sox didn't appeal that one because... well... I guess you never know.
The definition/interpretation of "err" is quite specific -- it only refers to a live ball being thrown out of play.
Isn't this the same umpire who blew the call In the pirates braves game last year when he guessed something happened but didn't see it?
Full disclosure. I'm a Dodgers fan. I am also an umpire. That said, I can't tell you how much, as an umpire, I appreciate having the best broadcaster in the history of the game, Vin Scully. He gets it, which is such a rarity in baseball.
"Before the appeal was made and following the play, when that play ended, you see, [Darling] is calling time, even though Meals called Treanor out. Then time was back in and the White Sox said, okay, we'll appeal a second time and the appeal was granted...What complicated matters the most is that Gary had called time out before the first appeal.
"Once in a blue moon, they'll appeal a runner leaving third too soon and this time it jumped up and bit Treanor. Jerry Meals has been in the league for over 15 years and he's been around. And he's talking a lot from Mattingly right now, calmy with his arms folded. Jerry started umpiring as a teenager in Little League games.
"Here's the original play, Treanor tagging up on the catch. I cannot possibly see both things at the same time. Mattingly is absolutely furious talking at Gary Darling and Darling talking back at him, and Mattingly is spending house money now with Gary Darling. And Mattingly is not finished, he is like a terrier with a bone and he has chewed out both umpires and gets a round of applause; however, all the chewing out doesn't help and there's a big round zero on the scoreboard."
Now, and this is why I love the White Sox and Dodgers, compare Vin's artful mastery of storytelling to Ken Harrelson on the Sox feed letting his analyst do most of the play-by-play, the following are Hawk's excerpts:
"Yeah, he just gave him the boot. Well for anybody that knows Don Mattingly as hard, well, haha, he can get that hot. Same thing as Robin [Ventura]. He had somebody look at it.
"Now that's. Hehe. I don't blame him. I could see Treanor in my periphery when Rios made the catch and I don't think he left early. I've never seen him this hot and I've known Donny a long time."
"Tell you who may have sold that play was Escobar, pointing at third base immediately. Escobar immediately went there."
So Scully tells a story and Hawk, I would say surprisingly, ceases being his normal homer self and actually sides with the opposing team, I guess the call was that egregious to him.
And LOL at Nancy Bea Hefley on the ballpark organ playing Happy Talk before the Mattingly-Meals argument/ejection. Reminds me of "Good vibes, good vibes."
(Anonymous 10:20 PM Continued): Former ESPN anchor Charlie Steiner: "Runs have been so hard to come by for the Dodgers that even when they get one, they take it away. Don Mattingly is torqued and he's still going at it. This is as angry as I've ever seen Don Mattingly and I've known him for 20 years."
Rick Monday: "More than anything, he was irritated as Jerry Meal's non-involvement in the play and he's not through yet. Right now, umpires are paying more attention to Mattingly leaving the dugout than Mattingly thought they were paying to Treanor leaving third base."
I think Mattingly has finally proven himself to be a Los Angeles Dodger.
@10:20 & 10:26, then I guess you must love Hawk's description of the Dee Gordon walk-off RBI: "Game over."
That was a cluster f*ck all around.
As someone who is not an umpire, let me ask--is this one of those times where there just isn't a way to get a good angle to see both the catch and the runner, or is it a case of "that's about #30 on the list of things that might happen, so it's better to be in a position to call the stuff that's more likely"?
I did also want to point out something smart that Gordon did on the "live" appeal--take off for third. Had the Sox pitcher gone for it and tried to make a play on him, that would have killed the appeal, and the run would have stood--correct?
@ scott and others who have asked how hard a call this is and how it can be missed..... Meals has what looks to be an angle to see the catch and the runner but the distance gained was not nearly enough which results in his optical illusion. By the runner moving his upper body it looks as though he gets a head start but in fact his foot is still on the base.
We've talked about optical illusions before on plays at first. In meals' mind because he does not have the distance he needs due the fact the ball was more of a line drive then a fly ball .... he sees the body move never taking into account where the foot was and makes the realistic conclusion that the runner left early... but ooops he didn't and this is what you have.... This isn't as bad of a call as many of you guys are saying as until you get out there on a professional field and take this play for yourself you have NO idea.
on the inital video you can see meals begin to move backwards after the runner tags.. if he had had that disatnce on the play originally this is not a miss.... The key to the video is at about 1:06 where you can get a feel of this play.
Also, if a play on gordon was made the appeal would have been negated which would have been interesting.
How do you guess out on a tag up? You need to clearly see this but it has happened before. Let's not forget McClelland's fiasco of an ALCS in 2009. Not only did he miss two guys off the bag but he also incorrectly called an Angel out for leaving early at third base. Thus taking a run off the board. Only later to be proven wrong on all accounts. Could this be why his son got an internship with the Yankees the following year.....or now another internship with the A's this year?? Conflict of interest......you decide.
I don't know if they do this in the pros but some teams check to see what the ump is looking at. If he is not doing his job (watching a base touch or tag up) they will appeal to see if they can get something.
I am so annoyed at some of my fellow umpires who do not look at the touches of bases that I know that if I were a coach I would appeal *every time* they didn't watch a base touch or retouch. *Every* time. Eventually they'd have to do their jobs or they'd have to eject me.
And this is why I couldn't be a coach.
If surly foul-mouth Gary Darling wants to yell at somebody he should go down past third and yell at Too Short for calling crap he did not see and wasn't even looking at.
@ Anon 10:07
If you had to listen to the nonsense that Major League umpires have to put up with on a regular basis, you might yell too.
Also, if you think Meals is too short, then how do you explain his reaching the Major Leagues?
Weird call to get wrong I must say. usually - with watching a guys foot and the 1st touch of the ball the only thing you have to do, not only do you get a good look but you typically only call him out if it is clear he left early. Maybe the keyed off his upper body start instead of when his foot left?
And I'm sure Don Mattingly used no profanity whatsoever. (sarcasm)
we seem to attracted some trolls to this site... Why do i figure the guy talking about height is 5-3
Do Umpires rule? As a professionally trained MLB umpire, (RIP Harry Wendlestead). I do know Jerry Meals is blowing too many calls. I would hope that his perfermance evaluations will reflect such bad calls and amount of ejections. the thing is, those managers will have a say in Jerry's career.Charlie Reliford, MLB Umpire Supervisor, I hope your paying attention.Do Major League Umpires ever get send down or released? Just ask the umpires who went on strike a 12 years ago.
@ Anon 3:35
He is blowing too many calls? Or is it two many?
I agree with tmac. The problem here is Jerry's angle. I would have expected him to be farther off the line, and probably closer to the plate, even in front of the bag. It's hard to believe that he got a good look in that position.
Jerry Meals is 5'8". As such, he is the shortest MLB umpire, and probably shorter than 99% of the league. That he is in the majors at this height speaks volumes about the umpiring skill he must have shown coming up.
And I don't blame Darling a bit. That was a really long 'discussion' from a guy who had already been tossed.
5'8"?
I didn't know they stacked shit that high.
For those that think blown calls should not have an impact on an umpires career, how do you justify the poor quality of a call like this? I am not advocating anything dramatic like sending him down for this missed call, but there is a big difference between this call and the earlier call for which he is infamous. To me, his call against Pittsburgh was truly a close call. But this missed call reveals much more. It indicates he is willing to just guess even if he does not see the play, or maybe that he can be manipulated into calls. The lack of "quality" this blown call reveals problems that may not be apparent just because there is not a high "quantity" of blown calls. Again, I am not suggesting anything drastic, but this call is inexcusable. It has to have some impact on his credibility/competence.
@Anon8:36
Totally agree.
@ Anon 3:35
I'm not saying that you are or are not a professionally trained umpire, but I went to the school you claim to have attended. I believe most of Harry's graduates know that the correct spelling of his name is "Wendelstedt."
Beyond that, I'm not really sure what your point is. Should he be fired? Sent down? What does the strike have to do with this play? Managers have some, but very little, say in an umpire's career.
I, too, will happily register for an account if I know that it will help get some who make very questionable claims off this site.
Meals should not be demoted because of this sort of call. Everyone makes mistakes. As Lenny (SIMPSONS) says, "That's why pencils have erasers."
However, I think performance should be measured. You blow 3 horrendous calls, you get demoted.
Why should the men in blue be held to a lower standard than the rest of the American workforce?
And oh, anyone know where Phil Lockett (NFL official) is these days after making a few mistakes in the NFL?
Working at Bob's Bakery, because he certainly is not officiating NFL games.
I could not agree more. Accountability. W/o that we might as well all be living in cages flinging feces at each other.
"Do Umpires rule? As a professionally trained MLB umpire, (RIP Harry Wendlestead). I do know Jerry Meals is blowing too many calls. I would hope that his perfermance evaluations will reflect such bad calls and amount of ejections. the thing is, those managers will have a say in Jerry's career.Charlie Reliford, MLB Umpire Supervisor, I hope your paying attention.Do Major League Umpires ever get send down or released? Just ask the umpires who went on strike a 12 years ago. "
Cool. But if he was not sure (which clearly he must not have been given the angle) why bang him out as opposed to letting things proceed unfettered?
"The problem here is Jerry's angle. I would have expected him to be farther off the line, and probably closer to the plate, even in front of the bag. It's hard to believe that he got a good look in that position."
Poor Jerry. Blew another call last night at the Big A. Giants had Erick Aybar dead to right at first base, yet Meals somehow called him safe. Bochy came out to argue, but no ejection. Kicked call for sure.
Anybody that knows anything..........
Knows that umpiring baseball is pure circumstance. If it is your night to be in the shit house, there's nothing that can be done.
Jerry happens to be the guy who is on the hook for 2 tuff calls. Like I said, "we" all know it might happen to us 5 times in 1 week, or we might go 2 seasons without getting stuck in the shit house.
Has anyone stopped to consider that everyone is basing their opionion on a split screen replay that is spliced together from some assistant who is sitting in the parking lot production truck????
Dude. It was a bad call, it was a throw-away play. Jerry just screwed up, made a mistake.
Btw, the heading says this is Meals first ejection. It's actually his second.
Post a Comment