HP Umpire Andy Fletcher ejected Reds 2B Brandon Phillips for arguing a strike (swinging) call in the top of the 8th inning of the Reds-Astros game. With none out and none on, Phillips attempted to check his swing on a 0-2 slider from Astros pitcher Hector Ambriz. Replays indicate Phillips attempted to strike the pitch and his checked attempt was unsuccessful, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 1-1. The Astros ultimately won the contest, 2-1.
This is Andy Fletcher (49)'s first ejection of 2012.
Andy Fletcher now has 4 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Joe West now has 6 points in the UEFL's Crew Division (5 Previous + 1 Correct = 6).
UEFL Standings Update
This is the 146th ejection of 2012.
This is the 63rd player ejection of 2012. Prior to his ejection, Phillips was 0-4 in the contest.
This is the Reds' 3rd ejection of 2012, 6th in the NL Central (MIL 6; HOU 5; CHC, PIT, STL 4; CIN 3).
This is Brandon Phillips' first career MLB ejection.
This is Andy Fletcher's first ejection since June 26, 2011 (Elvis Andrus/Ron Washington; QOC = Incorrect).
Wrap: Reds at Astros, 9/01/12
This is Andy Fletcher (49)'s first ejection of 2012.
Andy Fletcher now has 4 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Joe West now has 6 points in the UEFL's Crew Division (5 Previous + 1 Correct = 6).
UEFL Standings Update
This is the 146th ejection of 2012.
This is the 63rd player ejection of 2012. Prior to his ejection, Phillips was 0-4 in the contest.
This is the Reds' 3rd ejection of 2012, 6th in the NL Central (MIL 6; HOU 5; CHC, PIT, STL 4; CIN 3).
This is Brandon Phillips' first career MLB ejection.
This is Andy Fletcher's first ejection since June 26, 2011 (Elvis Andrus/Ron Washington; QOC = Incorrect).
Wrap: Reds at Astros, 9/01/12
Video: Fletcher rings Phillips up, deems no need to appeal (CIN)
Finally, Fletcher gets in on the action. Why does the video say Jerry Meals?
ReplyDeleteYeah but not sure this one was warranted. I'm never not on the umps side, but watching the whole video, I don't think Phillips said a word. Please someone show me I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have my doubts too Joe. However, as the Cardinals are my fav NL team, I don't mind seeing Phillips get the boot.
ReplyDeleteI dont know know whats more surprising. Brandon Phillips getting ejected or the fact that the Astros beat the Reds who have the best record in baseball this year.
ReplyDeletedamn mlb not showing us the hook....love seeing fletcher (or welke's) left handed hook----reminds me of...well....me!
ReplyDeleteam i the only one who didn't like Fletcher's approach post EJ.. Granted Dusty needs to get out there quicker, BUT Fletch outhing "goodbye" more then once comes off as arrogant..... Good call but post EJ needed to be handled better IMO
ReplyDeleteLooks like the video says Jerry Meals because MLB folks don't know what they're doing. Or MLB is assuming controversy = Meals.
ReplyDeletePhillips apologized to fans and umpires for his actions on twitter. So he, at the minimum, is publicly accepting of this ejection.
ReplyDeleteMaybe phillips was not apologizing for the EJ per se, but because they ended up losing the game on a walk-off error at 2B, where he should've been fielding.
ReplyDeleteinteresting enough the game ended because of Phillips replacement (Wilson Valdez) making an error
ReplyDeleteBrantley is a former MLB player and he does not know there is no appeal on a swing ruled a strike.
ReplyDeleteThis is a correct call, but I don't believe that an ejection was warranted through Phillips actions leading up to said ejection. I personally believe that Phillips (or any batter in this situation) is correct that he should be able to appeal to the 1B umpire, just as a catcher does. There is very little way that a HP umpire can both view the pitch all the way to the mitt and be focusing on how far the batter checks his swing. It is already documented that humans (both umpires and batters) lose track of the ball over the last 6 feet that it travels towards the plate, and I believe there is that this creates an impossible situation for the HP umpire by making this call on his own. The 1B umpire has the better angle and is watching for this, and Fletcher needs to cede control and ask for help. He gets the call correct in this situation, but it is more due to luck than actual skill. He only compounds his errors by adding in a quick hook of Phillips for no verbal or visual action of showing him up.
ReplyDeleteROFLMAO...ok Mitch
DeleteMitch, although I agree with your principle about checking even if it's called a swing and it does sound "fair", it would open up a mess of arguments about the why for calling it a strike. Coaches would have a field day with arguments over the pitch being a strike on location alone and ejections/problems would probably increase not decrease about getting the call right.
ReplyDeleteAnd the whole last 6 feet thing, I think is just poor umpiring. Properly trained umpires with good to great tracking skills and timing have that pitch the whole way.
ReplyDeleteThe final 5-6 feet, is related to the human blink reflex, not poor umpiring. If you notice during slow-motion replays of pitches to the plate, both the catcher and umpire actually close their eyes as the pitch reaches the plate. It is a natural human reflex that ultimately cannot be controlled. Because of this, the last few feet of a pitch physically cannot be seen all the way. This is not a knock on umpires at all, just a scientific fact.
ReplyDeleteMitch,
ReplyDeleteYou are obviousley not an umpire.
Two calls that can never be changed are:
Foul becomes fair, except when dealing with a HR
Strike becomes a ball.
Check swing strikes are NOT APPEALABLE.
Also, I've watched 98MPH Fastballs from behind the plate and don't blink. Umpires are trained not to blink. Once in a while it happens, but if you blink you miss the entire pitch.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI wasn't necessarily advocating that Phillips should be able to appeal the Strike --> Ball, but that the HP umpire should immediately defer to the umpire with the better view to properly make the call instead of relying on gut instinct.
So, does anyone working the plate on here ever call the batter on a check swing? When? When he wraps the bat around his body. Anyone can call that one. You might as well just point your strike call. No need to point at the batter on a swing that is a can of corn. On the other hand, if you are on the bases, your partner should point to you all day long if the batter even flinches at a pitch. Just go ahead and get help on everything everywhere and put the onus on your partner and let him clean up the mess all day while you walk into the playoffs because you have no ejections or arguments all your life because you throw them all to your partner under the guise of saying everyone should get help on anything questionable. Cripes, if you see the batter go on a checkswing, ring him up. Will you get every single one of them correct on replay. No. but, you will not get all the bangers at the other bases correct on replay either.
ReplyDeleteYou can clearly see Phillips say, "Man, you suck." This is after he asks him to appeal. It doesn't look like he yelled it, but just said it under his breath. Obviously loud enough for him Andy to hear. Obvious ejection here...it wasn't for asking for an appeal to first, it was because he said the magic words.
ReplyDeleteWell first off, MLB really needs to officially define a swing/check swing. That would cut down a lot of arguments. Since there isn't a definition, if the umpire says you swung you did, but when it's this close, appeal. Make sure the umpire with the best view makes the correct call. Especially when the strike wasn't dropped or anything. No need to rush, get it right. I mean even from the side view it was hard to tell.
ReplyDeletePrediction time, if i were to guess the umpires for the New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays series, either Joe West crew who already did 2 series down there in tampa, or prob will be HP: Mark Wegner 1B: Brian Knight 2B: Wally Bell 3B: Mike Winters. Great chance its that crew^. Small chance it could be darlings crew because they were in miami, and that fairly close to tampa, but there probably going out west now for there games, again idk what will happen with the crews and destinations.
ReplyDeleteThis will be a good series, and you know A ROD will be beaned.
ReplyDeletehttp://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=6973215
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12045455
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12117903
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19673317
Wally Bell, Tom Hallion, Lance Barksdale, Paul Schrieber from 2009 to 2011
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19673317
ReplyDeletehttp://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7002081
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7000735
Just remember, the catcher hears everything the batter says to umpire and goes over and tells his whole team what the batter said and they all lose respect for the umpire who does not take care of business.
ReplyDelete"Just remember, the catcher hears everything the batter says to umpire and goes over and tells his whole team what the batter said and they all lose respect for the umpire who does not take care of business. "
ReplyDeleteNot all of the time.
That's weird that Darlings crew is in MIA for the brewers sereis. They just finished up the last series in MIA vs Mets
ReplyDeletei think thats a mistake because its says that for all of the games. For example it Gary Cederstrom's crew for Cleveland- Detroit when they just finished the White Sox- Tigers series. Or for the Rockies-Braves it has Hernandez, Conroy, Hickox, Carlson when they just this past weekend worked the Phillies- Braves. We will have to see if it was a mistake or whether or not the same crews will work in the same cities (probably not)
ReplyDeleteOne crew that was not he same was PHI at CIN crew- Nelson, Guccione, Welke, Triple AAA fill in
Tichenor, Randazzo, Davidson, Gorman yankees v rays
ReplyDeleteAccording to Game Day, Clint Fagan is the first base umpire for the Cubs-Nationals game, along with Bill Miller, Mike Estabrook, and Jerry Layne.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees- Rays is Tichenor, Gorman, Randazzo, Davidson
this is all messed up they have jordan baker working home plate in toronto, and third base in pittsburgh. barksdale the same thing
ReplyDeleteWell, it looks like the Cederstrom crew is indeed still in Detroit.
ReplyDeletejoyce's crew is still in toronto, after working the last series here as well...lance barrett has the plate, not baker.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that multiple crews appear to be staying in the same place is interesting. Does anyone know what the reason is?
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, Terry Francona was complimentary of Adrian Johnson's performance last night, I think Francona tends to lean towards favoring the umps.
Toby Basner is working his first career MLB plate job in St Louis today. Congrats to him!
ReplyDeletehas clint fagen worked an MLB game before...thought I saw him somewhere today?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the link below, Fagan has previous MLB experience.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.milb.com/documents/2012/06/21/33693096/1/Triple-A_All-Star_Umpires_Announced.pdf
where the crews are staying over they only have one game not a series...
ReplyDeletebalkin bob just tossed maddon for arguing an out call on a stolen base- really good call from the close up on the YES telecast- maybe just to fire up his squad in the opener of an important series
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what it was. When maddon is mad, he gets really fired up. Here he just kept talking and talking until he finally got tossed.
ReplyDeleteMaddon also has a really good record of getting tossed only when it's a clearly blown call. This is the first time this season he got tossed on a call that was not clearly incorrect (not sure if it was or not, really close)
ReplyDelete