Ejection 021: Tim Timmons (1)

HP Umpire Tim Timmons ejected Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly for arguing a strike call in the top of the 5th inning of the Dodgers-Cubs game. With two out and two on, Dodgers batter Bobby Abreu took a 1-1 slider from Cubs pitcher Chris Volstad for a called second strike. Replays indicate both the called first strike and called second strike were located below the hollow of the knee (pz values of 1.611, 1.387; sz_bot value of 1.79), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Dodgers were leading, 5-0. The Dodgers ultimately won the contest, 5-1.

This is Tim Timmons (95)'s first ejection of 2012.
Tim Timmons now has -2 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Crew Chief Jeff Kellogg now has 0 point in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).
*After review, Quality of Correctness has been affirmed 5-1 by the UEFL Appeals Board.

UEFL Standings Update

This is the 21st ejection of 2012.
This is the 7th player ejection of 2012.
This is Ted Lilly's first ejection of 2012 & third career ejection (2007 [Jim Wolf], '09 [Bob Davidson]).
This is the second consecutive day in which Jeff Kellogg's crew has had an incorrect Balls/Strikes ejection.

Wrap: Dodgers at Cubs 5/5/12
Video: Dodgers bench erupts in laughter as Timmons ejects Lilly for questioning strike zone from dugout

Ejection 020: Rob Drake (1)

HP Umpire Rob Drake ejected Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel for arguing a ball (no swing) call in the bottom of the 1st inning of the Phillies-Nationals game. With one out and one on, Nationals batter Bryce Harper attempted to check his swing on a 3-1 pitch from Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick. With Joe West not umpiring (illness, cold) and a runner on first, no umpire was at third base and the check-swing appeal went to Umpire Andy Fletcher, who was positioned at second base. Replays indicate Harper did not attempt to strike the pitch, the call was correct. The call is now incorrect.^ At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 0-0. The Nationals ultimately won the contest, 4-3, in 11 innings.

This is Rob Drake (30)'s first ejection of 2012.
Rob Drake now has -2 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2).
(Interim) Crew Chief Sam Holbrook now has 0 points in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).
*Crew Chief Joe West did not work this game due to a bad cold.
^Afer review, the Appeals Board has reversed the Original QOC ("Correct" ==> "Incorrect").

UEFL Standings Update

This is the 20th ejection of 2012.
This is the 13th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Charlie Manuel's first ejection of 2012. He has now been ejected 47 times in his career, 46 times as a Manager and once as a player. Manuel was ejected three times in 2011.

Wrap: Phillies at Nationals 5/04/12
Video: Bryce Harper attempts a check swing and catcher Carlos Ruiz appeals to a nonexistent 3B Umpire
Related Video: Absence of Fourth Umpire (Joe West) Impacts Phillies-Nationals Game

Ejection 019: Marty Foster (1)

HP Umpire Marty Foster ejected Cubs Manager Dale Sveum for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the 9th inning of the Dodgers-Cubs game. With two out and none on, Dodgers batter A.J. Ellis took a 1-2 fastball from Cubs pitcher Rafael Dolis for a called second ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and at the knees (pz value of 1.812, sz_bot value of 1.54), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Cubs were leading, 5-4. The Cubs ultimately won the contest, 5-4.

This is Marty Foster (60)'s first ejection of 2012.
Marty Foster now has -2 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Crew Chief Jeff Kellogg now has 0 points in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).
*The call is incorrect pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-2-b, also known as the Miller Rule.
*After review, the Appeals Board has affirmed the Original QOC, 5-0 ("Incorrect" ==> "Incorrect").

UEFL Standings Update

This is the 19th ejection of 2012.
This is the 12th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Dale Sveum's 1st ejection in 2012, 1st career ejection as a Manager and 4th MLB ejection (1 as a player [1987], 2 as a coach [2009, '11]).

Wrap: Dodgers at Cubs 5/04/12
Video: Ellis hit by pitch on 2-2 count, Sveum immediately ejected for arguing ball two call

UmpsCare Charities Hold 4th Annual Online Auction

UMPS CARE Charities, the official charity of MLB umpires, is holding their fourth annual online auction to benefit children with cancer, children awaiting adoption and other deserving young adults.

Online at www.umpscare.com

Items up for bid include sports equipment including historical umpire gear and MLB team jackets, jerseys and baseballs, batting practice experiences, opportunities to deliver the lineup card before a game, tickets to MLB and minor league contests, SkyBox or suite parties and "lunch with an ump" opportunities sponsored by Ump-Attire.com.

UMPS CARE was founded as Blue for Kids by MLB umpires Marvin Hudson and Mike DiMuro in 2004 and presently features Gary Darling as President, Hudson as VP, Jim Reynolds as Secretary and Mark Carlson, Gary Cederstrom, DiMuro, Sam Holbrook, Tim Timmons and Tim Tschida as at-large MLB umpire members of the Board of Directors.

Not surprisingly, umpire and resident lawyer-in-chief Dan Bellino, Esq. filed the charity's application for tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service in 2008. UMPS CARE Charities provides financial and emotional support for America's youth and families in need with the slogan, "Helping people is an easy call."

@UmpireEjections on twitter proudly follows and is followed by @UmpsCare & @UmpsCareBlog.

The UMPS CARE auction closes Sunday, May 13, at 8 PM ET.

Case Plays: Bat Meets Ball Twice

This Case Play has been completed. Congratulations to UEFL League Members BrooklynUmp, nwsquid, hitit2me, RadioPearl, Turducken, RichMSN, kickersrule, Three-Ballin & Penwhale and fans Adam, js1metsfan, Nate, Unclean & omgahokie for correctly answering both parts of the posted scenario. The correct response is:

(a) The ball is dead and no runners may advance. If, in the umpire's judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the batted ball, the play shall be ruled a foul ball (OBR 6.05(h)).

(b) The ball is dead and no runners may advance. If, in the umpire's judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the batted ball, the play shall be ruled a foul ball (OBR 6.05(g)). If the umpire has ruled an intention to interfere, the batter shall be ruled out and the runner returned to first base.

Thank you for participating in this Case Play and congratulations to all participants, who responded with at least partial correctness. Stay tuned for further Case Plays. The original Case Play post has been reproduced below.

Umpire Odds & Ends: Weaver's No Hitter

Baseball and the UEFL saw the second no-hitter of the season Wednesday night. The no-hitter was the 274th regulation no-hitter in Major League Baseball history, courtesy of Jered Weaver's first career no-no. It comes less than two weeks after Phil Humber's perfect game. It was umpire Mark Carlson (6)'s first umpired Major League no-hitter. Weaver threw 121 pitches, but only 68 pitches were callable by Carlson, with 44 balls and 24 called strikes.
A noteworthy and close call that kept Weaver's no-hitter intact was made by 3B Umpire Angel Hernandez. In the top of the 5th inning, Twins batter Chris Parmelee hit a 2-2 Weaver fastball that sliced down the third base line. Hernandez called the slicing ball foul, which according to replays was the correct call. A still shot of the ball can be seen here, with Hernandez on the line.

Video: Weaver completes his no-hitter
Video: Weaver throws his first career no hitter, the 10th in Angels franchise history

Here is a quick look at the statistics of how Mark Carlson called Jered Weaver's no hitter:
Total Pitches: 121
Swinging Strikes: 11
Foul Balls: 24 (Including the Angel Hernandez called foul ball)
In Play, Out: 18
Callable Pitches: 68
Balls: 44
Called Strikes: 24

Correct Called Balls: 40
Incorrect Called Balls (Called balls within the strike zone): 4 (1 additional was in the borderline range; correct)
Correct Ball %: 90.9%

Correct Called Strikes: 14
Incorrect Called Strikes (Called strikes outside the strike zone): 10 (1 other was in the borderline range; correct)
Correct Strike %: <90.0%

Correct % of Called Pitches: <90.0%

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.

Tim Welke: When Players Make Mistakes, So Do Umpires

Read it from cover to cover and the MLB Rules Book will tell you, there is no such thing as a neighborhood play and especially not at first base. Ask veteran umpire Tim Welke and he'll likely tell you the same thing.

Dodgers batter Jerry Hairston, Jr. was ruled out at first base by 1B Umpire and crew chief Tim Welke in the sixth inning of today's Dodgers-Rockies contest on a throw by Rockies third baseman Chris Nelson that, in real-time as well as after instant replay review, appeared to pull first baseman Todd Helton off the first base bag.

As Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly argued and broadcasters Eric Collins and Steve Lyons confirmed, Helton's foot broke contact with first base far before the wayward baseball bounced into his glove.

Consider the following exchange between play-by-play man Collins and analyst Lyons:

Collins: Steve, what happened here?
Lyons: Somebody missed a call.

From an umpire's standpoint, what happened? Did Welke's positioning combined with a poor throw contribute to a straightlined angle that prevented the veteran arbiter from seeing the daylight between foot and base? If Nelson's throw had been on line, would Welke necessarily have gotten the call right? Do player errors contribute to umpiring mistakes?

Officials across all sports are instructed to ascertain proper angles with which to make calls. If a player makes an unexpected movement or positional adjustment due to a poor throw or catch attempt, the official may be in jeopardy of losing the optimal calling angle. Is that what happened here?

What's your theory?

Video: Tim Welke rules Jerry Hairston, Jr. out on what appears to have been a missed call

Ejections 017 & 018: Angel Campos (2, 3)

HP Umpire Angel Campos ejected Pirates catcher Rod Barajas and Manager Clint Hurdle for arguing a ball one call in the bottom of the 2nd inning of the Pirates-Cardinals game. With none out and two on, Cardinals batter Carlos Beltran took a 0-2 sinker from Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett for a called first ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of the plate and below the hollow of the knee (pz value of 1.574; sz_bot of 1.650), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Cardinals were leading, 5-1. The Cardinals ultimately won the contest, 12-3.

These are Angel Campos (84)'s second and third ejections of 2012.

Angel Campos now has 8 points in the UEFL (-2 Previous + 2*[3 AAA + 2 Correct Call] = 8).

Crew Chief Dale Scott now has 2 points in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 2*[1 Correct Call] = 2).

*The call is correct pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-2-b, also known as the Miller Rule.

UEFL Standings Update

These are the 17th and 18th ejections of 2012.

This is the 6th player ejection of 2012.
This is the 11th Manager ejection of 2012.

Prior to his ejection, Barajas was 0-1 in the contest.

Wrap: Pirates at Cardinals 5/02/12

Video: Campos ejects Barajas for arguing call in blowout game; Barajas throws glove


*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.

CB Bucknor Day-to-Day After Leaving Tuesday's Game

Last night, home plate umpire CB Bucknor exited the Pirates-Cardinals game in the bottom of the 7th inning with an undisclosed injury. Bucknor spoke with crew chief Dale Scott and crewmates Dan Iassogna and Angel Campos in the top half of the inning, while in visible discomfort. After the top half of the inning, Bucknor was tended to by (Cardinals assistant trainer, not the umpire) Chris Conroy. He temporarily remained in the game until Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle made a double switch. During the switch, Iassogna (second base umpire) geared up and took over plate duties. For the remainder of the game, Campos and Scott manned the bases together. 

Bucknor did not umpire in tonight's Pirates-Cardinals game (in which plate umpire Angel Campos ejected Hurdle and Pirates catcher Rod Barajas), as he was replaced by D.J. Reyburn. The type of and extent of Bucknor's injury remains unknown, but is believed to be day-to-day. 

News: Home-plate umpire Bucknor leaves game early

Video: CB Bucknor leaves the game

Umpire Odds & Ends: McClelland Works 4,000th MLB Game

Tim McClelland was the second base umpire tonight at Comerica Park, where the Detroit Tigers hosted the Kansas City Royals. McClelland umpiring at second meant this was his 4,000th Major League game he has umpired in his career. During the lineup exchange, Royals Manager Ned Yost and Tigers Manager Jim Leyland  both gave their congratulations to McClelland. The crew chief also posed with his crew of Brian Runge, Marvin Hudson and Ted Barrett for pictures prior to the beginning of the game.

McClelland becomes the 20th umpire to have worked 4,000 Major League games. He joins Joe West and Derryl Cousins as the only active umpires to have achieved such milestone. In his 30 seasons as a Major League umpire, he has worked the 3rd most League Championship Series (9), worked 94 postseason games, and worked over 1,000 plate games. McClelland is most remembered for the pine tar incident involving Hall of Famer George Brett. He was also a part of another bat incident, ejecting Sammy Sosa for using a corked bat.

McClelland has no ejections so far in 2012, and had one in 2011 of New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi.

UPDATED: Tim McClelland was part of a controversial call in his 4,000th game. In the top of the 9th, a Jeff Francoeur batted ball was ruled a catch by McClelland that appeared to hit off the top of the wall. After conference, the call was changed to a double. Both Yost and Leyland came out, but neither were ejected. The video of the call and incident can be seen here (courtesy of tmac, who is not Tim McClelland).

News: McClelland Works 4,000th Game

Ejection 016: Sam Holbrook (1)

HP Umpire Sam Holbrook Blue Jays shortstop Omar Vizquel for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the 5th inning of the Rangers-Blue Jays game. With one out and one on, Rangers batter Mike Napoli took a 2-1 fastball from Blue Jays pitcher Drew Hutchison for a called third ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located below the midpoint between the top of Napoli's pants and shoulders and several inches inside (px value of -1.259), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Rangers were leading, 6-4. The Blue Jays ultimately won the contest, 8-7.

This is Sam Holbrook (34)'s first ejection of 2012.

Sam Holbrook now has 4 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).

Crew Chief Joe West now has 2 points in the Crew Division (1 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 2).

*The call is correct pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-2-a, also known as the Kulpa Rule.

UEFL Standings Update

1) 14 points: cyclone14
2) 10 points: Longballs
3) 8 points: millerump18
4) 7 points: TheGunsofHochuli
5) 6 points: BillMueller, Turducken, RichMSN, MSNUMP, BC_UMP, BONZ_kansascity

This is the 16th ejection of 2012.

This is the 5th player ejection of 2012.

Prior to his ejection, Vizquel did not appear in the game, he was 0-0.

Wrap: Rangers at Blue Jays Wrap 5/01/12

Video: Holbrook ejects bench player Vizquel for yelling from the dugout

*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 Strike Three - Ear Training Challenge Results

The Umpire Ejection Fantasy League's Strike Three Call - Ear Training Challenge has now concluded. 13 UEFL'ers decided to take on the challenge, which proved to be a difficult test of getting to know an umpire by sound and vocal mechanics alone. To listen to the challenge, click here for the audio prompts.

Here are the results of the Challenge:
Total Possible Points: 11 / Average Score: 2.08 / Median: 2
Participants: 13
Strike 3 Call - Ear Training Challenge MVP: BONZ_kansascity (5 points)
Most Commonly Correct Responses: Jim Joyce (12), Tom Hallion (9)
Also Guessed: Fieldin Culbreth (3), Tim Timmons (2), Jerry Meals (1)
Unidentfied: Alfonso Marquez, Mark Wegner, Brian O'Nora, Jeff Kellogg, Al Clark

Answer Key, Umpire Ejection Fantasy League's Strike Three Call - Ear Training Challenge:
1) Jim Joyce. 12 recognized Joyce's booming and distinctive strike three call
2) Alfonso Marquez. His short vocalization went unidentified by all participants.
3) Jerry Meals. Only BONZ_kansascity identified Meals' verbalization of "strike" during his punch-outs.
4) Mark Wegner. His spoken and clear annunciation of "strike" was not picked up.
5) Brian O'Nora. O'Nora's high-pitched call also eluded recognition.
6) Tom Hallion. Hallion's loud and trademark strike three call sounds just as powerful as his physical mechanic.
7) Fieldin Culbreth. Cubby's single-syllabic strike three call was identified by three UEFL'ers.
8) Jeff Kellogg. The part-time security tackler's call that sounds more like "strike four" than three went undetected.
9) Tim Timmons. Similar to his ordinary strike call, Timmons' strike three call was picked up by two UEFL'ers.
10) Al Clark. A bonus question and with good reason as Clark is the only retired umpire featured. Several misidentified this call as Greg Gibson's, and while both Clark and Gibson roll pitch modulations in the middle of their calls, Clark's vocalization spans a smaller range and is less pronounced than Gibson's.

UEFL Standings Update
1) 14 points: cyclone14
2) 7 points: TheGunsofHochuli, millerump18
4) 6 points: Longballs, BillMueller, Turducken, RichMSN
8) 5 points: MSNUMP, BC_UMP, nkcaump, KTurner14, BONZ_kansascity

Ejection 015: Dan Bellino (1)

HP Umpire Dan Bellino ejected Rangers Manager Ron Washington for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Rays-Rangers game. With two out and one on, Rangers batter Ian Kinsler took a 3-2 cutter from Rays pitcher Joel Peralta for a called strike three. Replays indicate that the strike three pitch was above the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and top of the uniform pants, the call was incorrect.*^ At the time of the ejection, the Rays were leading, 5-2. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 5-2.

This is Dan Bellino (2)'s first ejection of 2012.
Dan Bellino now has -2 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2).
(Interim) Crew Chief Bob Davidson now has 0 points in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).

*The strike three pitch had a lower bound, upper bound values of [1.0242, 1.2024], which is in the always a ball range. Therefore, the call is incorrect pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-2-b-2 and 6-2-b-2 comment, also known as the Miller Rule.
^After review, the Appeals Board has confirmed Quality of Correctness (5-0-1) ("Incorrect" ==> "Incorrect")
*The Appeals Board's historical decisions may be consulted via the UEFL Portal*

UEFL Standings Update
Soon

This is the 15th ejection of 2012.
This is the 10th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Ron Washington's first ejection of 2012 and his 60th birthday.

Wrap: Rays at Rangers Wrap 4/29/12

Video: Bellino gives Washington an early 60th birthday shower for arguing balls and strikes

Ejection 014: Marvin Hudson (1)

2B Umpire Marvin Hudson ejected Astros center fielder Jordan Schafer for arguing an out call in the top of the 2nd inning of the Astros-Reds game. With two out and two on, Schafer attempted to steal second base on a 0-0 slider from Reds pitcher Mat Latos to Astros batter Jose Altuve, Schafer caught stealing on the throw from Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan to second baseman Brandon Phillips. Replays indicate Phillips tagged Schafer on the left side of his helmet prior to Schafer's left hand contacting second base, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Astros were leading, 2-0. The Reds ultimately won the contest, 6-5.

This is Marvin Hudson (51)'s first ejection of 2012.
Marvin Hudson now has 4 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Tim McClelland now has 1 point in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 1).

UEFL Standings Update
1) 12 points: cyclone14
2) 7 points: TheGunsofHochuli, millerump18
4) 6 points: JRD, Longballs
6) 5 points: MSNUMP, BC_UMP
*Visit the UEFL Portal for Full Standings*

This is the 14th ejection of 2012.
This is the 4th player ejection of 2012.
Prior to his ejection, Schafer was 1-2 in the contest.

Wrap: Astros at Reds 4/29/12 Wrap
Video: Jordan Schafer receives equipment violation, ejection after close call at second base