Joe Maddon reacted to Marty Foster's strike three call to end the Rays-Rangers game Monday night with veiled gusto,
tweeting, "That can't happen in a major league game." Just what can't? This:
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| PFX Plot: Nathan vs. Zobrist, HP Umpire Marty Foster presiding |
With two out and one on in the top of the 9th inning of a 5-4 ballgame, batter Ben Zobrist took a 3-2 pitch from Rangers pitcher Joe Nathan for a called third strike to end the game. Replays indicate the pitch was located outside. Pitch f/x confirms this, the strike three call corresponding to a px value of -1.394 and a pz value of 1.601. Though Rangers catcher A.J. Pierzynski fielded the ball nearly in the dirt, PFX indicates the pitch did indeed cross home plate while still hollow-of-the-knee high, though it was over 5.5 inches off the outside corner.
Perhaps Foster's call is karma-style justice for Maddon's earlier tweet on Monday, in which he
wrote, "We had a minor accident on the bus to the park today. It was like two base runners trying to pass each other on the base path."
On
Thursday, April 4, 1B Umpire James Hoye ruled Rays batter-runner Evan Longoria out for passing preceding runner Zobrist, through replays suggest the call may have been made in error.
Wrap:
Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers, 4/8/13
Animated GIF:
The final pitch to Zobrist in Arlington, ruled strike three by HP Umpire Marty Foster
Video:
Nathan earns his 300th career save on pitch Maddon, Zobrist—and Nathan— believed was ball four
There are calls and there are calls... This is an unbelievably bad one at the worst possible time ever. Ending a game with a strike three call on a pitch nearly half a foot outside. Insane, not necessarily worst of the worst, but gosh darn close. Foster, Australian for beer and American for bad umpire.
ReplyDeleteJoe Maddon would tweet that (about the bus crash)... Anywho, yeah, that's just a bad break. I'd ordinarily say a bad break for a good umpire, but in this case... silence is golden, eh?
ReplyDeleteYou da man Marty, get the game over and lets hit the bar. Umpire of the Year so far.
ReplyDelete5+ inches outside at the front of home plate with tailing action still to come away from Zobrist - Marty Foster ladies and gentlemen.
ReplyDeleteI was watching this game as it happened and although I'm a Rangers fan, WOW that was a bad call. Even Nathan could be seen saying "WOW" as AJ was coming out to congratulate him.
ReplyDeleteWe voted this guy worst UEFL umpire of the year last season, right? Well done to the voters.
ReplyDeleteThat's an umpiring travesty this game was over and Maddon didn't have a chance to get himself ejected. This would have made for a very entertaining ejection.
ReplyDeleteThat looked about as bad as Bill Miller's call up in Toronto last year. There's no excuse for a strike three call like that.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap. It is freakin' hilarious to listen to the MLB Must C video with all the broadcast feeds from Rays TV, Rangers TV, Rangers Radio and Rays Radio. Every single play-by-play guy says something to the effect of "outside ball four" only to say "and he's called out on strikes!" seconds later. There's a BS call and then there's this. What the hell did Foster see here? My favorite is WDAE: "NO! Did they call it strike three?" [kid's voice: WHAT?] "You have got to be kidding me! Joe Maddon races out of the dugout and he is hot with Marty Foster."
ReplyDeleteHorrendous yet hilarious. Too bad it wasn't a meaningless game in September when the playoff picture has already been decided.
It's a bad call all around. I would like to think that this is one of those cases where Foster saw the ball as a strike coming in, and figured it would stay a strike, so he gave up on it.
ReplyDeleteHey, I thought the Enrico Palazzo umpire ejection thing was just a joke, I didn't realize that Frank Drebin also went undercover as Marty "Leslie Nielsen" Foster... strike Three!
ReplyDeleteIn the last part of the clip, look at the face of Welke walking in and Maddon intercepting him. He literally has to bite his lip on this one. You can also see as the pitch is called he stays set on his 2nd base position, beeing sure that is was a ball four. Wouldn't wanna be the crew chief explaining this one.... ;)
ReplyDeleteMarty "Joe,the ball beat him to the bag" Foster everybody. Horrendous call. Marty Foster continues to show that he is on the bottom tier of MLB umpires(in my opinion).
ReplyDeleteIn any organization, if you have employees performing this poorly, the issue needs to be addressed. I'm not a fan of firing people or umpires...but his performance has to improve. Luckily, he's proven that he is a great umpire to get to the MLB level, so they just need to find out what's causing this issue.
ReplyDeleteAnyone making more or less out of it other than a huge mistake that needs to be rectified in such a way that it doesn't happen again, is missing the bigger picture.
I'm really not a fan of the way Maddon carries on, typically, but you've gotta give him props for this one--especially the way Foster continues to walk toward him. Foster should have just stood there and took it like he's the one who made a mistake; I really hope that's what he said to the batter...
This would of been really funny if it was a playoff game. Then we could hear all the espn sports guys really bitch about umpires. I hate listening to espn guys talk about umpires because it makes me want to punch my tv but all in all still pretty funny. I am actually guilty of this once in a high school game. I said ball in my head but for some reason I called strike 3. It happens. Execpt mine was in a high school game. Not a mlb game and I dont make 6 figures.
ReplyDeleteI've seen worse. It happens. Let's see what unfolds the rest of the season before we make Foster the sandwichboardman of egregious error-making! =)
ReplyDeleteWhen you watch the GIF, it is really apparent how much Foster drifts with this pitch. Oh Boy...
ReplyDeleteBill Miller's call was way way closer than that!
ReplyDeleteThe best is Joe's reaction..."Really? WOW!"
ReplyDeleteIf the pitcher thinks it is not even close....?