July 2021 Call of the Month - Nelson's HR/Foul/INT

A potential home run vs foul ball vs spectator interference play in St Louis is tmac's call of the month for July 2021 with 1B Umpire and Crew Chief Jeff Nelson officiating the action in the right field corner, a ruling affirmed by Replay Review.

Cardinals batter Paul Goldschmidt nearly hit a home run July 20 against Chicago, but 1B Umpire Nelson ruled the ball foul, determining that the batted ball had touched a fan in foul territory before deflecting into the foul pole atop the right field wall.

Replay Review confirmed the fan interference decision and the play serves as a reminder of the importance of getting set prior to a critical action, even if the area of contact is hundreds of feet away. We also revisit the case of Alfonso Marquez during a somewhat similar play in Anaheim from the 2017 season, in which the umpire taught the same lesson.

Related Post: Tmac's Teachable Moments - Standing Still (5/12/17).

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Nelly's foul territory touching call spotlights the importance of proper technique (CCS)