MLB Ejection 066 - Hunter Wendelstedt (2; Jurickson Profar)

HP Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ejected Padres CF Jurickson Profar (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Mets-#Padres game. With none out and one on (R1), Profar took a 2-2 fastball from Mets pitcher Seth Lugo for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and above the hollow of the knee (px 0.48, pz 1.76 [sz_bot 1.53 / RAD 1.41]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Mets were leading, 3-0. The Mets ultimately won the contest, 4-0.

This is Hunter Wendelstedt (21)'s 2nd ejection of 2021.

Hunter Wendelstedt now has 6 points in the UEFL Standings (2 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 6).

Crew Chief Hunter Wendelstedt now has 4 points in Crew Division (3 Previous + 1 QOCY = 4).

*This pitch was located 5.23 vertical inches from being deemed an incorrect call.

This is the 66th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 24th player ejection of 2021. Prior to ejection, Profar was 0-4 (2 SO) in the contest.

This is San Diego's 6th ejection of 2021, 1st in the NL West (SD 6; COL 2; LAD, SF 1; ARI 0).

This is Jurickson Profar's first career MLB ejection.

This is Hunter Wendelstedt's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since May 3 (Matt Joyce; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres, 6/5/21 | Video as follows:

Canada Protests HR vs 2B Runner Placement vs USA After Batted Ball Sticks to Top of Wall

Team Canada filed a protest with WBSC officials after USA batter Triston Casas' fly ball to right field, originally ruled a home run and reversed to a double on replay, resulted in baserunner R1 Logan Forsythe being allowed to score from first base despite Casas' two-base award.

Play: With one out and one on (R1), batter Casas hit a fly ball to deep right center, ruled a home run by 1B Umpire Ramiro Alfaro. Upon Replay Review, the call was overturned to a double, but the Replay Official placed Forsythe at home plate, ruling he would have achieved three bases had the original call been a live ball.

Team Canada protested the game, resulting in a significant delay as WBSC officials and three umpires left the field and returned, denying Canada's protest and ruling that Forsythe would be allowed to score.

Rule: The relevant rule is OBR 5.06(b)(4)(F) which grants runners two bases if a ball "sticks in such fence, scoreboard, shrubbery or vines." The question of what "sticks" means is valid, as is the correct observation that no ball stuck in a fence: it was on top of the wall. For this, we consult the relevant MLB Umpire Manual interpretation, which states, "A fair fly ball striking the top of the outfield wall and remaining on the top of the wall shall be deemed a ground-rule double."

In other words, a ball that comes to rest on top of the wall is deemed a ground-rule double. As long as the ball continues moving, it is live and in play, but when it stops, untouched, it results in two bases.

Related Post: Replay Review, Ground Rules, and Levi's Landing (9/1/17).

Analysis: In the 9th inning, the English-language broadcast communicated a statement purportedly offered by the WBSC regarding the play in which officials purportedly claimed that the ball was still alive by virtue of Canada right fielder Jesse Hodges playing it; had Hodges put his hands up or otherwise not retrieved the ball, the argument goes, it would have resulted in a dead ball, two-base award for all runners.

The broadcast continued, reasoning that the Replay Official awarded R1 Forsythe home plate because had the correct call been made and play not declared dead, Forsythe would not have remained at third base, as replays indicate he did.

Gil's Call: First and foremost, as we'll discuss momentarily in the following section, Replay Review's availability has changed the way stuck/lodged/coming to rest plays are officiated. In Replay games, it does not matter whether the fielder plays the ball or not: the Replay Official can and has determined the ball is dead by virtue of being "stuck" regardless of the fielder's actions after the ball has come to rest.

Second, the logic with USA R1 Forsythe vs Canada F9 Hodges is inconsistent. How come Forsythe gets the benefit of the doubt regarding the dead ball call yet Hodges does not (simply because Hodges' back is turned?)? Forsythe's actions after the umpire declares the ball dead—remaining at third base—are disregarded by the Replay Official, but Hodges' actions in playing the ball (which, again, does not matter in a Replay game when determining whether the ball has come to rest atop the outfield wall) are key to the Replay Official's determination that the ball is live.

Either we disregard everything that happens after the ball became dead—Forsythe's baserunning and Hodges' fielding—or we account for all of it.

Past Practice and Precedent: One additional clue is how MLB began handling the issue of balls sticking in or under outfield fences in the wake of replay's expansion. Umpire Mike DiMuro, in 2016, summed up MLB's historical way of treating potential stuck balls: "Ultimately, the proper ruling must be made by the base umpire who is responsible for the flight of the ball – and it is only possible to do so by running out to the fence to visually discern and confirm that the ball is indeed lodged or stuck. If the fielder dislodges the ball by grabbing it and removing it, then it can no longer be considered lodged or stuck."

In games without replay, this logic still prevails: if an umpire cannot discern whether or not a ball is stuck prior to a fielder playing it, the umpire has little choice but to keep play alive.

However, when MLB adopted expanded replay and made stadium boundary calls reviewable, it changed how this play was officiated via video: the Replay Official was now able to determine that a ball was stuck the moment it came to rest in or under a wall, whether or not the fielder raised their arms or played the ball. For instance, in 2016, we saw a slew of stuck/lodged ball calls via Replay Review, even when the fielder played the ball—or the ball didn't appear "stuck-stuck," but just "at rest" or immobile. Thus, we were treated to MLB's new standard: a ball at the wall that comes to rest in or under (or on top of) said wall is now deemed "stuck."

Related Post: Cause You're Stuck in the Wall - Batted Ball Out of Play (9/20/16).

Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 064-65 - Quinn Wolcott (1-2; NYM x2)

HP Umpire Quinn Wolcott ejected Mets catcher James McCann and manager Luis Rojas (strike three call; QOCY) in the top of the 9th inning of the #Mets-#Padres game. With one out and one on (R1), McCann took a 1-2 cutter from Padres pitcher Mark Melancon for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner edge of home plate and waist-high (px -0.88, pz 2.22) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Padres were leading, 2-0. The Padres ultimately won the contest, 2-0.

These are Quinn Wolcott (81)'s 1st and 2nd ejections of 2021.

Quinn Wolcott now has 8 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2*[2 MLB + 2 Correct Call] = 8).

Crew Chief Hunter Wendelstedt now has 3 points in Crew Division (1 Previous + 2 QOCY = 3).

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

This pitch was located 0.41 horizontal inches from being deemed incorrect.

History: MLB Ejections 172-173 - Wolcott/McCann/Ausmus, September 13, 2017

These are the 64th and 65th ejection reports of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 23rd player ejection of 2021. Prior to ejection, McCann was 0-4 (3 SO) in the contest.

This is the 35th manager ejection of 2021.

This is New York's 3/4th ejection of 2021, T-1st in the NL East (NYM, PHI 4; MIA, WAS 2; ATL 0).

This is James McCann's 1st ejection since Sept 11, 2019 (Dan Bellino; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Luis Rojas' 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since April 20 (John Libka; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Quinn Wolcott's 1st ejection since October 1, 2020 (Brandon Woodruff; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres, 6/4/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 063 - Will Little (2; Lucas Giolito)

HP Umpire Will Little ejected White Sox bench player [pitcher] Lucas Giolito (strike three call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Tigers-#WhiteSox game. With two out and none on, White Sox batter Yoan Moncada took a 2-2 fastball from Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px -0.14, pz 1.29 [sz_bot 1.59 / RAD 1.47 / MOE 1.38]), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the White Sox were leading, 4-1. The White Sox ultimately won the contest, 4-1.

This is Will Little (93)'s 2nd ejection of 2021.

Will Little now has 3 points in the UEFL Standings (5 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 3).

Crew Chief Greg Gibson now has 2 points in Crew Division (2 Prev + 0 Incorrect Call = 2).

*This pitch was located 1.13 vertical inches from being deemed correct.

This is the 63rd ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 22nd player ejection of 2021. Prior to ejection, Giolito didn't appear in the game.

This is Chicago's 1st ejection of 2021, 3rd in the AL Central (KC 4; MIN 3; CWS 1; CLE, DET 0).

This is Lucas Giolito's 1st ejection since Sept 8, 2017 (Gabe Morales; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Will Little's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since May 19 (Torey Lovullo; QOC = Y [RLI]).

Wrap: Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago La Russas, 6/3/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 062 - Edwin Moscoso (1; Brett Anderson)

HP Umpire Edwin Moscoso ejected Brewers pitcher Brett Anderson (balls/strikes; QOCY) in the top of the 5th inning of the #Diamondbacks-#Brewers game. With none out and none on, D-backs batter Ketel Marte doubled, Eduardo Escobar flied out, Carson Kelly hit a home run, and Christian Walker doubled. Anderson was ejected during a pitching change; Moscoso's callable pitch accuracy during the fractional inning immediately preceding ejection was 90% (9/10), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Brewers were leading, 4-2. The Brewers ultimately won the contest, 7-4.

This is Edwin Moscoso (109)'s 1st ejection of 2021.

Edwin Moscoso now has 4 points in UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 4).

Crew Chief Joe West now has 11 points in Crew Division (10 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 11).

*Pitching Change QOC considered pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-5-d-2 and based on the umpire's accuracy rating during the fractional half-inning immediately preceding ejection (top 7th prior to the pitching change/mound visit).

This is the 62nd ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 21st player ejection of 2021. Prior to ejection, Anderson's line was 4.1 IP, 3 ER.

This is Milwaukee's 6th ejection of 2021, 1st in the NL Central (MIL 6; CHC, CIN, PIT 3; STL 2).

This is Brett Anderson's first career MLB ejection.

This is Edwin Moscoso's 1st ejection since Sept 17, 2020 (Tyler Anderson; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 6/3/21 | Video as follows:

New York Misinformation - Base Path is Not a Baseline

After 1B Umpire Alan Porter called Tampa Bay batter-runner Kevin Kiermaier safe in the 5th inning of Thursday's #Rays-#Yankees, New York manager Aaron Boone came out to argue as YES broadcasters mused about the baseline and runner's lane. Unfortunately, the rule about a base path has nothing to do with either of those concepts, meaning all within earshot of a television tuned to YES in New York were witness to misinformation regarding the out of the base path rule.

Play: With one out and none on, Kiermaier hit a 0-1 changeup from Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole on the ground to first baseman DJ LeMahieu, who attempted to tag Kiermaier as he ran to first base.

Call: Kiermaier avoided LeMahieu's tag and 1B Umpire Porter ruled him safe. Yankees manager Boone campaigned for a base-running infraction, but to no avail: the safe call stood.

Rule: Official Baseball Rule 5.09(b)(1) governs this play and states that "any runner is out when they run more than three feet away from their base path to avoid being tagged unless their action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball. A runner’s base path is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight line from the runner to the base they are attempting to reach safely."

In other words, the runner sets their own base path and is allowed three feet to the left or right of that established position on their way to the next (or previous) base in order to avoid a tag.

Not the Rule: The 45-foot runner's lane painted on the ground to the right of the foul line is rules-relevant for one and only one play: runner's lane interference, which occurs when a batter-runner outside of the lane "interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base" (OBR 5.09(a)(11)). If there is no throw (or no fielder taking a throw), there can bee no runner's lane interference, meaning the lane line is immaterial during a tag play.

The baseLINE, meanwhile, is simply a direct line between any two bases, such as the painted foul line between home and first base. The baseline has no relevance for a base path call such as the Kiermaier play and the only relevance of both the foul line and runner's lane line is that we know, dimensionally, the distance between the two lines is three feet. Thus, we have an impromptu painted ruler or yardstick on the ground that we could conceivably apply to Kiermaier's journey.

Analysis: Accordingly, Porter's only consideration is whether Kiermaier deviated by more than three feet, pursuant to OBR 5.09(b)(1), to avoid being tagged. Umpire Porter could use the three-foot wide yardstick known as the runner's lane to help guide him to determine what three feet might actually look like, but the runner's lane itself is meaningless for this play. All that is relevant is whether Kiermaier ran more than three feet away from his base path—which he establishes well into foul territory—to avoid being tagged. If so, the runner would be out for running away from (or out of) his base path to avoid being tagged. If not, the runner is safe. 

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 061 - Lance Barrett (1; Alex Cora)

HP Umpire Lance Barrett ejected Red Sox manager Alex Cora (strike three call; QOCY) in the top of the 6th inning of the #RedSox-#Astros game. With none out and none on, Red Sox batter Kevin Plawecki took a 0-2 slider from Astros pitcher Cristian Javier for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and above the hollow of the knee (px 0.72, pz 1.77 [sz_bot 1.59 / RAD 1.47]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Red Sox were leading, 3-0. The Red Sox ultimately won the contest, 5-1.

This is Lance Barrett (16)'s 1st ejection of 2021.
Lance Barrett now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Alfonso Marquez now has 4 points in Crew Division (3 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 4).

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

*This pitch was located 2.33 horizontal and 4.60 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 61st ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 34th manager ejection of 2021.

This is Boston's 2nd ejection of 2021, 2nd in the AL East (NYY 3; BOS 2; BAL, TOR 1; TB 0).

This is Alex Cora's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since April 15 (Jordan Baker; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Lance Barrett's 1st ejection since October 6, 2020 (Jayce Tingler; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros, 6/3/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 060 - Chad Whitson (1; Aaron Boone)

HP Umpire Chad Whitson ejected Yankees manager Aaron Boone (balls/strikes; QOCY) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Rays-#Yankees game. With none out and none on, Rays batter Kevin Kiermaier struck out, Randy Arozarena singled, Brandon Lowe walked, Yandy Diaz walked, Austin Meadows doubled, Manuel Margot grounded out, and Joey Wendle singled. Boone was ejected during a pitching change; Whitson's callable pitch accuracy during the fractional inning immediately preceding ejection was 94.7% (18/19), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Rays were leading, 9-1. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 9-2.

This is Chad Whitson (62)'s 1st ejection of 2021.
Chad Whitson now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Chris Guccione now has 2 points in Crew Division (1 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 2).

*Pitching Change QOC considered pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-5-d-2 and based on the umpire's accuracy rating during the fractional half-inning immediately preceding ejection (top 7th prior to the pitching change/mound visit).

This is the 60th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 33rd manager ejection of 2021.

This is New York's 3rd ejection of 2021, 1st in the AL East (NYY 3; BAL, BOS, TOR 1; TB 0).

This is Aaron Boone's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since April 26 (Greg Gibson; QOC = N [Replay Review]).

This is Chad Whitson's 1st ejection since May 11, 2019 (Miguel Cabrera; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees, 6/3/21 | Video as follows:

Catcher's Mask Knocks Ball Out of Mitt - What's the Call?

In this Ask the UEFL, we consider a college catcher whose mask appeared to knock the baseball out of his mitt during a tag attempt at home plate. Ruled safe by HP Umpire Jeff Wright during the Georgia Southern vs Louisiana SBC Semifinal game, and affirmed by replay review, what is the rule?

Play: With none out and two on (R1, R3) in the bottom of the 9th inning, Louisiana batter hit a ground ball to Georgia Southern third baseman Jarrett Brown, who threw to catcher Matt Anderson as Louisiana baserunner R3 Tyler Robertson attempted to score. During the play at the plate, Robertson slid head-first and made contact with Anderson, the force of the collision appearing to knock Anderson's mask off his head, resulting in his mask making contact with his mitt, causing the baseball to fall to the ground.

Call: Upon seeing the ball on the ground, HP Umpire Wright ruled the runner safe, a call upheld after replay review.

A Legal Collision: Before we discuss the mask and mitt, we first establish that the runner's slide into home plate was legal and not a violation of any collision rule. The catcher's initial positioning gave the runner the entirety of foul territory as a pathway to home plate, and, upon receiving the ball, the catcher moved to tag the runner as the runner slid head-first in the direction of home plate. This is a legal collision.

Tag Rule: With collision legality established, we move onto NCAA Rule 2-78, the definition of a tag: "The action of a fielder in touching a base with any part of the body while holding the ball securely and firmly in the hand or glove or touching a runner with the ball or with the glove while holding the ball securely and firmly in that hand or glove...The fielder shall maintain or regain control of his body and if he drops the ball due to his lack of body control or control of the ball, it is not a tag. A voluntary and intentional release is substantive proof of complete control." NCAA 8-5-i states that a runner is out when "the individual is touched by the ball (when not dead) securely held in the hand or glove of a fielder while the runner is not touching the base."

NCAA's Appendix E-2-g states that "force and tag play calls at any base" are reviewable.

The MLB/MiLB/pro equivalent under the Definition of Terms provides further clarify for that level of play: "It is not a tag, however, if simultaneously or immediately following his touching a base or touching a runner, the fielder drops the ball. In establishing the validity of the tag, the fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove that they have complete control of the ball. If the fielder has made a tag and drops the ball while in the act of making a throw following the tag, the tag shall be adjudged to have been made." A runner is out when tagged while off a base (5.09(b)(4)).

The NFHS/high school rule 2-24-4 states "the ball is not considered as having been securely held if it is juggled or dropped after the touching, unless the runner deliberately knocks the ball from the hand of the fielder."

Analysis: The relevant phrase in college baseball is "voluntary and intentional release." In pro, the phrase "long enough to prove that they have complete control" is added. In real-time, less than five-tenths of a second transpires from the moment the fielder touches the runner until the ball falls out of the catcher's mitt. Because the catcher's own equipment (mask) caused the ball to come loose in a way that did not appear to be voluntary nor intentional, it would follow that the fielder did not complete the tag action pursuant to rule and, therefore, according to NCAA's complete control language, "it is not a tag."

Video as follows:

Olympic Q Ejection - Edwin Hernandez (Mike Scioscia)

HP Umpire Edwin Hernandez ejected Team USA manager Mike Scioscia (Replay Review that upheld 3B Umpire Wilfredo Montoya's foul ball [not HR] call) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the WBSC Olympic Baseball Qualifier game between Dominican Republic and United States of America. With two out and two on, USA batter Todd Frazier hit a 1-2 pitch from Dominican Republic pitcher Román Méndez on a fly ball down the left field line and toward the foul pole, ruled a foul ball by 3B Umpire Wilfredo Montoya. After a crew consultation and upon Replay Review, the foul ball call was upheld, resulting in Scioscia's ejection for arguing a Replay Review decision.* At the time of the ejection, Team USA was leading 8-5. Team USA ultimately won the contest, 8-6.

*Baseballs Standards for Removal from the Game states a person shall be ejected for, amongst others, "arguing after a Replay Review."

Wrap: Dominican Republic vs USA (WBSC Olympics Qualifier), 6/1/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 059 - Scott Barry (1; Larry Rothschild) & Ask the UEFL Dropped Fly Ball Double Play in Chicago

HP Umpire Scott Barry ejected Padres pitching coach Larry Rothschild (ball three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 5th inning of the #Padres-#Cubs game. With none out and none on, Cubs batter Nick Martini took a 2-0 curveball from Padres pitcher Pierce Johnson for a called third ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and above the midpoint (px -0.35, pz 3.62 [sz_top 3.32 / RAD 3.44]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 1-1. The Cubs ultimately won the contest, 6-1.

This game also featured an Ask the UEFL double play that ended the bottom of the 4th inning when Cubs batter PJ Higgins, with one out and the bases loaded, hit a fly ball to shallow left field, where Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and left fielder Tommy Pham collided while attempting to catch the batted ball. As the ball fell to the ground, Cubs baserunners R2 Rafael Ortega and R1 Eric Sogard failed to advance to their next bases, resulting in an inning-ending double play when the Padres forced Ortega and Sogard out by tagging third and second base, respectively.

This is Scott Barry (87)'s 1st ejection of 2021.

Scott Barry now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 5).

Crew Chief Dan Iassogna now has 4 points in Crew Division (3 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 4).

*This pitch was located 3.16 vertical inches from being deemed an incorrect call.

This is the 59th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is San Diego's 5th ejection of 2021, 1st in the NL West (SD 5; COL 2; LAD, SF 1; ARI 0).

This is Larry Rothschild's 1st ejection since May 20, 2017 (Scott Barry; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Scott Barry's 1st ejection since May 15, 2019 (Ian Kinsler; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs, 6/2/21 | Video as follows:

PIT's Batter Illegal Action vs KC was Interference

Shortly after ejecting Pirates manager Derek Shelton in Kansas City, HP Umpire Dan Bellino called Pittsburgh batter Bryan Reynolds out for illegal action via interference with Royals catcher Salvador Perez, invoking Official Baseball Rule 6.03(a)(3), one of baseball's few rules that specifically makes it potentially illegal for a batter to step out of the batter's box as the catcher is attempting to make a play at home base.

Play: With two out and the bases loaded, Reynolds attempted to check his swing on a two-strike slider from Royals pitcher Kyle Zimmer that bounced in the dirt and away from catcher Perez. As Perez ran to retrieve the ball, Pirates baserunner R3 Kevin Newman sprinted home, sliding headfirst into home plate as Perez tagged batter Reynolds.

Call: HP Umpire Bellino ruled Reynolds out for interfering with Perez's play at home base.

Rule: OBR 6.03(a)(3) states, "a batter is out for illegal action when they interfere with the catcher's fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter's box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher's play at home base."

Analysis: With replays conclusively indicating that Reynolds stepped out of the batter's box, we turn to a parsing of the rule itself. "Stepping out of the batter's box" and "making any other movement that hinders the catcher's play home base" are separated by the conjunction "or" and not "and" which means that if either of the two criteria are satisfied, it is enough to invoke the rule.

Thus, Reynolds has fulfilled the barebones requirement for illegal action (to avoid interference upon exiting the batter's box, Reynolds could have walked up the first baseline, where no play was occurring). 

At this point, it should go without saying: Interference need not be intentional to be called. Much of the time, in fact, interference is called due to a player's unintentional action in impeding an opponent.

Finally, we consider the argument of Perez tagging batter Reynolds instead of playing on runner Newman. Recall that catcher's interference applies not just in the event of a bat making contact with a catcher's mitt or glove, but also in the circumstance of a catcher jumping in front of home plate to catch a pitch before it gets to the batter, thereby depriving the batter of the freedom of choice to either swing at or take the pitch.

In a similar vein, a batter may be guilty of illegal action via interference with the catcher by depriving the catcher of the freedom of choice to make a play on a baserunner. As the catcher is guilty of interference by preempting the batter's decision, so too is the batter positioned illegally who impedes the catcher's ability to choose whether to make a play at home base.

Insofar as visual interference or obstruction is concerned, the MLB Umpire Manual authorizes a call of visual illegal action by a fielder who stands in front of a baserunner, thus depriving the runner of the ability to see a play being made elsewhere on the field (e.g., an outfielder catching a fly ball for the purposes of timing a tag-up during a sacrifice fly situation). Through this interpretation, we know that baseball authorizes calls of "visual" illegality, as well.

As for the penalty, if this same interference occurred with less than two out, runner R3 Newman, not batter Reynolds, would be out: "Any runner is out when they attempt to score on a play in which the batter interferes with the play at home base before two are out. With two out, the interference puts the batter out and no score counts" (OBR 5.09(b)(8)).

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 058 - Dan Bellino (1; Derek Shelton)

HP Umpire Dan Bellino ejected Pirates manager Derek Shelton (strike three call; QOCY) in the top of the 6th inning of the #Pirates-#Royals game. With none out and two on (R1, R2), Pirates batter Michael Perez took a 3-2 sinker from Royals pitcher Brady Singer for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner edge of home plate and above the knee (px 0.69, pz 1.72 [sz_bot 1.50 / RAD 1.38]) and that all pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection Royals were leading, 8-5. The Royals ultimately won the contest, 10-5.

This is Dan Bellino (2)'s 1st ejection of 2021.

Dan Bellino now has 7 points in the UEFL Standings (3 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 7).

Crew Chief Joe West now has 10 points in Crew Division (9 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 10).

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

*This pitch was located 2.69 horizontal and 5.08 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 58th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the 32nd manager ejection of 2021.

This is Pittsburgh's 3rd ejection of 2021, T-2nd in the NL Central (MIL 5; CHC, CIN, PIT 3; STL 2).

This is Derek Shelton's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since May 15 (Mark Ripperger; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Dan Bellino's 1st ejection since Sept 25, 2020 (Rick Renteria; QOC = U [Warnings/USC-NEC]).

Wrap: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Kansas City Royals, 6/1/21 | Video as follows:

WBSC Baseball Americas Foreign Substance Ejection is Glimpse at MLB's Latest Point of Emphasis

In the top of the 9th inning of Tuesday's WBSC Baseball Americas Olympic Qualifier game between Colombia and Venezuela, umpires ejected VEN pitcher Adrian Almeida for possessing a foreign substance on his person: a glove with pine tar.

Official Baseball Rule 6.02(c) relates to pitching prohibitions and states that the pitcher shall not, amongst others, "apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball" nor "have on their person, or in their possession, any foreign substance."

The ejection occurred following Almeida's 9th inning swinging strikeout of Colombia batter Jeter Deion Mitchell Downs when Colombia's manager approached the umpires and requested an inspection of pitcher Almeida.

After a crew conference between HP Umpire Fabrizio Fabrizi, 1B Umpire Jeff Macias, 2B Umpire Ruben Ramos, and 3B Umpire Christian Madero, umpires inspected Almeida's glove, and, upon finding the foreign substance known as pine tar on the glove, ejected the pitcher from the game in accordance with the rule's penalty; however, Downs' strikeout stood as called and the game resumed with substitute pitcher Gabrial Moya, who surrendered a game-tying home run to batter Jordan David Diaz Sandoval (Venezuela ultimately won the game in walk-off fashion).

As for the strikeout, OBR 6.02(d) prescribes the penalty as follows: 1) The pitcher shall be ejected immediately and suspended (depending on the league). 2) If a play follows the violation called in real-time by the umpire, the manager can either opt to redo the sequence with a ball added to the count (or a balk if there are runners) or take the result of the play (not applicable here as no play followed the umpire's call of the violation).

Meanwhile, three Minor League Baseball pitchers were ejected just this past weekend over foreign substance issues related to OBR 6.02(c) as MLB and MiLB continues a crackdown on illegal substances.

As for the MLB level, Joe West ejected Mike Shildt on May 26 after crewmate Dan Bellino spotted a potential foreign substance on Cardinals pitcher Giovanny Gallegos' hat and ordered Gallegos to replace his hat (in lieu of an ejection). So it would appear that enhanced enforcement of the rule may be on the horizon and could be the league's latest ploy to increase activity in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League.

Related Post: MLB Ejection 055 - Joe West (2; Mike Shildt) (5/26/21).

Wrap: Colombia vs Venezuela (WBSC Olympic Baseball Qualifier), 6/1/21 | Video as follows:

Tmac's Calls of the Month for May 2021

After another month of baseball, Tmac sifted through replays and other notable sequences to pick out our Top 3 Calls of the Month of May 2021, featuring umpires CB Bucknor, Doug Eddings, and Lance Barrett.

Number 3: In Cleveland, 1B Umpire CB Bucknor ruled Indians batter-runner Amed Rosario out on a head-first slide into first base with the pitcher covering, a call challenged and affirmed via Replay Review.

Number 2: In Tampa Bay, 2B Umpire Doug Eddings ruled Rays baserunner Austin Meadows out on a stolen base attempt after Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman's near-wild pitch caromed right back to Gary Sanchez, who threw to second base as Meadows slid in.

Number 1: In Minnesota, HP Umpire Lance Barrett ruled that a pitched ball bounced off Twins batter Josh Donaldson's bat and into fair territory, enabling Kansas City to retire Donaldson at first base as the flummoxed batter remained at home plate alleging the ball hit his hand. Following a Replay Review, however, Barrett's call was upheld.

Video as follows:

Retired Batter's Run to 1B Ruled Interference - Dutch Lg

This Ask the UEFL question brings forth a play from Honkbal Hoofdklasse (KNBSB), the Netherlands' Major League Baseball equivalent, when the Curaçao Neptunus faced the Hoofddorp Pioniers and a batter, retired after an uncaught third strike, was called for interference, nullifying a run for the home team.

Play: With none out and two on (R1, R2) in the bottom of the 6th inning, Pioniers batter Jair Bogaerts swung at and missed a pitch that bounced away from Neptunus catcher Gianison Boekhoudt. Unaware that with first base occupied with less than two out, the batter is automatically out on an uncaught third strike, Bogaerts ran toward first base and catcher Boekhoudt attempted to throw him out. Boekhoudt's throw hit retired batter Bogaerts in the back.

Call: As the home plate umpire extended his right fist to declare Bogaerts out, the first base umpire called "Time" and called Bogaerts out, either for runner's lane interference or, more probably, retired batter's interference. As a result of the interference and dead ball created by it, the umpires declared R2 Randolph Oduber out for the interference of retired teammate Bogaerts, and placed R1 Denzel Brooks on second base.

MLB Ejection 057 - Sam Holbrook (1; Kevin Long)

HP Umpire Sam Holbrook ejected Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long (strike one call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the #Brewers-#Nationals game. With one out and one on (R1), Nationals batter Juan Soto took a 2-0 fastball from Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff for a called first strike and 3-1 sinker from Woodruff for a called second strike. Replays indicate the 2-0 pitch ruled strike one was located off the outer edge of home plate and knee-high (px -1.09, pz 1.77) while the 3-1 pitch ruled strike two was located over the outer edge of home plate and knee-high (px -0.82, pz 1.76 [sz_bot 1.59]), the strike one call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Brewers were leading, 2-0. The Brewers ultimately won the contest, 3-0.

This is Sam Holbrook (34)'s 1st ejection of 2021.

Sam Holbrook now has -1 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = -1).

Crew Chief Sam Holbrook now has 2 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 0 QOCN = 2).

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

*The 2-0 pitch was located 2.11 horizontal inches from being deemed correct.

This is the 57th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is Washington's 2nd ejection of 2021, T-2nd in the NL East (PHI 4; MIA, NYM, WAS 2; ATL 0).

This is Kevin Long's 1st ejection since August 16, 2020 (Will Little; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Sam Holbrook's 1st ejection since October 29, 2019 (Dave Martinez; QOC = Y [RLI]).

Wrap: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals, 5/30/21 | Video as follows:

Retro Interference - Batter-Runner Randle Tackles Pitcher

In May 1974, Rangers second baseman Lenny Randle bunted down the first-base line and then veered into fair territory to tackle Indians pitcher Bob Johnson, who had thrown behind Randle one pitch earlier. HP Umpire Dave Phillips ruled the batter-runner out despite Johnson never having actually tagged him, sparking a benches-clearing brawl leading to our latest Ask the UEFL question: What's the right call here?

Despite articles discussing the base path or runner's lane, the answer is fairly simple: Randle was declared out for interfering with a fielder entitled to field a batted ball. Naturally, HP Umpire Phillips or 1B Umpire Bill Deegan could have similarly ejected Randle for unsportsmanlike conduct as a result of the flagrant and intentional collision.

Two rules cover this. Official Baseball Rule 5.09(b)(3) states that a runner (including the batter-runner) is out when said runner "intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball," while OBR 6.01(a)(10) confirms that it is interference when a runner "fails to avoid a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball, or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball."

SIDEBAR: If two fielders attempt to field the same batted ball, only one of them is entitled to protection from interference (this is not the case here as only the pitcher is fielding the batted ball).

There exist other rules pertaining to interference with a fielder who has already caught a ball and for the purpose of these rules, the pitcher is considered to be in the act of fielding at the moment of interference, even though the ball is already in his possession.

For the record, this is not runner's lane interference (OBR 5.09(a)(11)), which is a call of interference with the fielder taking the throw at first base; thus, RLI requires a throw to be made. No throw = no possibility of runner's lane interference. Similarly, this is not an out-of-the-base-path call, since out of the base path is defined as running more than three feet away from the direct line between the runner and the base which the runner is attempting to achieve in order to avoid being tagged. Because Randle ran directly to the pitcher (the only player who could have tagged him), who had yet to make a tag attempt, he was not out of his base path.

Video as follows: