Was one of the calls in the Yankees/Angels game nullification?

[cjclong]

In the 4th inning last night Nick Swisher was on 2nd base. There was a pick off throw and he dived back to the base. On the replay it appeared he was tagged out by a foot. The umpire called him safe. Unless there was something we just couldn't see on the replay he was out. Later in the inning Swisher moved to 3rd. A fly ball was hit to center to Hunter. Swisher tagged up and beat the throw to the plate. The Angels appealed he left too early from third and the umpire at 3rd McCelland, called him out. The replay appeared to show clearly that Swisher had his foot on the base when Hunter caught the ball and did not leave too early. The replay also showed McCelland looking toward the outfield when the ball was caught and he did not appear to be looking at Swisher's foot. I had to wonder, since what appeared to be a blown call on the Swisher pick off was shown at the Stadium if the umpire, either consciously or subconsciouly was evening the out call that was not made on Swisher by calling him out on the appeal play. Any ideas?

[justbaseball]

yeap, that's for missing the call at second, but the tag of two players by the catcher at third , unless i'm missing something that was really a missed call. What's wrong with the umpiring in these game?

[earlywynnfan]

yeap, that's for missing the call at second, but the tag of two players by the catcher at third , unless i'm missing something that was really a missed call. What's wrong with the umpiring in these game?

Did you notice how Mclelland was in a terrible position to make the call on the double-tagout? He was blocked by the 3B, yet he never even moved! Someone at the head office needs to see that film.

Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmaill.com

[BULBUS]

Mclellend already saw the replay after the game and admitted his mistake. He said he thought Cano was on the bag. I'm just glad with a terrible call like that, Cano didn't score. No one likes bad calls changing the outcome of a game, even though it does happen. The umpires have been pretty bad in this series with bad calls going both ways.

[brianborsch]

Now I know that no one would ever do this in today's game, but it just struck me as: Why not? Cano clearly knew that he was tagged before touching the bag. Where is sportsmanship? Cano could have stepped in and said he was tagged out as well, or he could have just headed back to the dugout on his own. Instead he just stayed on the bag and "acted" like nothing happened. Since when was acting a part of the game?

A friend of mine was talking about deception for officiators in sports and how it is a welcome practice in sports. Why is that? For Basketball, 3 point shooters practice a drill where the shoot a 3 and after landing from the jumpshot, they fall and slide backwards on their butts. So many times refs have called fouls off of this practice when there was no contact or foul.

In Cano's case it was clear and he knew it. In the case of Swisher's run back to third, it was a faster play so from his position I would expect him to let the umps make that call (which they made incorrectly as well).

I know I know....if Cano did admit fault or gave in, his coach would have ripped him a new one. But why is dishonesty acceptable?

Any thoughts?

[CampWest]

Thats tricky. These types statements (be they your own or reporters/announcers) make the assumption that McClelland should have been looking at Swisher's foot in order to make the proper call. BUT, If he's looking at Swisher's foot, how can he determine when the catch is made? Do you look at the runner and when they leave look up to see if the catch has been made or do you look at the fielder until the catch is made then look at the runner? Personally, I think the third base ump should go from fielder to runner. I think he was looking in the right place. Ideally he should try to line-up in a fashion that he can see both the fielder and the runner (perhaps in the peripheral). Based on the photos and video I saw, McClelland looked properly positioned, he could determine when catch was made and Swisher appears to be in his line of sight.

Make up calls do happen. Its definitely possible. But bad calls also happen, so thats possible and maybe more likely in this case.

But for a little fun...
This was in the fourth inning and the bad call, assuming McClelland was not correcting the call at second, preceded the bad call in the fifth on the double tag out. Was ruling Cano safe in the double tag a possible make-up call for McClellands own bad call on the sac fly tag? Just something to think about...


The replay also showed McCelland looking toward the outfield when the ball was caught and he did not appear to be looking at Swisher's foot. I had to wonder, since what appeared to be a blown call on the Swisher pick off was shown at the Stadium if the umpire, either consciously or subconsciouly was evening the out call that was not made on Swisher by calling him out on the appeal play. Any ideas?

[David]

I've never gotten over the fact that umpires think it's acceptable for each umpire to have his own strike zone, whether or not it conforms to the written rules.

[BULBUS]

Since when was acting a part of the game?
A long time ago. Batters sometime fake being hit by a baseball, when it actually hit the knob of their bat. Cano wasnt the first to stay on base, there have been countless times when a runner has been called safe, knows he was out, and stayed on base. I guess though, its not as bad as it is in other sports like football where a kicker will fall down when he wasnt even touched, or a qb will fake being hit after a throw. Or a receiver will fake being interfered with and so on. And like you said about basketball, players are constantly faking being fouled as the chuck up the basketball. There are plenty of actors in hockey and soccer too. I guess its just part of the game, but I think its another form of cheating.

[CampWest]

As long as we're purporting possible phantom calls and umpire agendas...

Maybe the umpires were trying to keep the score close to keep TV ratings higher in the later innings of what was turning into a blow-out?

[cjclong]

I understand the argument about sportsmanship and whether a player who is called safe but was actually out should tell the umpire. The problem with this is it would likely become a one sided affair. If Cano had told the umpire he was out would Angel players later tell the umpire if they were called safe incorrectly. I rather doubt it. If a batter is called out for strike 3 on a pitch that is clearly outside the strike zone should the catcher tell the umpire. Players don't tell because they know that the other teams players won't and so all the bad calls would go against them. Bobby Richardson who played for the Yankees in the 1960's was a person of strong Christian beliefs who didn't smoke, drink or curse. He was once asked as a Christian what he would do if an umpire incorrectly called him safe or an oppsoing player out. Richardson said it was his position that it is up to the umpires to make the calls and he would not volunteer. He said if an umpire ever asked him he would not lie and would tell the truth, but of course they never do. I do think there is a difference betwen not volunteering and faking a play. This rasies a number of interesting questions about sportsmanship.

[justbaseball]

don't you think that the third base umpire could have ask for help from the home plate umpire?

[Vintagedeputy]

Good sportsmanship has been dead for a long time. Cano knew he was out but if the ump didn't say so, oh well! These days, you get away with what you can, just like way back when.

Gaylord Perry knew that vaseline was illegal to use. Joe Niekro used a nail file. Yogi Berra used to rub up a ball on the dirt before he tossed it back to the pitcher. The NY Giants were accused of stealing signs against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Sammy Sosa used a corked bat. Some guys filled their bats with rubber superballs. Teams have the grass cut certain ways to enable/disable a team from bunting. We won't even get into the steroid issue.

Sheet happens, happens all the time. The umpiring in this series has been gosh darn awful. Hell, all season long. The Nats got robbed in every series they played.

Still, the Yanks handed the Halos a 10-1 drubbing, despite being gipped several runs.........and they're going to the World Series after tomorrow night.

All is right in the Bronx, and beyond! :)

[Marichal27]

Is it just me, or has the quality of umoiring gone way down over the last few years or so. Plus some of the umps have a chip on their shoulder/attitude problem.

[BULBUS]

Is it just me, or has the quality of umoiring gone way down over the last few years or so. Plus some of the umps have a chip on their shoulder/attitude problem.


I think the ball/strike calls have been better overall, but you're right, there seems to be too many missed calls in the field.

[xpress34]

Batters sometime fake being hit by a baseball, when it actually hit the knob of their bat.

Did you read Chase Utley's 'admission' a few days after the Rockies series that he actually fouled the ball off his leg, but since the ump didn't see it, he took 1st. Apparently when he reached second he told Troy Tulowitzki something to the effect of, "Good thing this isn't the NFL where you can throw a flag to challenge a play." So beyond the 'cheating', he went as far as to rub it in the Rockie's faces and taunt a player about it... that is definately unsportsman like conduct.



Good sportsmanship has been dead for a long time. Cano knew he was out but if the ump didn't say so, oh well! These days, you get away with what you can, just like way back when.

...Sammy Sosa used a corked bat.

Vintage -

I'm not a Sosa fan, but I will defend him here like I have every other time someone uses his corked bat incident in an arguement - YES, he had a bat break and YES, it was corked, but does his story hold up that it was a BP bat he grabbed by accident hold up? YES. After the incident, MLB obtained GU Sosa Bats from the HOF, from private collections, etc... some 80+ bats all together and had them examined and x-rayed... and guess what - NOT a SINGLE Corked bat in the bunch!!! You think Sammy was using corked bats and was really smart enough and careful enough to make sure that NONE of them ever got out??? I'll give Sammy the benefit of the doubt on this one.


Teams have the grass cut certain ways to enable/disable a team from bunting.

I've addressed this issue other places before too, but will do it again here as well...

A player faking getting hit by a pitch, or 'acting' when he knows he was tagged out are one thing as there are RULES written covering those being a free pass or an out, etc...

As far as I know (outside of distance between bases and mound to home distance and mound height) there are NO rules about how the grass or the base paths will be maintained and a good groundskeeper and the team will use this to their advantage by how they cut the grass - in/longer to make the ball roll slower, out/shorter to make it faster, etc. based on the team they are 'hosting' and that teams characteristics... watch Juan Pierre sometime - a VERY smart ballplayer who usually is at the stadium before everyone else and who goes out and rolls balls in the grass DAILY as well as bouncing them off the walls to see how the field is playing THAT day....

There is a story (I cannot find the original source) that I heard years ago about Lou Brock when he was about to break the Stolen Base record... the Cards were heading to LA... the LA grounds crew dug up the base paths and laid down a softer 'loam' and then repacked the infield dirt... it made the paths softer and therefore slower so Brock could not break the record in LA. After the series, they redug, pulled up the soft 'loam' and repacked the field...

Hell, Cole Hamels accused the Rockies of playing hijinx with the Bullpen mound when the Phillies were here, but measurements by the umps showed the mound was in spec... the day after the accusation. Did the Rockies do something and then rebuild the mound over night???


The umpiring in this series has been gosh darn awful. Hell, all season long.

Vintage it has been horrible ALL Season and in EVERY Series so far...

- Chris