Rabu, 07 Juni 2023

Chicago Walks Off After Wild Pitch Hits Cory Blaser In Head

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Chicago defeated Detroit on an extra-inning walk off wild pitch after Tigers pitcher Jose Cisnero’s fastball to Tim Anderson hit HP Umpire Cory Blaser directly and caromed away, allowing White Sox baserunner Yoan Moncada to score from third base. Let’s talk bonus runner, interference, and humanity.

As for a game-ending injury a la a pitch to the mask, there is fortuitously no debate of stay in vs come out: with the game over, there is no doubt the umpire will get immediate medical attention.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Chicago Walks Off After Wild Pitch Hits Umpire Blaser in the Head

Aaron Judge's Bullpen Crashing Catch & Carry

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After Dodgers batter Max Muncy demonstrated how to legally run within the runner's lane and was therefore safe when hit in the back by Yankees catcher Jose Trevino's throw, New York outfielder Aaron Judge crashed through the bullpen fence and gate in right field while catching JD Martinez's fly ball.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone soon left the dugout to argue as the umpires awarded R1 Muncy second base on the play, and Crew Chief Marvin Hudson had to explain baseball's catch-and-carry rule to the New York skipper, who had originally sought to challenge the boundary and runner placement call. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts chuckled when told Boone was not challenging the play after all.

Official Baseball Rule 5.09(a)(1) states that a batter is out when their "fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder." In order for the catch to be legal, the fielder "must have one or both feet on or over the playing surface and neither foot inside the dugout or in any other out-of-play area."

OBR 5.06(b)(3)(C) states that each runner (other than the batter) may advance one base when "A fielder, after catching a fly ball, steps or falls into any out-of-play area." The one base award is made from the runner's "last legally touched base at the time the fielder entered such out of play area."

Accordingly, fielder Judge legally caught the fly ball while still on the playing surface, but then stepped into the bullpen and out of play, resulting in a dead ball. Pursuant to the rules, that meant R1 Muncy—obliged to remain on or go back to first base to tag up on the caught fly ball—was awarded second base on Judge's catch and carry.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Muncy's legal runner's lane jaunt to first precedes Judge's crashing catch and carry

Cronenworth Runs Into Umpire, Ruled Out At 2Nd Base

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Padres baserunner Jake Cronenworth ran into 2B Umpire Ryan Wills on an infield ground ball as he tried to reach second base, falling over and allowing the Cubs plenty of time to get the out. Should this have been umpire interference or is this nothing...and where should an umpire stand on a play at second base?

To begin, this collision is not umpire interference as there are only two forms of umpire interference in the rulebook: one, when the umpire interferes with the catcher's throw to retire a runner (or interferes with the catcher returning the ball to the pitcher); and, two, when the umpire working inside (as Wills did here) gets hit by a batted ball before the ball has passed an infielder, provided it did not first touch the pitcher.

Thus, there is no umpire interference and no reason to declare the ball dead: 2B Umpire Wills is considered part of the field as Cronenworth runs into him and the out call prevails.

As for position, although an initial stance of Deep B along the infield grass is proper, perhaps we can borrow from the wild pitch principle of clearing the catcher to, instead, "clear the base path" (or potential base path, which includes the baseline) and thus avoid the likelihood of a runner running into the back of an umpire preparing to take a play at the action base.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Cronenworth stumbles after running into Umpire Wills; no call puts him out

Sheldon Hs Softball Defeats Oregon City On Obstruction

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Although Oregon City High School threw a no-hitter in its state title game, it nonetheless lost to Sheldon HS thanks to a walk-off obstruction call at third base to end the game, with umpires awarding Sheldon's baserunner home on the play, scoring the only run of the contest.

With one out and one on—a runner at first base whose hit-by-pitch broke up Oregon City's perfect game bid—in the bottom of the 7th and tamat inning of play, the home team's batter bunted the ball, resulting in a throwing error when the drawn-in infielder's throw bounced past first base. The preceding runner R1 rounded third and headed for home as the defense threw to the catcher, who tagged the runner for the apparent second out of the inning, and threw to second base to tag the batter-runner for an inning-ending double play.

However, the home plate umpire, having rotated up the third base line as the third base umpire moved in to take a potential play at second base, signaled a delayed dead ball as baserunner R1 passed third base. Replays indicate the fielder impeded the runner, resulting in an obstruction call and ultimately a base award that allowed R1 to score despite initially appearing to have been thrown out at home.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Sheldon HS walks off with obstruction to win state title against Oregon City

There's No Blowing In Baseball - Alek Manoah's Lenny Randle Moment

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In his last start before being optioned, Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah got creative trying to thwart Astros batter Jeremy Peña's bunt single along the third base foul line, stooping down to blow the ball foul. Thanks to 1980s Mariners third baseman Lenny Randle, umpires learn this play in their history books and we venture back to 1981 with Seattle playing Kansas City to learn more about blowing in baseball.

On May 27, 1981, Royals batter Amos Otis hit a dribbler up the third base foul line, where Seattle's Randle got down on the ground and successfully blew the ball from fair territory into foul ground. After the play, HP Umpire Larry McCoy awarded Otis first base, ruling that Randle illegally interfered with the course of a ball without touching it—had he touched it, the ball would have been fair, and the logic goes that a fielder shouldn't be able to influence the path of the ball in a situation where they are trying not to touch it.

This gave rise to the MLB Umpire Manual rule interpretation that exists to this day called, "Infielder Interferes with Course of Ball" which states, "When a batted ball is rolling fair down the foul line between home plate and either first or third base and a fielder stoops down over the ball and blows on it or in any other manner does some act that in the judgment of the umpire causes the ball to roll onto foul territory, the umpire shall rule a fair ball. The ball is alive and in play."

Accordingly, HP Umpire Scott Barry called the ball fair as soon as Manoah blew on it, as blowing the ball is strictly prohibited.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Alek Manoah tried blowing a ball foul, similar to Randle 42 years prior