Unusual plays

Max Power

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Seems like they thought the catcher had tagged the runner for the out on the dropped strike three, but the ump didn't ever signal it.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Seems like they thought the catcher had tagged the runner for the out on the dropped strike three, but the ump didn't ever signal it.
I think it's more likely that because there was a runner on first, the catcher didn't think he had to throw down to first (or tag the batter). But of course with two outs, you do. The catcher seemed momentarily confused by the batter taking off toward first but decided to celebrate instead. The really unfortunate thing is that the second baseman clearly saw what was happening and tried to find the ball, but it looked like the catcher put it in his back pocket so no one was able to find it.

What gets me is how was that a strike in the first place? The batter did not swing or even attempt to and clearly the ball was in the dirt.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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The ump did give the safe sign, which I think is the right mechanic there, but was really nonchalant about it.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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The ump did give the safe sign, which I think is the right mechanic there, but was really nonchalant about it.
It may have been nonchalant or understated, but it's not really a play where the umpire usually gets too demonstrative anyway. The catcher pounced on the ball and initially looked like he was going to throw to first, so I would guess the ump believed the catcher knew what was going on so he didn't have to make a big deal about the safe signal. And it's not like it's on him to repeat it when it became clear (most of) the players weren't acting like they saw/heard it.

Ultimately I think it's on the catcher for not being situationally aware and for not just throwing to first anyway. Even if the batter had been called out already (he clearly hadn't), there's no harm in making the throw just to be sure. Based on him putting the ball in his back pocket presumably for safe keeping, it almost seems like he was more concerned about that than making sure the game was actually over. Like he didn't trust that the 1B would hold on to the ball through the celebration.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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It may have been nonchalant or understated, but it's not really a play where the umpire usually gets too demonstrative anyway. The catcher pounced on the ball and initially looked like he was going to throw to first, so I would guess the ump believed the catcher knew what was going on so he didn't have to make a big deal about the safe signal. And it's not like it's on him to repeat it when it became clear (most of) the players weren't acting like they saw/heard it.

Ultimately I think it's on the catcher for not being situationally aware and for not just throwing to first anyway. Even if the batter had been called out already (he clearly hadn't), there's no harm in making the throw just to be sure. Based on him putting the ball in his back pocket presumably for safe keeping, it almost seems like he was more concerned about that than making sure the game was actually over. Like he didn't trust that the 1B would hold on to the ball through the celebration.
Yeah. If in doubt the safest play there is just hold the ball to make sure nobody can score. If you have the out, you take it. But you don’t need to make the throw. Like if the first baseman is celebrating.

I can totally understand the catcher there if the umpire did not call out ”safe” and there was actually a tag. It’s asking a lot of a kid there who knows he made the tag to assume the ref kicked it. If there was no tag, then it’s all on the catcher.

More important, why are both teams wearing the exact same color in a championship?
 

Zedia

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I also don't understand, they were down by just one and it looked like three runners scored (you just see a batting helmet run by before the camera pans out and the other two score).
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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I also don't understand, they were down by just one and it looked like three runners scored (you just see a batting helmet run by before the camera pans out and the other two score).
It was first and second at the start of the play, so you did see three runners cross. Only the first two counted (you see the second runner raise his hands as he knows he's the winning run). The third crossed but arguably he had to do that to get to his teammates in order to celebrate.

Yeah. If in doubt the safest play there is just hold the ball to make sure nobody can score. If you have the out, you take it. But you don’t need to make the throw. Like if the first baseman is celebrating.

I can totally understand the catcher there if the umpire did not call out ”safe” and there was actually a tag. It’s asking a lot of a kid there who knows he made the tag to assume the ref kicked it. If there was no tag, then it’s all on the catcher.

More important, why are both teams wearing the exact same color in a championship?
To be clear, when I say the catcher put the ball in his back pocket, I mean that literally, not in the sense that it wasn't smart or safe to make a throw. He put the ball in his pocket presumably so he'd have the souvenir and it wouldn't get lost in the dogpile. If he was worried about throwing the ball away and runs scoring (meaning he thought/knew the out hadn't been recorded yet), then he wouldn't have hugged his pitcher and started celebrating. He'd have camped out at home plate and the game would have continued. It's definitely on the catcher. The second baseman appeared to know what was going on and tried to make a play but couldn't find the ball.

As for the uniform colors, do high school teams have two different jerseys to swap between based on opponents? I only ever had one uniform per season from Little League all the way through college.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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It was first and second at the start of the play, so you did see three runners cross. Only the first two counted (you see the second runner raise his hands as he knows he's the winning run). The third crossed but arguably he had to do that to get to his teammates in order to celebrate.



To be clear, when I say the catcher put the ball in his back pocket, I mean that literally, not in the sense that it wasn't smart or safe to make a throw. He put the ball in his pocket presumably so he'd have the souvenir and it wouldn't get lost in the dogpile. If he was worried about throwing the ball away and runs scoring (meaning he thought/knew the out hadn't been recorded yet), then he wouldn't have hugged his pitcher and started celebrating. He'd have camped out at home plate and the game would have continued. It's definitely on the catcher. The second baseman appeared to know what was going on and tried to make a play but couldn't find the ball.

As for the uniform colors, do high school teams have two different jerseys to swap between based on opponents? I only ever had one uniform per season from Little League all the way through college.
Yeah, I follow what you are saying. I was just saying that I think how we judge the catcher should take into account whether he made the tag or not. If he did, I get exactly why it played out that way. And I was sort of wondering whether proper mechanics are to yell out safe or no tag for the benefit of the catcher who you are behind. The second baseman has the benefit of actually being able to see the umpire on the play.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Yeah, I follow what you are saying. I was just saying that I think how we judge the catcher should take into account whether he made the tag or not. If he did, I get exactly why it played out that way. And I was sort of wondering whether proper mechanics are to yell out safe or no tag for the benefit of the catcher who you are behind. The second baseman has the benefit of actually being able to see the umpire on the play.
There was no tag. Not even a real attempt that I could see. He picks up the ball and kind of stumble steps forward but never raises his hands or reaches for the runner in any way. He turns to the ump for a second but turns away just as he makes the safe call. Even if he thought he made the tag, he should have waited to see an actual out call from the ump before celebrating.
 

Rovin Romine

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There was no tag. Not even a real attempt that I could see. He picks up the ball and kind of stumble steps forward but never raises his hands or reaches for the runner in any way. He turns to the ump for a second but turns away just as he makes the safe call. Even if he thought he made the tag, he should have waited to see an actual out call from the ump before celebrating.
Or just throw to first. I mean, if you think the ump made the wrong call, or didn't make a call, or might make the wrong call. . .just remove all doubt and throw the runner out.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Or just throw to first. I mean, if you think the ump made the wrong call, or didn't make a call, or might make the wrong call. . .just remove all doubt and throw the runner out.
Exactly my point earlier. Even if he did think an out call had been made, throw to first anyway. No harm in having the 1B step on the bag just to be doubly or triply sure they had the out. The catcher seemed pre-occupied with hanging on to the souvenir instead.
 

AB in DC

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What gets me is how was that a strike in the first place? The batter did not swing or even attempt to and clearly the ball was in the dirt.
Possibly the most bonkers element of the entire video. It's almost like the home plate ump tried to throw the game, only for Hornell to throw it right back.
 

Humphrey

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How are the both allowed to wear basically the same shade of red?? Crazy

That 2b may be justified to go on a murder spree on his dumbass teammates
Not a lot of high school baseball teams have two uniforms, unlike several other sports where the rules require it.
 

jbupstate

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This happened in my backyard. My son is a HS baseball player in the area. Everyone thought the catcher got the tag on the runner but you still have to throw to first - Finish the play! Kudos to the batter for running the bases.

That said…. Someone told my son through social media that the first baseman was celebrating and nowhere near the bag. Catcher probably assumed the ump made the out call.

Terrible way to lose. I would have liked the umpire to be more demonstrative in his call.
 

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santadevil

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That is a dangerous play by the first baseman.
Making a pick on a bad throw, going away from the runner?

If anything, I think Royce needs to see that happening in front of him and do anything other than what he did
I know he needs to run through the bag hard, but after you see your lane after the bag has disappeared, do something else to keep yourself physically safe on that play. They both could've had a bad one there, but I can't blame the first baseman for making a pick
 

Just a bit outside

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Making a pick on a bad throw, going away from the runner?

If anything, I think Royce needs to see that happening in front of him and do anything other than what he did
I know he needs to run through the bag hard, but after you see your lane after the bag has disappeared, do something else to keep yourself physically safe on that play. They both could've had a bad one there, but I can't blame the first baseman for making a pick
You go off the inside corner of the base straight back toward the outfield. You don’t go back into the line. Royce should have been more aware but it is unusual.

Edit. Arias has played a total of 88 innings at first base and came up as a middle infielder. There is a reason you don’t see experienced first baseman get caught in that position.
 

santadevil

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You go off the inside corner of the base straight back toward the outfield. You don’t go back into the line.
Looking at it again, that may be right. 1B should've had his feet switched up. He's touching with his left, not his right, which maybe made the pick easier, but he stepped into foul territory behind the bag, instead of out towards RF more
Lewis did run inside the base line on the play too and had three steps to figure out somewhere else to go
 

Catcher Block

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Automatic runner rule quirk in the 10th inning of the Giants-Cardinals game today.

Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-tying, 2-run HR in the top of the 9th. Joc Pederson is up next, he strikes out. Inning over. Before the bottom of the 9th, Wilmer Flores moves from DH to 3B, Giants lose the DH. The pitcher comes in as a double switch, batting in Pederson's spot. Cardinals 3 up, 3 down in the bottom of the 9th, so we go to extra innings.

Yastrzemski then starts at 2nd base because the rule says the pitcher can't/doesn't have to be the ghost runner. He then scores on an RBI single, giving him runs scored in back-to-back innings with only 1 PA.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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DJnVa

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That angle doesn't show much but they could have challenged no?
 

PC Drunken Friar

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The Guardians ended up losing today because of this play where the home plate umpire was the only person in the stadium who thought the ball was fair... and unfortunately, the only one whose opinion mattered. The ol' FC 3-2 RBI where the catcher tags out the batter.

https://www.mlb.com/phillies/video/sam-hentges-in-play-run-s-to-bryce-harper?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share

(sorry, can't figure out how to embed the video)
I mean, this happened in the 5th inning and it tied the game. This isn't why they lost.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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Obviously, there's never a single play in a game that's solely responsible for a loss, but even the Phillies reactions showed that they knew it was a foul ball. If they score one less run in the first 9 innings, they lose. The only other play that was an equal factor was the bottom of the 9th when Andres Gimenez swung late and fouled off a pitch that Myles Straw had already easily stolen second base on. Gimenez then hit into a double-play right before David Fry hit a game-tying home run.

The umpire blew an obvious call on a play – directly resulting in a run – which stood up because MLB continues to insist there's some reason why some balls in play should be reviewable and others shouldn't be. Sorry, I'm sure you've never in your life blamed a bad call for the loss of your favorite team.
 

jon abbey

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Not so wild, but I don't remember seeing this before:

Tonight against the Yankees, runner on 1st and tries to steal second. He is safe, but the home plate ump rules that since the follow through swing of the batter hit the catcher while he was trying to throw (and it hit him solidly, very clearly), it was interference and the runner had to go back to 1st. But what I don't get (and admittedly I haven't researched it at all) is why the runner was not called out? Very strange rule to me.