Force Play

[Guest Kyle Rondeau]

In MLB, how can there possibly be a “call stands” ruling on a force play unless there is a clear obstruction of the camera angle?  The rule, contrary to what most—if not all—umpires will say, gives benefit to the runner in case of a tie...  “...The defense can retire the runner by tagging the next base before he arrives...”  As such if it is not absolutely clear that the defense beat the batter-runner to the base, (considering the availability of stop motion or freeze-frame instant replay) then the batter-runner must be declared safe.  Yes, Tie goes to the runner.  The rulebook says so in that if there is an instance of a tie, then the defense cannot be ruled to have tagged the base before the runner arrived.  One “pop” is a tie.  Runner is safe.

[beerguy55]

Here's my rant...or my Jerry Maguire manifesto - or whatever you want to call it.

The advancement of technology, and the replay review implementation, has brought us to the standard "be careful what you ask for" crossroads.

How exact do we really want to get under the guise of "getting it right"...or at what point do we say "good enough"?

Two men run the 100m in the Olympics...they finish in 9.713 seconds.   We're already talking about millimeters at this point.  Do we really want to go to five, ten, fifteen, one hundred decimal places to find out who really won?   Do we really want gold and silver to be separated by the weight of an extra bead of sweat one runner had that slowed him down 0.000000000001 seconds?

When video technology gets good enough to run slow motion 20000 frames per second, at 10000x zoom, to 16k resolution, do we really want to use that to validate a safe/out call at first base?

Do we want to use that same video technology to determine if a basketball left the player's hand at a buzzer beater?  Because then I'll argue at the atomic level the ball was never in his hand in the first place.

Because we will get there - likely in many of our lifetimes - even someone like me...I don't know what hole I'm on, but I know it's the back nine.

I find it humorous that NFL referees eyeball where they spot the ball after a tackle, with a margin of error of at least the length of the football - yet we do statistical analysis of player quality and fantasy pool standings to a tenth of a yard....ie. <4 inches.  If we ever go to two decimal places here we're talking about 1/3 of an inch...one centimeter.

At some point the naked eye is good enough.   At some point, it is a tie...and just live with it. 

And as far as replay review - give a coach ten seconds to ask for a review - ie. it better be so egregious that the player KNOWS the call was wrong and is emphatic about it.   Then, the reviewer has 20 seconds to see if the call is wrong.  If it takes more than 45 seconds from the time the call on the field is made, to the time the final decision is made, you're not using the system right...you're not using replay to correct outrageous mistakes...you're using it to replace human officials.

 

 

[Kevin_K]

2 hours ago, ricka56 said:

When the DHC comes out, and you say that you safed BR because tie goes to the runner, you (and your partner) are in trouble. It should be either:

skip, I had the runner beating the throw, or
skip, I had the throw beating the runner.

Saying that it was a tie dooms the crew to abuse/ejections. 

I might go with "The ball beat him" or "The throw didn't beat him."

[Kevin_K]

2 hours ago, ricka56 said:

When the DHC comes out, and you say that you safed BR because tie goes to the runner, you (and your partner) are in trouble. It should be either:

skip, I had the runner beating the throw, or
skip, I had the throw beating the runner.

Saying that it was a tie dooms the crew to abuse/ejections. 

I might go with "The ball beat him" or "The throw didn't beat him."

[Jimurray]

6 minutes ago, Kevin_K said:

I might go with "The ball beat him" or "The throw didn't beat him."

That would work except on a safe force play in FED or NCAA where the inconsistency still exists

[LMSANS]

My sense of humor is obviously unique. Even with emoji.

[Richvee]

5 hours ago, LMSANS said:

My sense of humor is obviously unique. Even with emoji.

I got it.

[Richvee]

10 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

And as far as replay review - give a coach ten seconds to ask for a review - ie. it better be so egregious that the player KNOWS the call was wrong and is emphatic about it.   Then, the reviewer has 20 seconds to see if the call is wrong.  If it takes more than 45 seconds from the time the call on the field is made, to the time the final decision is made, you're not using the system right...you're not using replay to correct outrageous mistakes...you're using it to replace human officials.

^^^^^^YES!!!!^^^^^^.....Maybe even 5 seconds. If you disagree with the call IN REAL TIME, challenge. If you need to "see the tape" before deciding that maybe it's so close replay may overturn it, it was too close..live with the call.