The ball beat him

[hbk314]

The ball beat him by a mile, so I don't even need to watch the rest of the play... What do you think?

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21801923&c_id=mlb

[noumpere]

Im surprised that it didnt get more discussion at the time and with all the replay Im surprised at the call that was made.

[UMP45]

It's not whether he was tagged or not but how FAR he was out! :nod:

[zm1283]

Notice Hrabosky doesn't mention that Ruiz might have gotten his foot in there and the Cardinals benefited from a call. The umpires are only bad when something goes against the Cardinals.

[mjr_2013]

On plays like this I have called safe before, and the SH*# storm was unrelenting... No one even mentioned that he might be safe on this play.

:D

[johnnyg08]

I don't get it. Sometimes it works this way, sometimes it doesn't. You never know when you're going to get your next $hitstorm.

[Mr Umpire]

Sadly, sometimes it is easier to call the most obvious call rather than the one that is unexpected. And, I wonder how much MLB encourages this with some kind of "backhanded" type remarks or penalties. It's getting hot and no one wants to make the game last longer than they feel it needs to be.

However, given PU's positioning, how well did he see the entire play? He definitely makes it look like a routine call with his casual out signal. I'm assuming he had an out all day long on this. Homers are just pathetic at times, most of the time.

[johnnyg08]

He was more 1BLX than he should have been. It is possible that he didn't even see it, but he was so out, that nobody questioned it.

Tough though...b/c like mentioned above, I've been in major $hitstorms before when I've "safed" it and I've also heard the same $-storm when I've called an out on the same/similar play.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Umpire in Chief]

We've had some discussion here about expected calls vs appropriate call. Many centered around this exact type of situation where the ball beats the runner by a mile and the tag may not be on time.

[JHSump]

At the MLB level, there is the possibility on such a play that the runner may lower his shoulder and blast into the catcher. So the MLB umpire may be giving the catcher the benefit of the doubt, and allowing him to possibly avoid the effects of a direct collision by standing somewhat upright, ready for anything. The result may be a tag applied as in the video --- about at the waist

But nevermind MLB, this is essentially a video replay of almost every tag play in youth baseball games. Each time it happens I'm tempted to hold a clinic for coaches and players right there on the field: drop the glove into the dirt in front of the base and let the runner slide into it, then raise the glove up and show everyone you got him, and have control of the ball.

When I call the runner safe, many coaches will yell out to the defensive player: "Bobby, didn't we talk about this --- tag him in the feet" (or something like that). I don't think they realize "talking about it" and having them practice doing it gets different results.

But, often we umpires are left holding the bag. "Safe!" --- "Aw, com'on blue, he was out by a mile!" "Out!" -- "Geez, blue, he slid under the tag!"

I just call the runner safe if he is obviously safe. Maybe the coaches/players will get the message: learn how to tag, or suffer the consequences --- but that's up to them. Sometimes, when it's close, I give the defense the benefit of the doubt and call the runner out --- the call that is expected by almost everyone.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I don't know what y'all are looking at, but every time I watch it, slow it down, watch it again in real time...Molina blocks the plate with his foot, Ruiz slides into Molina's foot, and Ruiz's foot is diverted away from the plate as he slides by. He looks out six ways to Sunday to me, and even Ruiz didn't come up squawking about it, so he must have known his foot didn't hit the plate before he was tagged. Oh, and the ball beating him by 10 feet didn't help his cause either.

[JHSump]

The camera views are not great, but it looks to me that Ruiz's foot pushes Molina's foot straight back across the plate. In other words, it looks to me that Ruiz's foot is not deflected at all.

If I were Ruiz I don't think I would have any objection to the call --- I was "out by a mile" and then bang bang bang I slid into Moliina with lots of contact: I don't think I would be able to tell if I was tagged before I reached the plate or not.

[mstaylor]

Steve, stop it at .08. Safe as hell, he hits his foot and drives it straight back to the center of the plate, then tags him at he waist.

[SanDiegoSteve]

You call that "safe as hell?" Even stopped at :47 he looks like the runner's foot and the tag come very close to simultaneously at best. No way did he clearly beat the play. Very bang bang in real time, and made much more easier to call the out by the ball arriving so early at the plate. Molina has to block the plate and anticipate a Pete Rose takeout dive and has to wait until he sees the runner slide to apply a tag. Pretty darn close play, overall.

[mstaylor]

I had him safe on first look. I thought it was a no brainer.

[johnnyg08]

All I know is that if I knew my call would be on video I'd get the call right vs. making the expected call...IMO, the umpire thought he got it right by calling him out. They all know that every call they make is on video.

[Thunderheads]

Sorry ...

Safe all day long ........

"SAFE, SAFE, HE'S UNDERNEATH IT!" (sell the $hit out of it!)

BUT ....

looking at it again by means of SanDiegoSteve ..... it's a little closer than first appeared

Ruiz didn't say anything because he assumed Molina blocked it w/ his foot ....

[JaxRolo]

Safe all day!!! At first look and Replay!

[Welpe]

That is pretty clearly safe. With video replays being what they are these days, it seems the MLBUs have been making more actual calls over expected lately but we still see a fair amount of these.