The Minnesota Twins had a chance to win the series vs the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. They may have had that chance taken away by the off the field umpires.
Here’s the quick highlights to refresh your memory as we didn’t do a recap. Twins Daily did, though so check that out or just watch this video:
Minnesota Twins RHP Chris Archer had a very good start going 5 innings and allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 4 and walking no one. The bullpen came in and RHP Emilio Pagán went 0.2 innings before being removed for an apparent injury.* He allowed a hit but also struck out 1. Rookie RHP Cole Sands was beckoned from the bullpen and he got the Twins through the 8th with the score still 2-0.
*He left the game with a right lat cramp but “an examination revealed no issues…”
The Twins got a leadoff single in the bottom of the 8th off the bat of 2B Jorge Polanco who advanced on a balk with 1 out and 1B Jose Miranda came through with another clutch hit to tie the game with a solid knock to right center field to cut the deficit in half, 2-1 Blue Jays.
Sands ended up pitching 3 innings of scoreless ball and he allowed just 2 hits while striking out 1 but he couldn’t finish the 9th so LHP Caleb Thielbar came in and kept the game at 2-1 so his team could try to tie it up or walk it off in the bottom of the 9th.
Twins SS Carlos Correa led off the 9th and he was hit by a pitch. He was pinch run for by Tim Beckham.* Then Byron Buxton pinch-hit for CF Gilberto Celestino but he struck out looking for the 1st out. C Gary Sánchez had his back as he singled to center field to advance Beckham to 3rd. Luis Arraez came to the plate and on the first pitch he singled to right field to tie the game. Unfortunately, Polanco & Kepler both grounded out to end the inning but, hey, more baseball is better than no baseball.
*Someone asked how often a #1 overall pick had ever entered the game for another #1 overall pick – Correa was #1 in 2012, Beckham was #1 in 2008.
On to extra innings and former Royal Whit Merrifield started the inning at 2nd base. Santiago Espinal flew out to center field and Buxton was ready to catch & throw as Merrifield tagged up and… he was going for it…bang bang play… safe at 3rd. Twins challenged but the call was confirmed.
Cavan Biggio then flew out to shallow left field and LF Tim Beckham* was also ready to make a throw. He played it well, getting behind the ball then coming forward to catch the ball to get some momentum in his throw but he double-clutched for some reason but he made a great throw that beat the runner. Gary Sánchez was in position in front of the plate but lined up with the foul line and he caught the ball and tagged the runner…OUT! 2 outs and the game was still tied but…
*Tim Beckham hasn’t played much in the outfield since 2019 when he played 91 innings for the Seattle Mariners. He never played in the outfield in the minors. He did play 3 innings in LF for the Twins on August 1st vs DET when Kyle Garlick got hurt running into the wall.
Toronto challenged the play saying Gary Sánchez blocked the plate and after a lengthy review, they overturned the call saying “there was a violation by the catcher” and the runner is safe. Oh, boy!
Good game that’s tarnished by a very controversial call.
––––– TT –––––
This is exactly why we do Game Notes, so we can go deeper into a play to find out what’s going on and if it was played right and, obviously in this case, called right.
It’s also why we started to make Game Notes separate articles. We’ve had them on our recaps for quite a while and wanted everyone to see them and talk about them but, for whatever reason, that wasn’t happening.
Alright…here’s probably the best replay we can find:
There are several replays from different angles.
This is probably the greatest breakdown of the play (Warning: There is some profanity):
Rocco Baldelli says this was one of the worst moments he’s seen of umpiring and thinks it was pathetic, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/aib8SFPRmH
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) August 9, 2022
The Notes
*
What’s the Rule?
From the 2021 MLB Rulebook:
(The MLB Website doesn’t link to a 2022 Rulebook)
Rule 6.01 (i) (1) to 6.01(1)(2)
(i) Collisions at Home Plate
(1) A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his
direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with
the catcher, or otherwise initiate an avoidable collision.
If, in the judgment of the umpire, a runner attempting to
score initiates contact with the catcher in such a manner,
the umpire shall declare the runner out (regardless of
whether the catcher maintains possession of the ball). In
such circumstances, the umpire shall call the ball dead,
and all other base runners shall return to the last base
touched at the time of the collision. If the runner slides
into the plate in an appropriate manner, he shall not be
adjudged to have violated Rule 6.01(i).
Rule 6.01(i)(1) Comment: The failure by the runner to make an
effort to touch the plate, the runner’s lowering of the shoulder,
or the runner’s pushing through with his hands, elbows or
arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated
from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in
violation of Rule 6.01(1), or otherwise initiated a collision that
could have been avoided. A slide shall be deemed appropriate,
in the case of a feet first slide, if the runner’s buttocks and legs
should hit the ground before contact with the catcher. In the
case of a head first slide, a runner shall be deemed to have slid
appropriately if his body should hit the ground before contact
with the catcher. If a catcher blocks the pathway of the runner,
the umpire shall not find that the runner initiated an avoidable
collision in violation of this Rule 6.01(i)(1).
(2) Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher
cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting
to score. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the catcher
without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the
runner, the umpire shall call or signal the runner safe.
Not withstanding the above, it shall not be considered
a violation of this Rule 6.01(1(2) if the catcher blocks
the pathway of the runner in a legitimate attempt to field
the throw (e.g., in reaction to the direction, trajectory or
the hop of the incoming throw, or in reaction to a throw
that originates from a pitcher or drawn-in infielder). In
addition, a catcher without possession of the ball shall not
be adjudged to violate this Rule 6.01 (i)(2) if the runner
could have avoided the collision with the catcher (or
other player covering home plate) by sliding.
Rule 6.01 (i)(2) Comment: A catcher shall not be deemed to
have violated Rule 6.01(i)(2) unless he has both blocked the
plate without possession the ball (or when not in a legitimate
attempt to field the throw), and also hindered or impeded the
progress of the runner attempting to score. A catcher shall not
be deemed to have hindered or impeded the progress of the
runner if, in the judgment of the umpire, the runner would have
been called out notwithstanding the catcher having blocked
the plate. In addition, a catcher should use best efforts to
avoid unnecessary and forcible contact while tagging a runner
attempting to slide. Catchers who routinely make unnecessary
and forcible contact with a runner attempting to slide (e.g., by
initiating contact using a knee, shin guard, elbow or forearm)
may be subject to discipline by the Office of the Commissioner.
All references to “the catcher” in this Rule 6.01 (i) shall apply
equally to other players covering home plate. In addition, Rule
6.01 (i)(2) shall not apply to force plays at home plate.
FYI – Jomboy said “rule 7.13” in his video breakdown. That’s from when the rule was first inserted into the rulebook back in 2014.
**
The Interpretation
The rule was created to protect catchers from getting blown up &/or injured on a play at home partially as a reaction to former San Francisco Giants C Buster Posey getting hurt on one of those plays in late May of 2011.
If you’re squeamish, you might not want to watch the replay at the very end of this video.
Most Twins fans will remember when Torii Hunter hit Jamie Burke against the White Sox on a similar play in 2004.
We’ve read a lot of people including major league catchers say Posey played that all wrong. A quick google search didn’t reveal any of those articles or statements but we’d have to guess that he wasn’t set up right but part of that is the throw was on the 1st base side of home plate so he had to try to shift to catch the ball then move to make a tag in the same motion but the thing we see about the play is the collision wasn’t necessary. It definitely looks like the runner had a chance to just slide to the foul side of home plate but…it’s easy to look at a play and make a choice of what to do after seeing what happened.
From catch to collision is less than 4 seconds and less than a second from the ball reaching Posey and him getting hit by Cousins and we’ve been watching baseball for more than 8 years that didn’t allow or strongly discouraged collisions at home plate.*
*How ‘bout that for a segue, huh?
***
The Take or Our Thoughts
The first sentence of the rule above is obviously a big part of this rule or it wouldn’t be said first and it’s about avoiding a collision which, of course, would avoid injuries to a pretty defenseless catcher like Buster Posey and Jamie Burke.
“A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher, or otherwise initiate an avoidable collision.”
– MLB Collisions at Home Plate Rule
So…move to the play from Sunday and it’s almost identical to the Posey & Burke play because it’s on a sacrifice fly so the runners had to tag up and run straight home as opposed to a base hit where they would be rounding 3rd base and coming in from an arc or angle.
All the runners definitely have room (or a sliding lane) to slide into the backside (or foul side) of home plate:
The difference of the play on Sunday afternoon is the ball got to the catcher a little earlier than the other two plays. The runners all did the same thing in initiating contact with the catcher but since the ball got to Gary Sánchez earlier, he was able to get down and tag the runner out.
Here’s why we say Whit Merrifield initiated contact with the catcher. First, he slightly turned into Sánchez with his slide.
You can see he’s leaning in this picture and his foot changed direction as this is just a different angle to the first picture.
Second, why would he slide towards the catcher? He can clearly see Gary Sánchez in front of him. If you’re trying to get to the plate, you wouldn’t slide closer to the catcher, you would try to avoid him. Did Whit Merrifield think he was going to be out so he decided to slide into the catcher so they could challenge the rule?
If Whit Merrifield slides head first, he probably gets one more step and he could’ve taken his slide further outside and swept his left hand at the plate. It’s hard to know, of course, but head first seems like the better way to slide into home.
This is the explanation from MLB minutes after the game was over from Bally Sports North:
“The catcher’s movements into foul territory were not in reaction to the trajectory of the throw & he did not have to be in the position to receive the ball.
The catcher’s actions while not in possession of the ball hindered & impeded the runner.”
This is an incredible statement. They are basically saying Gary Sánchez caught the ball in the wrong position but look back at the pic above where he caught the ball. His glove is right in front of him which is exactly where you’d want to catch a ball, exactly where you’re taught to catch a ball.
****
The Problem
This is the same problem with almost any rule that is left up to the discretion of the umpire or the off-field officials. There doesn’t seem to be any clear definition of what the rule is so it’s left up to how each ump/official interprets the rule which is completely ridiculous.
What does that remind you of? The strike zone, maybe? And how do people feel about the strike zone? It’s almost certain it’s just a matter of time until there will be some type of automated strike zone.
For the hockey fans, the ClutterPuckers from our sister site, ClutterPuck, it’s very similar to the Goaltender Interference rule. Nobody knows what the rule is. There could be a play where you’re certain it will be or won’t be called for Goaltender Interference and it goes the other way. This isn’t just the fans of the game, either. The coaches and team personnel question it as well.
That’s not good.
––––– TT –––––
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