Circus Play in LA as Giants-Dodgers Run Rules Gamut with Light Failure, Balk Q & Comedy of Errors

Though Friday's Giants-Dodgers game in LA ended with a broken play featuring a dropped infield pop-up, wild throw past first base, and baserunning blunders, umpires also got to call a light failure during live play & balk vs disengage vs do-over from scratch situation. Article: www.closecallsports.com/2023/...
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Perhaps most known for a circus play in the 11th inning featuring Casey Schmitt's dropped fly ball, Jakob Junis' wild throw, and baserunning blunders by Michael Busch and Mookie Betts, Friday's Giants-Dodgers game in LA ran the rules gamut for umpire David Rackley's crew, with a light failure during live play and a balk vs "starting from scratch" vs disengagement issue scattered about a game that begin with Dodgers rookie pitcher Emmet Sheehan throwing six no-hit innings before being pulled for a bullpen that gave the game away.
Join us for a review of the rules-including Official Baseball Rule 5.12(b)(2) concerning light failure and calling "Time" during live play, OBR 5.04(b)(2) Comment about how a batter cannot cause a balk and allows the play to be a do-over from scratch if the batter does cause the pitcher to balk, and...that comedy of errors in the 11th inning.

[@craigfoster354]

Truly refreshing to see the game from the umpire's point of view. Lindsay does this great game an excellent service.

[@J.C...]

Seriously. Having always been on the other side as a fan and a player, it really is cool to learn all of this stuff.

[@rj7411]

THIS, is the reason we subscribe to CCS. So much going on and you guys and gals give us everything we need to understand umpiring and MLB Rules. Plus the humor. Outstanding!

[@castlefreeland]

The fact that the game over theme for Super Mario Bros. plays while they show the final out is chef's kiss.

[@Briansgate]

So the starting pitcher had a no-hitter through 6 innings, then the manager takes him out, and they fall apart, and end up losing the game. Yep, must be the Dodgers.

[@sfan2767]

It's the second time a Dodgers pitcher has been removed in their debut while pitching a no-hitter against the Giants. Just like last time (Ross Stripling) Brandon Crawford had the winning RBI.

[@Wolfeson28]

@@sfan2767 Ross Stripling, who is now a Giant (on IL atm, though).

[@AEMoreira81]

Welcome to Dave Roberts baseball. In fairness, this was his major league debut and he had never pitched above Double A before.

[@danhenderson7010]

When is the kid going to have another opportunity to get a no-hitter in his major league debut? Come on, that is just not right! Don't put the kibosh on it when the kid is living the dream!

[@SenorTortas]

@@danhenderson7010 if he's good, he'll have more opportunities at a no-hitter

[@donh6416]

Wow. A lot going on in this game. Credit to the umpire crew dealing with the little used rules and mechanics. Kudos.

[@kampoc4802]

Third base coach largely responsible for the baserunning gaffe. He was so far out of position that runner rounding 3rd couldn't see him until too late, so he's chugging around third, which means trailing running is going to head towards 3rd. When runner gets around 3rd and finally can see coach, it's too late.

[@arinerm1331]

Also, a well-coached runner will look to the third-base coach as the runner touches second base. Since the coach was almost in the dirt at home plate, Betts had zero chance of getting any baserunning guidance from that coach. If I were manager, that coach would be on the bench for the entire next game to give the coach sufficient time for the 'splaining he needs to do.

[@raf42]

Lin, This might be your best video yet. So much packed into the video, from all parties perspectives.

[@route2070]

Thanks for including base coach interference. Don't think ive heard of that as a distraction before.

[@pepcatch11]

Thanks Lin❤️

[@EricWBurton]

Nice breakdown!

[@jimmorton247]

I totally agree with your thought on "Throw back" days for the umpires. A few years ago, when they played the first field of dreams game, the teams wore era appropriate uniforms. I was disappointed that the umpire crew didn't wear shirts and ties.

[@J.C...]

Great job, Lin! Thank you! 👌

[@davidlpeterson9051]

Wonderful analysis of all situations!

[@jimc.goodfellas226]

Great channel. Definitely one of the craziest plays weve seen in quite some time

[@justinchurch8440]

You’re awesome at explaining all this!! Such a detailed review!! Awesome job Lindsay!

[@query9862]

We always berate the umpires for blown strikes or balls but to see this and how they're actively giving their best is definitely refreshing

[@stevebabiak6997]

Isn’t it weird that so many of these pitch com failures happen to the home team? You would think they have staffing with the job of making sure that the equipment is working properly.

[@jdkoerner4315]

Love listening to Lindsay break down these plays. And how about this umpiring crew? These guys don't get half the credit they deserve. They are so good at their jobs!

[@r3d5ive87]

It’s not light failure if the home team turns off the lights and flashes them on purpose

[@ronaldwayne7092]

Can we ban this practice? Pretty please? It's going to give someone a seizure someday and people will wonder why it was ever allowed.

[@rmelin13231]

@@ronaldwayne7092 I second that.

[@almostfm]

@@ronaldwayne7092 I third it.

[@bethhentges]

I 4th it.

[@a_doggo]

@@ronaldwayne7092 if this is true, it should be banned immediately - although I assume baseball games have a flashing-lights warning for other things and that this is just more of that

[@avoqado89]

Giant's wins always have to have a few crazy plays in there.

[@a_doggo]

Great video, and fantastic descriptions of some of the umpire mechanics, positioning, and case book material (a bang-bang tag play absolutely must be called from the best possible position that *you* can find for *yourself*, so that *you* can see the play and make the best call possible.) Loved this one! Turned a circus into a very informative experience. I'm a little sad our DH was rained out today, so this was nice to see. (They cancelled 2+ hours in advance. Bummer!)

[@juliebraden6911]

Throwback umpire day would be awesome.

[@SenorTortas]

I am all for umpire throwback uniforms 🤣🤣

[@JackoDaddy5]

I want that umpire hat....like...now..

[@popgunandy]

My favorite part of this is the end shot with the outfield wall advertising "Nintendo World A New Way to Play" - uh...yeah.

[@ethancampbell6076]

Who ever is doing the lights during the game needs to get fired.

[@someguyik]

One of the funniest plays I've seen in sports.

[@alvinthecat8426]

Lots of stuff in this vid. Nice call on the pitcher backing up home plate. Pitcher help thyself.

[@MadSpectre47]

I understand panic, but what the ever loving hell was the pitcher doing (I think it was the pitcher?) grabbing the ball and lobbing a hand grenade to somewhere in the perhaps general vicinity of first base? 4:21

[@a_doggo]

It wasn't intentional - it basically never is. Just slow it down - he got his release mixed up, possibly because he was looking at the first baseman - he could tell you, but it's untentiontional 99.5% of the time - 100% of the time in most games. Let's stop assuming professional major league starters commit errors on purpose, like throwing the ball into the stands. Especialy if they're a pitcher.

[@CurtisBooksMusic]

I'd just like to point out how weird some ump last names are. But don't take MY word for it. Check Google translate. Moscoso = Snotty. Carapazza = Crazy face.

[@emes1845]

The throwback/retro photograph of the umpires, that was taken at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, the oldest "in continuous use" baseball park in the country and where the Field of Dreams MLB game will be played next year, 2024. The Birmingham Barons, Chicago White Sox' AA team, play a throwback regular season game there every year, with a particular decade being the theme and I'm sure that pic was taken prior to first pitch during one of those days. The angle is over the outfield portion of the 3rd base dugout. I've umpired at least 50 games there in my 34 yr career (adult, travel leagues) and still get goosebumps every time. A couple oddities: the backstop is so large, most leagues have a one base only advancement rule on any wild pitch/passed ball. Miles College and several Birmingham City high schools play their home games there. The dugouts are so tiny, a team can only squeeze 10-12 players in them and special ground rules are in place (dead ball territory) for the overflow of players to sit/stand outside them. And YES, the Chicago White Sox' minor league system is probably the worst in MLB! I have to watch the shit show it has become each year 🤏🙄😱🥺👎!

[@Mr.Derogatory316]

This is like 20 years ago during the 2003 season and postseason. Ruben Rivera's worst baserunning in the history of MLB and Jose Cruz Jr. Dropping the ball in Game 3 of the NLDS

[@paulpinball9952]

The sorry state of Major League Baseball, 2023: "Circus play" was coined to describe a miraculous play that you'd never seen before, and might never seen again. Now it's shorthand for a play that makes you think (or shout), "Somebody put a tent over this circus!"

[@sfan2767]

You didn't show the 3-2 pitch to Yaz after the potential balk. Could have avoided all the extra innings nonsense.

[@kpenpen]

5:27 Ah yes, the XMCA. I guess the X stands for Xtrodinary baserunners.

[@chocolatecoveredgummybears]

lmao that was hilarious

[@stevebabiak6997]

If it was “pride night”, the X might have been a reference to ex-men …

[@Zachrdoodle]

Lordy that balk makes the ump report card (+2.44 runs for Dodgers) even scarier. If the Giants lose this game in extras after a missed balk and THEN a blown ball 4 call that each would have given them the winning run….

[@Wolfeson28]

3:17 Oh, so then the Giants should have gotten that run twice over here, since when the 3-2 pitch was finally thrown, it was called strike three despite being clearly outside. 🙄🙄

[@a_doggo]

woulda, should, coulda - this is an incredibly selective way to look at the game. what if one of the teams scored 39 runs in the first inning? they'd have won!

[@Zachrdoodle]

Yeah ump report card said +2.44 runs for the Dodgers Bc of high strike calls all night in their favor. Funny part is they wouldn’t have counted the Yaz ball 4 as an entire run missed Bc that’s not how they do their calculations, so you could argue it was more than 2.44 in their favor

[@stratbaseballman]

Every time I see a roll back the clock night it always disappoints me that they don't include the umpires in it. It really wouldn't be that hard to find them some old style uniforms from the era that the players are representing and I guarantee that every tv and radio crew would comment on them multiple times. It would also make the umpires look more human as them wearing modern windbreakers when the players are supposed to be wearing uniforms from the 30s just makes them look like they are humorless and unwilling to have a little fun.

[@MikelineTV]

First, There was no light failure because the stadium operator that does the lights flashed it too early thinking the ball left the outfield for a HR. Second, I didn't know that a third base coach can run all the way to the edge of the grass near home plate so imagine if a first base coach did the same thing. It's a miracle that neither manager didn't argue any of these calls to either umpire that night.

[@a_doggo]

what do you think the managers or coaches would've argued with this crew about?

[@nightsurvivor3673]

Question: if during the light failure, the Dodgers runner took off from third and was thrown out at the plate, given it was a mistake by the Dodgers stadium staff, would the umpires be justified in letting the out stand?

[@almostfm]

I think it would depend on whether or not the umpire killed the play before the play at the plate.

[@blakenorquist9843]

Yes bring back old school umpite uniforms!

[@a_doggo]

only if they have the breathable mesh fabric of the new ones.... those old ones were way too hot (and way too dark on sunny days)... let's not lose the light color option!!!!

[@moosebohunkus6892]

Hmmm.. I'm confused. What was the final call on the light failure?

[@rj7411]

No call. We got nothing.

[@a_doggo]

essentially treating it as though the light failure did not happen - the ball would've been cut off and runners held at their bases that they would've been held to if that happened - it's a mitigation-style rule (or reversal/rewind/rollback style rule, if you prefer) and the optimal solution is typically "what is the most fair, equitable, and likely outcome from this situation had the lights *not* gone out mid-play". this usually is a bit conservative, so as not to allow extra runs/bases, and as such can be considered as favoring the defense (slightly).

[@StrivingTowardsWhatIsAhead]

That third base coach should have been called for being a jackass being that far down the line.

[@craigwinter3792]

If Bush had just sprinted towards 3rd, but the ball had been thrown, but not received by the 3rd baseman: would that be interference?

[@Stryyder1]

Third base coach was out of position second base run er didn't pick him up

[@morningsidedriverock]

Lol. You gotta love little league

[@derekconstantino7759]

Best day ever when the dodgers lost this game -dodgers fan

[@hangblague]

Pride day in California...

[@michaelgerhardt7130]

I have to say I’ve become annoyed with baseball and instead of simplifying rules for the pitcher and hitter they have complicated them. I at the Cubs Pirates game and the Cubs have bases loaded 3-2 count 1 out and score on pitch clock violation. Baseball has made these rules for calls of “action” and here I was robbed of joy. This was the Friday time the crowd was on its feet and both the crowd and fans were robbed of the outcome of the at bat by a violation. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[@a_doggo]

These are professional athletes on the biggest baseball stage in the world. They should have absolutely no issues with pitch clock violations. It's only a matter of chance that it happens to be of consequence. It's unfortunate that folks only blame the system when their feelings are hurt by it. They're merely being consistent. Recency bias is a helluva drug - it wasn't the 10 runs off of 3 homers and 4 errors in the first inning, it was the strike/ball call on the final pitch that truly decided the game, and it's definitely not the team's fault - it's the fault of the umpires/grounds crews, the commissioner - literally anybody but my favorite team. This take is awful. Get used to baseball or go watch something simpler.

[@phaedruscj3330]

Dodgers lose :)

[@Joe_Okey]

What a horrible game with a BS outcome (especially given that it was a no-hitter for so long). Hopefully, the Dodgers figure their s**t out and win this series.

[@cjr1881]

Bell in play eh. Have a stroke?

[@ag7898]

If you had a put out go 5-1-9-6-4-2-1 (and then 6 but that doesn't matter) on your baseball bingo card, you are lying.

[@swoosh1428]

I worked a HS game with a 9-2-6-2-4-2-5 for a double play. Alas, also not on my bingo card - darn it

[@sfan2767]

It's just a 9-6-4-2-1 putout; the scoring "resets" after an error is committed. Still a wild scoring. It'd be even better if Mookie had retreated to 2B and been tagged out by Yaz (9) who after fielding the E1 throw and throwing in to the infield ended up as the defender covering 2B.

[@hockeyfanism]

The announcer is clueless. The guy who dropped the ball didn't make the errand throw.