Injury - Umpire Marty Foster Leaves Angels-A's Game in Oakland After Two Head Hits in Two Innings

[@didoma73]

Good on the OAK booth for giving credit to this umpire crew for doing their job with urgency and professionalism here.

[@rayray4192]

Historically Oakland broadcasters have been brutal in regard to umpires. Ray Fosse was one of the worst. He’s not around anymore to criticize umpires.

[@mitchweiner]

Credit where credit is due!

[@rayray4192]

@@mitchweiner indeed!

[@tracycc123]

As much as we like to give the ump grief, I hate to see them get hurt. Hope he's back in the rotation soon!

[@rayray4192]

We? You are you including in your “ we.” Umpire bashers suck. Ignorant pompous judges with bad attitudes.

[@jbreezy101]

Agree

[@BjManberries]

They love the game, and i believe they are impartial. Humans. Even Angel Hernandez!

[@tracycc123]

@@BjManberries Angel needs to go.

[@JiveTrkey]

My thoughts exactly. They're invisible when they're doing a great job, and targets for abuse when they're not. It's a thankless job, really. It's important to be reminded that they're just people who love the game doing their best.

[@bruceboman9801]

2 bangs to the mask in a row. Rare. Usually if you get hit behind the plate it comes in 3's, but spread out and other parts of the body. Marty, keep your chin up and get back when you're ready.

[@detroitrockcity8]

It’s nice they have the training for 3-man and can roll with it and at college too I believe. High school it’s much more challenging, I’ve suffered 2 concussions in the previous 2 seasons and they’re no joke when the full affect settles in. Marty has a history taking these shots to mask, much like Dale Scott did that forced him to retire early. You work enough games behind the dish, they tend to find you. Hope Marty is able to bounce back.

[@danger170388]

I've suffered at least 10 diagnosed concussions, God knows how many weren't diagnosed. It's no joke

[@ddanelle4729]

I'm surprised they kept him in after the first head shot. He really didn't look completely with it.

[@catman-du8927]

​@@ddanelle4729We don't know what was in the conversation with the A's medical personnel. He seemed very aware of everything going around him (though I'm no professional).

[@poppagreene4187]

As a baseball umpire myself, I can definitely feel every time one of us goes down. I've had bruised bones, dislocations, and no telling how many times just had to take a few mins for the ground and sky to stop spinning

[@thomasmartin7425]

You're a champ. And brave, too!

[@poppagreene4187]

@@thomasmartin7425 ⚾️👊🏾💯

[@jesseavila6014]

Take angel Hernandez job plz

[@poppagreene4187]

@@jesseavila6014 I wish I had his salary. But let me clarify I'm a high school and college age baseball umpire. Not MLB

[@perrytilton5221]

I can fight through most shots to the rest of the body. Each shot to the head gets worse and worse. Heasaches occur easier, and tenitus gets louder and even to the point where I hear two different tones.

[@ronpeacock9939]

I remember days (not all that long ago) when the umpire would have shook this off and finished the game as the rule. Now after taking these hits to the head, they are getting them out of there. It's good to see. It's still not propagated to the lower levels yet, but we're also mostly working 2-man crews which would create issues and dealing with fastballs that are quite a bit slower in most cases (but not all.. there are HS pitchers that can throw upwards of the low 90's..)

[@Orthodoxy...]

Its just called being weak. They get paid millions of dollars then get hit once then take the bench. Real workers work for chump change and cant callout even if they wanted. They need to man up

[@areguapiri]

That umpire was perfectly fine. He was just begging for attention.

[@ronpeacock9939]

@@areguapiri Sadly, no. Players and umpires used to just continue through concussions and dizziness and possibly cause more damage... they don't do that anymore.. for neither group. We know more know than ever about head injuries

[@areguapiri]

@@ronpeacock9939 ...Umpires before the 2010s were hit in the by head with 90+ mph fastballs thousands of times. Never did they leave a game complaining about concussions or head injury. The reason is because they hadn't been bombarded with fame-seeking scientists shoving never-proven concussion/cte theories down their throats every day. Nowadays, every athlete (and umpire) screams "I have a concussion!" every time someone or something grazes their head.

[@ronpeacock9939]

@@areguapiri They don't say they have a concussion (they leave that for the doctors).. no, they tell the world I"m feeling dizzy!

[@jamesmoxley4270]

Good Job by the trainer, he was there in a instant!!

[@apolloone5900]

indeed! a very quick response. Immediate concussion protocol. Marty tried to stand up too soon.

[@dennisb-trains23]

Likely the trainer was watching Marty just like he does his players, after that first hot to the mask.

[@dennisb-trains23]

My knee doctor is a trainer for a MILB team, the West Michigan Whitecaps and he told me he's so busy watching players he doesn't see much of the game itself.

[@High-Overlord-Snarffie-Pug]

Marty Foster NOOO, he's one of the few who don't suck. We need the ones like him to stay healthy or Angel will show up.

[@Breen09]

No he sucks too

[@danger170388]

The #2 umpire did the right thing, he didn't give him an option

[@Chellz801]

It’s the right call. Better to get him checked out and make sure his bell wasn’t seriously rung

[@baumcollcsame7871]

As a sports official for 42 years I too have had my share of bad experiences working baseball games behind the plate. One game in particular comes to mind. I was working a college game behind the plate when the batter foul tipped the ball just over the catcher's mitt and got me at the bottom of my mask where the throat protector is attached! It completely broke the plastic ties of the protector! My mask went one way and the protector the other, all the while I'm falling backwards to the ground on to my back. I was out before I hit the ground!!! I was carried off the field in a stretcher by the EMT unit and spent two days in the hospital in intensive care, making sure I didn't have a severe concussion, just a bad headache for a couple of days.

[@lewf5685]

Great video. A side we don’t see a whole lot of. Thanks!

[@CloseCallSports]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ShedTech8]

Marty is one of the good ones, wishing him a speedy recovery 🙏 ❤️

[@Oceangirl_505]

You are exactly correct regarding the flat affect. Unfortunately, a lot of people either don't know about flat affect or don't realize the importance of that symptom.

[@jbreezy101]

I don't like Scott Barry but seeing his concern and his quickness getting the gear on... Just gained a hair bit of my respect. Marty, hope you are ok

[@dleatherman4539]

I really enjoy your breakdowns and perspective. Marty has had way too many head shots from what I have seen. To me, a lot of it has to do with the height of his setup, for lack of a better term. Maybe this makes me sound like an old fart, but when I was playing, umpires used a lower crouch to protect themselves more. There was some opinion that this hindered their outside corner calls but these days I don't see much improvement on that. He also might benefit from the contoured hockey-type mask. I know these are not as cool for the head, but they help attenuate much of the force of the glancing blows.

[@andreymalov9602]

Well usually you position your head just above the catcher's helmet, i.e. your chin is aligned with the top of the catcher's helmet. This way you get the best view. As for the outside calls, everybody struggles with them it's just something you learn to see with experience.

[@terryfrank2158]

Holy hell, this guy needs to retire. I'm available to take his place.

[@areguapiri]

He's just begging for attention.

[@bruceboman9801]

Even though everyone has different tolerances, the hockey style mask didn't save the career of a great guy in Kerwin Danley.

[@dleatherman4539]

@@bruceboman9801 True. Kerwin was a nice, even-keeled guy, I didn't always like his strike zone.

[@derekwischmann6123]

Love the MLB content, CCS! Keep ‘em coming! Great channel. 😎

[@FreezoApex]

Next man up that’s the mamba mentality living in us all . Gg to the umps great work

[@EfrainQuezada]

I was washing my car listening to the audio and thought it had rewound to that same spot in the stream for some reason, I clicked to update the live stream and nope, he had got hit again. Hope he's ok.

[@garygemmell3488]

In my career as an amateur umpire I was hit in the mask more times than I care to remember. No one threw anywhere close to what a MLB pitcher can speed wise but it would still give me a good wake up call. I can't imagine what kind of impact results when a MLB pitcher let's a fastball fly that hits an umpire in the mask.

[@areguapiri]

Umpires were hit thousands of times over 100 years and never complained like this wimpy umpire.

[@garygemmell3488]

@@areguapiriPoor attempt at trying to be a troll. You suck at it. Get better or get lost.

[@dariusgjoy]

@@areguapiri lol the ones that hurt were the ones where you were getting off work late and had to rush to the fields and forgot your cup...some 11 old slips the bat hits the dirt and ricoshades into the testicles...swore I wasn't having kids ever lol but luckily I got zeke who is 6 lol

[@JaZzure79]

This is not to mock umpires, or be dismissive of potential concussions, but it seems like a flat affect is the default demeanor for umps-in the sense that they’re professionally trained to not be reactionary. So, I’m guessing flat affect isn’t the sole measure of deciding to remove an ump for health concerns.

[@cleverusername_smthngsmthn7731]

So how long til we have automated umpiring? It can't be argued that this is important for the game.

[@jaylin4568]

Hey CCS folks, got a question: I know that the umpires have different shirts/pullovers/jackets that they wear, depending on the situation. But this game brought up an interesting scenario. At the beginning, all the base umps have on the short sleeve pullover and Marty Foster had on the light blue/black panel shirt. When Foster leaves the game and Scott Barry takes over for him, he comes back out in the black/grey panel shirt, not the blue/black or the black pullover. I realize that this is a less than normal circumstance, but I am surprised that Barry could change colors. Any explanation on that, or any insight on the way the umpires are assigned which colors to wear?

[@garygemmell3488]

In my association the plate umpire had leeway in what he wore for his comfort. 98% of our games were crewed by two umpires and the rule was that the base umpire could not wear less than the plate umpire. We had standardized jackets with our logo on them, for example. If the plate umpire wore just a shirt over his inside protector on a chilly night the base umpire was allowed to wear his jacket. Wearing a jacket over an inside protector can trap a lot of body heat very quickly so many plate umpires would forgo the jacket to keep cool while the base umpire wore the jacket to stay warm on a chilly night. We were also allowed to wear either a white or navy blue undershirt if we chose but if both umpires wore an undershirt they had to be the same color. At the very end of my career my association went to both a light blue pullover with navy blue trim like Foster was wearing and a navy blue pullover with red\white trim. In our case though, we had to match and the plate umpire got to make the choice. I would imagine that with so many choices available to MLB umpires these days they have a proscribed set of rules for their uniforms.

[@jaylin4568]

@@garygemmell3488 Foster was wearing a short sleeved shirt, not a pullover. Barry came back out in the same style shirt, only in the other colors. That is totally different than the pullovers or jackets that the crews wear. I know every association has their own guidelines for these things, as do the two I work for. But our local associations are very different than the MLB standards. That’s why I asked if anyone knew what those were/are.

[@large_crab]

@@jaylin4568 Jason, the PU can choose to wear what he wants, some guys run hot and some run cold. You will even see this in playoff games, Tom Hallion was wearing a blue long sleeve shirt in the NLCS last year while the rest of the crew were wearing jackets. Only the base umpires have to match.

[@quigonkenny]

Damn, that's too bad. Was Angel Hernandez not in the game?

[@joeyspizza8]

2:35 the reflection in Marty's shades right there is pretty cool

[@wings193]

You can see immediately the As catcher feels terrible when he gets hit a second time. The guys behind the plate are a fraternity of their own

[@roshondabowens9809]

Hope he feels better soon 🙏🏽

[@Abacadabraholmes]

As a former umpire, I can tell you that it hurts like a son of a gun to take shots off of the mask and helmet, and I only umped highschool games so I can't imagine having it happen in the majors

[@areguapiri]

Just ask the thousands of umpires who have done it professionally over 100 years and never complained like this wimpy umpire.

[@instinctrules2969]

I wish they would do a emergency ump instead of a 3 man crew anyone else

[@jakelindsey9414]

I’m really surprised MLB doesn’t have a sub umpire just hanging out in the locker room for moments like this.

[@nelly112nels]

Robot umps please, what we need is that square strikezone we see live on TV and someway to call that on the field.

[@silverfalkon9687]

Did she say it was a “strike”?

[@sergiogarcia3730]

I was at that game. He was down for a long time.

[@luckeyhal1]

I caught for alot years when I was younger believe me that's like taking a punch in the face when the ball hits the mask and let's not even bring up when you get hit Between the Legs

[@jasonpegram3239]

what if the 2nd umpire has to come out do you go down to a two man crew maybe postponed the game

[@Crichtonator1982]

Good for Scott Berry for taking charge 👍

[@Oceangirl_505]

Great job!

[@NateClay]

God really said "you're not umpiring this game dawg"

[@HankC9174]

why is he in light blue ?

[@1988texasaggie]

Who makes the call for the ump to leave the game...even if he wants to stay? Especially if the injured is the crew chief? Can the trainer(s) force them to sit?

[@almostfm]

The head trainer is the one with the training and expertise, so it would be their call. I guess that an umpire (especially a crew chief) could refuse, but I suspect that if he did, at the conclusion of the game someone from MLB would be on the phone to the umpire's dressing room by the time the crew got there.

[@craigdupree1687]

Probably he does. The rulebook only states that an umpire cannot be replaced unless injured or ill. I'm pretty sure that he understands the concussion risk, and he has 3 other umpires that will probably talk to him if he were not thinking straight.

[@335m5]

@@almostfm I don’t think the trainer would have any say. They are employed by the team, it wouldn’t be fair for one team to make the decision about the ump. Just for argument sake, let say Scott doesn’t give pitches on the corners, but the #2 will give you corners. If your reliever likes to use the corner you could manipulate the end of the game for your favor.

[@saints093]

If notice on Scott Barry's face mask, he's not wearing his throat guard properly, it's supposed to go on the upper inside bar of the face mask, the way Scott has his throat guard on now, if he gets hit with a foul ball, the throat guard will go up and hit Scott I. The throat, causing a throat injury

[@teecee4459]

I can attest that foul tips into the mask do NOT hurt WHATSOEVER. In fact, I took a foul ball to the throat once, went right under the mask, and I got up way quicker than that wimp.

[@leonardsmith82]

Related to Scott Sterling?

[@keith2092]

If the Oakland fans gave Marty a hand when he left, I missed it. Despite our undeserved reputation for rudeness, Boston fans at Fenway would give Marty a standing O.

[@CloseCallSports]

You may not have been able to hear the dozens of people there over the sounds coming from the speakers :)

[@johnharris6655]

Teams will jaw on an umpire all game, until he gets hurt then they all rush to help him.

[@VTHokies1987]

As they should. Umpires know this too.

[@oldguydoesstuff120]

It's easy to forget that there are three teams on the field. Baseball officials work together just like the teams whose games they officiate. They have the same travel schedules, the same time away from home and families, the same issues with injuries, the same dependence on each other to work together as a team. But when they do their job right, they don't get standing ovations. They get ignored. You only really notice the umps when they make a mistake. It's a tough job, but baseball wouldn't be the same without them. The same can be said about the officials in pretty much every other team sport, from football to lacrosse and from kid's teams to the best professionals.

[@rayray4192]

Gooch - own got some love from the broadcast crew this weekend. He did a great job. The documentary to watch is “ The Third Team.” Filmed during the Giants vs Tigers World Series. Well worth watching.

[@Mike-hf8kq]

I agree with you, but want to point out you are incorrect that umpires have the same travel schedule. They definitely do not. they do not have home stadiums like players where they are home for 6-11 games at a time. they are not even in the same city/hotel for more than 4 games as they dont work back to back series in same city(2020 and i believe 2021 were an exception).

[@rayray4192]

@@Mike-hf8kq you are correct Mike. I know a triple A umpire who was released. He told me he was relieved because he realized a lifestyle of being on the road was not for him. Umpires never have a home game.

[@rayray4192]

Humans don’t like authority. Humans want to do what they went to do without any oversight. Umpires are dispatched by the league to represent M.L.B.. The only other person at the game who represents M.L.B. is the official authenticity Perrin who places stickers on balls and bats when a record is sent. Perhaps a league official will be present at a game, but for the most part the umpire crew is the only group who represents M.L.B.

[@oldguydoesstuff120]

@@Mike-hf8kq Fair enough. Their travel schedules are worse. Oh, and I don't think umpires get multi-million dollar contracts. And they MUST play (officiate) all positions.

[@a_badali]

First umpire I've seen with a visible tattoo, interesting

[@detroitrockcity8]

Under arm tricep, usually covered by the sleeve so not really an “openly” visible tattoo. Sure it’s acceptable otherwise he wouldn’t be a full time Ump (if that’s in their union contract).

[@davruck1]

I have to admit this narratotor is low key hilarious af with his joke delivery

[@sundromos9456]

Pretty sure we're looking at little concussive events there. Each of those hits to the mask actually act like punches thrown, the brain perceiving the blow in the same way. Essentially, you've got to do a concussion protocol with an ump who's been hit like this...and err on the side of protecting him from further damage. He's def not the one who should be giving the most input in deciding whether or not to stay in the game.

[@JamesAllmond]

DANG! What's that nickname for catcher's equipment? And the Umps wear less...

[@apexkilla]

Scott Sterling!!

[@amonrodriguez3518]

Damn whst did marry foster do to them?

[@bralph82]

Catchers first reaction is to grab the ball 😄 glad he seemed ok.

[@dahillbillynews5923]

In my 25 years I have gotten quite a few head buzzers from being hit with the ball. In all honesty it WAS NOT THE CATCHERS FAULT these are hits from foul balls and superman probably could not have stopped them. After looking at his reaction to the second hit as an EMT I would have pulled him as well and it is no shame in going to be checked and it would have been worse to see him taken out in an ambulance. MLB does not need to have another moment like McSherry and someone dying on the field of play.

[@brandonmaugeri7828]

Any umpires in here? I wear the classic style like Marty, does anyone suggest the goalie?

[@marcusroberts8427]

I’ve worn both but prefer the classic, the ease of removal and the vision I have is far better than the goalie style. I have had one concussion from umpiring HS Ball though

[@perserverance333]

Now think of a boxer getting hit that hard for multiple rounds against Tyson in his prime.

[@alexandervarga6949]

Don’t they usually have an extra ump in the back for situations like this Maybe it’s only playoffs or in NY Someone lmk if they know!

[@Papichoochoo1969]

Why couldn’t it be Angel Hernandez???

[@bigdanny64]

That's a tough ump hope he's ok .

[@thomasmartin7425]

Poor guy....just what he needed was a 45 foot pitch to balance out the left ear ringing

[@i.p.freely3711]

TEAM GUY! Love it!

[@beckymunro2071]

We like to blame the umps, and sometimes they do make bad calls. But at the end of the day they are human, and you never want to see this happen to anyone. Hopefully he is ok and back out there soon.

[@dennisb-trains23]

Wow, I hope Mr Foster is ok. That is a tough day at the office for sure. We don't like umps, but these guys are tough and really good 98% of the time. Except Angel Hernandez, he's just deplorable. Note: incase you missed it. The ROBO ump had the fastball in the dirt a strike. ⚾️🤔🤔🤔

[@richiegarcia4]

Oops. Needs a software update.

[@affemitwaffe9057]

How unlucky can one ump be?

[@Stormsfury777]

Brian Knight would like to have a word with you... Marty Foster, however, is no stranger to bad luck regarding taking bumps out there

[@stevehamman4465]

Got it twice on the cup during high school game! second one was bad. no other umpire around so they had to wait for me to recover! Man,,, that was 25yrs ago

[@lscales6131]

This is why I wear a hockey style helmet. I’ve taken direct shots to my mask and it feels nothing like when I have the traditional mask.

[@naqaychaayal302]

That’ll learn ‘em!! 😤

[@jakebulgarian7319]

Of course it’s gotta happen to one of the best umps

[@RDC_Autosports]

hard to make calls when you see a couple balls lol

[@drsch]

Should probably be ejected for delay of game or something. Just pick something random and throw him out, you know, like the way the umps treat the players. I'm sure he hurt someone's feelings.

[@SuperBuellman]

Why aren't more umpires using a Force 3 mask after watching this happen so often. Concussions are serious. This is why I wear a Force 3.

[@jfchonors8873]

Shouldn’t be wearing sunglasses under mask as they get jammed against the bones on impact

[@BamaMTA04]

@@jfchonors8873 Correct - I HATE and DO NOT wear glasses behind the plate. But I love my Magnesium. The Force 3 is too heavy for me, but yeah, it does a great job with the spring system. But the Mag has done great for me this year. Marty still wearing the old steel Wilson out there.

[@sethcunningham2138]

Because Wilson is the official supplier for MLB Umpires. I wear the Wilson hockey helmet with the titanium mask. Haven’t had a problem yet.

[@BamaMTA04]

@@sethcunningham2138 they don’t all wear Wilson gear and/or masks. Hunter Wendelstedt and Jim Wolfe both wear the All-Star Magnesium just to name a few.

[@sethcunningham2138]

@@BamaMTA04 And they have to cover the logo up when they do.

[@Chellz801]

Honestly hate seeing this happen to anyone on the field

[@fancy39]

Damn! He’s a bad ass!!

[@anthonylombardo1261]

Better than any As game this year.

[@Mexicopwnus]

Wait so a pitcher can bounce the ball of the ground but still have the pitch be a strike?

[@stevehamman4465]

No!!!!!

[@john.john.johnny]

I would have died if while they were tending to the ump the pitcher had an errant warmup throw nail Marty again. That would have been a little Scott Sterling action.

[@nundzi1548]

Hope he's okay.

[@marcmaza2821]

3:55 you call that pitch going to pro 😂😂

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Should have the pad like the old days. Much more robust mask.

[@michaelmachos8969]

Fingers crossed???? Worthless. PRAYERS work.

[@approachingtarget.4503]

How about adding tracking devices to the base and ball. Get rid of the umpires entirely!!!

[@tedgey4286]

This is something I don't understand and maybe it's due to me having a thick skull but I caught a lot of baseball games in my life and many of which were at a high enough level to where the foul tip off the noggin should have hurt more. Aside from the shock of it I was never affected by it. I always wore the two piece helmet and maybe that makes a difference... What I'm saying is I don't get why this affects umpires more than catchers

[@CloseCallSports]

I think part of it is the angle, taking an uppercut vs cross essentially, more opportunity for the ball to hit the low/mid cage rather than the dome that might offer more protection.

[@jchamp_7]

damn… ron now marty… both the crew chief and the number 2 look to be injured… yikes

[@VTHokies1987]

How could that pitch be a strike? It bounced in front of the plate. Your inserted audio clip makes no sense.

[@rickhaavisto9023]

The robo-ump would have had that as a strike

[@f.lloydwrong7127]

Whatever happened to the chest protector that had rubber inner tube tires. I guess that was the 70's. Sure look sleek and sharp though umps. Reap it. Obviously angel has taken one to many with flimsy masks... Lol

[@anonymouscommenter7689]

How is that a strike?

[@stevehamman4465]

It was not!!! He was wrong!

[@rickhaavisto9023]

Ask Robo-Ump

[@sfan2767]

There are plenty of actual issues with roboump, no need to cloud the issue with areas that can be easily solved by common sense.

[@lenstemberger1515]

The problem is, in order to fix this "easily solved" issue, someone needs to be able to overrule the computer. Ok, no problem, let the umpire overrule the computer when he needs to. But now roboump doesn't really fix much because managers and players will still argue with the calls saying stuff like "c'mon you know the computer missed that! you have to overrule!" etc.

[@sfan2767]

@@lenstemberger1515 If a manager argues this being overruled by the computer they need to be given an indefinite suspension.

[@lenstemberger1515]

@@sfan2767 I do not think a manager would argue this particular call being overturned. I think a manager would say "you overturned that last call, this one was just as bad you need to overturn this one as well." etc.

[@kevinduffy8056]

It’s 2 bad that wasn’t Angel Hernandez. I would love to see him on his back.

[@MB-us8dk]

Robo umps are essential change my mind.

[@fretty317]

That 2 nd pitch that hit him was god awful

[@millypoo7713]

That 2nd pitch was awful... WTF!

[@Local1Laborer]

New Sub!

[@CloseCallSports]

Thanks for subbing!

[@Local1Laborer]

@@CloseCallSports keep up the good work, young lady!

[@ibe310]

OOOH HAPPY DAY!

[@tylermanter36]

Both teams will win another World Series

[@MrJaVization]

A’s catcher knew as soon as it hit it wasnt good

[@MrJaVization]

Also good on Scott Berry hell of an ump for that initiative

[@jeremyirons2774]

its the sunglasses! theyre cracking him in the face from behind the mask. hes not getting any help from the masks padding.

[@michael61985]

Thats what happens when you have pitchers that dont have good handling on the bar

[@mattgiguere5638]

Not his day😳 Hope hes okay 😨

[@jrlulysahily]

Is he a soccer player ??? 😂😂😂😂

[@thefungshueshitter2833]

At least he had a mask

[@420Crush]

Pow right in the kisser

[@jayherman1394]

Would like to see angel hernandez take a backswing how is he still allowed to ump ..go with computers these guys are ruining the game