E203 - Alex Cora Ejected by Junior Valentine, Whose Reviewed Play at Home Plate Canceled NYY Run #6

[@XXelpollodiabloXX]

Man, that view from the camera down the 3B line makes it look like he got his foot in under the glove... That's a hard one to overturn.

[@SLC-Smudge42]

Exactly. The overturn looked fine until I saw that view. Junior V likely saw that too hence the safe call.

[@bethhentges]

At speed I had an out. With replay, safe.

[@mrmoose6619]

This should be the model of "not blocking the plate" in the "legitimate attempt to field the throw" section of the rule. C gave R3 a clear lane until the throw was being actively fielded.

[@119Agent]

Yes this is probably the best example I can recall BUT the ball is coming from left field. It is much hard if the ball is coming from right field and the throw backs the catcher up into foul territory.

[@mrmoose6619]

@@119Agent True. I would agree that a few other models should be used, but this is the first I have seen...

[@BillsFan-nw8nn]

Looks like IKF may have gotten his foot under the catcher's glove. It's too difficult to tell though, so nothing should have been overturned. The original call was safe, which should have been call stands. If he was called out, that call should have stood as well. I was at the game, and was too difficult to tell on the video board as well.

[@eddiehuff7366]

As a former pitcher I hate ALL those boxes because they don't take into account that the strike zone is a 3D space not a rectangle. 😖😖

[@MrMaelstrom07]

Looked safe. In fielding the throw, it took the glove up, didn't get the thigh until foot got plate.

[@johntillinghast2421]

I’m a Baseball fan but I’d like to know what angle the NY was using and why isn’t it seemingly accessible to all parties involved and online

[@senob44]

That's a rare graphic to actually have the zone higher than it should be. It seems like usually the "boxes" don't include those high strikes. Also excellent plate mechanics by Connor Wong. With the state of the game and the rules as they are, this is the perfect way to do it.

[@ogreman2229]

The catcher was completely within the rules, my question is still what camera angle did New York have that overturned the safe call? I can’t see anything that confirms the foot doesn’t get under the tag.

[@danielhowell6605]

"They're saying Boone" 😂😂😂 Great reference.

[@QuarrelsomeLocalOaf]

*I* was saying Boo-ne. 🧓

[@mahasw777]

I think the ruling regarding plate blocking is correct. However, I don’t see clear evidence that the umpire got the out safe call wrong. I think the call should’ve stood. Just to be clear, if the call on the field had been “out“, I think that that should have stood as well.

[@teebob21]

1000% agree

[@teebob21]

Replay on whacker plays at the plate is a scourge upon the game, but it's what the owners and commissioner wanted. Valentine nails this one correctly (I've got a confirmed safe at 3:43 right before the transition) and then somehow the replay crew sees fit to turn it over into an out. HOW? At my most generous, this is a Call Stands for NYY.

[@1969EType]

If MLB is striving to get the calls ultimately correct through the use of video replay, why are replays at the plate a “scourge” upon the game? I’m not saying you are wrong, I’m just looking for more context…

[@teebob21]

@@1969EType Because far too often, the replay crew overturns plays at the plate in ways that just don't make any sense. I can understand why the fan base gets upset with it, because even as an umpire I can't understand this overturn...or the several weird ones that have preceded it

[@bdecatur1]

Comment on Angel Hernandez calling balls and strikes Braves vs SF Sunday Aug 20

[@gforce97]

finally no more sunday night baseball featuring these two teams!

[@alvinthecat8426]

detroit @ cleveland - bally sports, had the strike zone box up with no catcher, no umpire and no batter. I guess you just move it around if u have to. just seemed bizarre.

[@tappyoklahoma]

is that the correct position for the home plate umpire to be standing in? Directly behind the catcher and runner with no visual angle on the play in question? seems like he had ample time to get to the other side, like, before the throw arrived? P.S. On what grounds was this safe call overturned? P.P.S. -- terrible calls

[@teebob21]

Yes, the initial position behind the catcher just off the hip pocket of the glove side is the correct position for an umpire to get the optimal angle into the wedge or "keyhole" where the swipe tag is most likely to be. However, because the runner instead slid directly into the catcher, Valentine properly rotates into fair territory to get as much of a 90-degree angle to the runner's path and the tag as possible. (This is actually the default mechanic taught to new umpires at low-level play; getting a 90 on tag plays, usually 1B line extended for plays at the plate, but above youth ball the wedge/keyhole angle is a preferred initial calling position. It is the same in softball where USA Softball mechanics indicate a 90 in foul ground on this play (not a bad angle for how this one developed) but NCAA and pro leagues want umpires in the wedge.) We have no idea why the safe call was overturned. Apparently the replay crew in NYC saw something definitive indicating the tag beat the runner's touch of the plate, but that is not public information. It was a great initial call, and a terrible overturn, IMO.

[@crazyabababab]

Cowardly of you to pretend that there was clear evidence that IKF was actually tagged before he got his foot in. Was an outrageous overturn seeing as the original call was safe and at least one of the angles sure looked like the catchers glove went up when he fielded the ball allowing ikf to get his foot in

[@caras2004]

So how many money's worth has there been this year?

[@egachc]

Do the padres marlins blocking the plate from tonight. Seemed really similar to the padres blocking from a couple months back.

[@jesselevesque8059]

He was out. If you freeze frame to 2:18 you can see the shadow of the catcher's glove showing how close it was to the ground! There is no way the runner's foot and leg got under the glove enough to tag home without touching the catcher's glove first!

[@tigerlee1106]

This is the ejection I have been waiting for 203 let's get it to 250 please

[@bigpoppa1234]

Just me or does that not look like a tag before he got home?

[@tmlms1313]

I would have called him out. One closer to #54 on a day where you already have to spend you post-game free time on an ejection report.

[@donh6416]

This looks to be what the interference/blocking the plate should be.

[@TreeKharma]

Ol Stumblin Cora at it again

[@Fizban321]

98 more ejections to 300 thrown out, 98 more ejections to 300, You take one down, pass it around, 97 more ejections to 300 thrown out.

[@eymannreport4177]

the could be a rule coming next year where if a player or manger would get an automatic 1-game suspension for each ejection after third ejection.

[@totallykoolyeah]

Long story short.. he's making some outs

[@sfan2767]

The bigger difference in the SF/SD play is that the ball came from RF; there's no world where you have to move into foul territory to field a ball coming from that direction (well maybe 1B foul, but that wouldn't be blocking). Padres fans claimed it was because he needed to let the ball hop so he went into foul territory, but that's just not "necessary". This NYY/BOS play the throw is coming from LF where the angles do make sense that a catcher would need to move into foul territory.

[@matthewbass6993]

Could you talk ab why Snit was so mad ab 2 guys walking out to a pitching change

[@MrBrianSalinas]

i said it once and i'll say it again, Junior Valentine is the new Angel Hernandez

[@priceright8963]

Common sense is gone with the HP collision rule. It pretty much depends on the booth's mood at this point.

[@a_doggo]

I don't think so; if I'm PU, I'm watching the ball coming in, and I know it's headed toward the dirt on the foul line. With the catcher positioning himself to the inside, I think he's made his best effort prior to fielding the ball, and only enters the basepath to field the throw. What seals the deal is that he was able to do this before the runner reached the plate, and without the runner altering his slide, and would not have been safe with ordinary effort if the catcher was not blocking the plate.

[@teebob21]

@@a_doggo While all of that is an instructive mindset on how to officiate the play for obstruction on F2, there are two separate video angles showing the foot on the plate before the tag. IMO safe was the correct call and an overturn is impossibly bizarre.

[@tappyoklahoma]

@@teebob21 to say the least --- i love a good argument over semantics as much as the next person, but seeing is believing.

[@CoachOlsson]

Oh look, another middle shins "close enough, good call" strike

[@tappyoklahoma]

yea this is shilling for bad umping central

[@deputyduffy]

The home plate Ump sucked all game long.

[@teebob21]

Yeah, that 95% accuracy was pretty tough to tolerate.

[@1969EType]

@@teebob21😂 Seriously, since PitchTrak was introduced, there have been two…TWO perfect strike zones adjudicated in MLB. Why is it SEC coaches going into Tuscaloosa prepare their teams to play Bama by telling them, “We’re going to have 2 bad calls in each half go against us so, what do we need to do to overcome that?” but baseball managers can’t look at the zone data on that day’s plate umpire and tell his players exactly how many pitches he misses per game and how are they going to over come that?

[@tappyoklahoma]

@@teebob21 using percentages in a system with this many physical discrepancies and logical inconsistencies is like using a measuring cup to describe a sunset

[@joebocci4427]

Just do away with all this nonsense and play the game the way it was meant to be played

[@srellison561]

Yes, I miss the days when an out was scored on the catch of a fly ball or a one hopper, when balls caught on the fly made it against the rules to advance, it became a dead ball. There always have been, and always will be rule changes. It's a game for the fans, not for the players. If the fans aren't happy, there is no baseball. The players are only the actors in our baseball entertainment.

[@1969EType]

The way the game was meant to be played? So, fielders don’t wear gloves and a fair ball bouncing over the fence is a HR and the spitball is allowed and no batting helmets or catcher’s gear, and only one umpire, and stakes in the ground for bases…like…how exactly do you think the game was meant to be played?

[@zdc3]

First!

[@a_doggo]

Random thought: "The New York Yankees" is a proper noun, the name of the team, and the name of the franchise. "The New York Yankees," however, is what you call all of the players. So, it's The New York Yankees, but they're The New York Yankees. And to think - nobody's complaining about the MLB and the fluidity of the pronoun/adverb/noun usage. Shessh. 🏳‍⚧✊🏽

[@swoosh1428]

MLB crew chiefs need to get better on the PA. The portions Lindsey included were not clear.

[@tappyoklahoma]

neuter/neutral nouns exist --- i don't follow what this has to do with proper nouns... "It is my family" "She is family" and many others...