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Game 2 outrage: Umpire defies tradition with call at second
October 17th, 2009, 8:58 pm · 24 Comments · posted by Earl Bloom, staff writer
Nobody gets that call in major-league baseball. Not that way, never. Especially in the playoffs.
But the Yankees did, at second base in the 10th inning Saturday of ALCS Game 2. Umpire Jerry Layne tried to show everybody how smart he isn’t, and held Angels shortstop Erick Aybar to a standard that few, if any, infielders are asked to while turning a double play.
Darren Oliver bailed out Layne — not Aybar – when he retired Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira to send the game into the 11th.
Fox analyst Tim McCarver’s assessment of the situation was spot-on. That neighborhood play, area play, proximity play, whatever you want to call it, has been the way of the baseball world for a long, long time.
It’s supposed to keep middle infielders out of the hospital, give them an edge on the big, strong guys bearing down on them.
That’s a double play in a Kansas City-Baltimore game in front of 12,000 in late August, and it was a double play Saturday night in the rain in New York.
Next thing you know, they’ll start calling traveling in the NBA, and we won’t see nearly as many dunks.
Eleventh-inning update: I have not seen this many 320-foot home runs since I last managed in Senior League (ages 14-16) baseball. Two-thirds of the New York runs have come on ball that would be routine outs in any other big-league park.
New Yankee Stadium is beautiful and everything, but it plays like Reid Park in Riverside. It’s the same distance for both teams, yes; both so was Coors Field, and everyone complained about that, too. The Yankees should not be exempt.
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Of course the Yankees got the call. The money they bring in, the cash cow they are… you really surprised? Course leave it to Fuentes to blow another save. I love my Angels but it’s time that we demote Funetes. Should have left Oliver in the game. Pitching that ball up in his wheelhouse. Apparently someone forgot to tell him that you pitch A-Rod low and inside. Make him swing at something bad or walk him.
(simulated caveman voice):
Me Mike Scioscia. Me HAVE TO give ball to closer.
It OK that A-Roid 1-for-2 with homer against FUentes.
It OK that Vlad swing at ball in dirt and ball 2 feet off plate. He cleanup.
It OK that Figgy no hit in 17 try. I still keep him bat first.
__________________________________________________
I think the Geico caveman or even that little Gecko could have hit better tonite than the Angels. Hopefully things turn around for us in warmer weather come Monday…
…If not, then it’s time to hit the panic button!!!!!!!
All sports would be better if they were called by the letter of the rule book. As soon as you make allowances for “close enough” or individual officials interpretations or the stature of the player or at which point in the game you are or how big of a game it is; it gets more and more difficult for anyone to possibly to call a game to satisfy anyone. Nothing would be easier than for each sports’ commissioner to issue an edict that all rules will be strictly enforced per the rule book. No more neighborhood plays, balk pick off moves, running/sliding out of the basepaths, high or low strike umps, 5 seconds in the key, unbelievable 4-step drives to the hoop, or my favorite, carrying the ball. It’s very popular to talk about how steroids have ruined the game, but how much have liberalized rules interpretations affected the record books? Tinkers, Evers, and Chance would love to be able to play now.
That would have been a double play against every other team in the league….none the less, Dumbar had all the time in the world to drag the bag before his throw to first. You’re playing the Yankees, they get every break and benefit of the doubt from the umpires so make the play to the letter of the rules.
Can we burn all of the red hood covers! Last night it was Dumbar tonight it’s Izzy. That hood is a modern day dunce cap.
You know, I remember the exact same call going against the Yankees in the ALDS in 05….JEter, too, if I remember correctly…
Guys we can piss and moan all we want tonight. We didn’t get it done w/ RISP, and we didn’t get it done w/ the leather.
That’s why we lost.
You’re exactly right.
In fact, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that the Angels take 3 at home–heck that’s an injustice to the team with home field advantage for the series, some would say.
Cause then all htey need is a split back in NY.
It ain’t over–Halo fans should take a chill and have a little confidence–the team’s playing scared and the fans are biting their nails. Yankees–especially the core of the 95-96 homegrowns who are the heart of the team–Jete, Jorge, Andy, Mo…all believe they can win at any time against any odds and that’s the difference.
Halos have the capability and one of the best managers in baseball–Go play ball and make it a series before we sweep!
Of course the Yankees got the call. Just the way the Angels got the call when Jeter was called out at first but was indeed safe. Of course the Angels got that call because the ump is from the west coast. Just as nonsensical.
But hey, it’s not convenient to remember the opposing perspective.
Both were meaningless calls–so why whine about it?
The Angels got to hide in the West all year–playing 18 against the Sox, Rays, and Jays has a way of raising the game. The west is better than Minnesota/Detroit/Chicago, but it’s still a step down from the east.
They’re playing scared–mental mistakes, underperforming…an indication they’re in over their heads. They can turn it around to be sure, as their brand of baseball can win and has in the post season, but just don’t think they have the horses.
Complaining about the fences in another post–really. I guess I’d complain that Jeter had to field a pop fly when the rain was hardest. He should have earned 1.5 outs for catching that. Waa waa.
For all those whining, including Earl Bloom….
It is known as a neighborhood play. Aybar wasn’t in the neighborhood; he wasn’t even in the same zip code.
He was in the neighborhood for all the other double-plays the Angles turned during the game.
Good call by Jerry Lane. Too bad the same can’t be said for Bill Miller at first on the out call when Jeter was safe.
Same for Tim McClelland and his call at the plate last night punching ARod out. McClelland was way out of position, blocked by the catcher, and unable to see if there was a tag.
Time for MLB to return to assigning umpires to the post-season based on merit, not on rotation.
JMHO
DR
No one scored on the play so it was irrelivent. Stop making excuses. Hit the ball and maybe you will win.
Angels are baffaled by Yanks pitching.
If he would have touched the bag before he caught the ball or after he threw it, Aybar would have gotten the call. He avoided second base like there was a force field around it. I’ve seen hundreds of plays where the second baseman was not touching the bag when he had the ball but the second baseman always touched the bag at some point during the action of catching,turning and throwing. Aybar never touched the bag. End of story.
mr bloom-you state tim mac’s analysis was spot on. fine- was his statement of ” previous dp’s by aybar touching the bag all night” correct. aybar didnt even make an attempt at going near the bag. he was probably mistaken how close (or far i should say) he actually was. half a foot away is not a neiborhood. and considering he touched second all night on previous plays, the ump made the right call.
“ive never seen so many hr’s that should have been outs”
sour grapes or better yet BITTER.
The call at 2nd base was BS…no doubt about it. The umpires in professional ball have an understanding about it. For the player’s safety, the player tagging the bag at 2nd is given a little bit of leeway, especially if he is in danger of being smashed by the guy running from 1st to second. It was a bad call period.
You are WHINNYING…the play did not change the outcome of the game, lets face it the Yankees are the better team, PERIOD.
The ump made the correct call. Aybar needed to either sweep over the base or step on it. You can’t just stand near the base and expect to get the call.
No clutch hitting cost us the game.The Yanks wanted to hand us this game and we had tons of chances but couldn’t get one clutch hit.It wasn’t just Vlad for all you non-stat guys who can’t read a spreadsheet.Abreu, Hunter, Matthews couldn’t knock anyone in either.Put Kendrick up to bat.
Fuentes doesn’t know where any of his pitches are going.I miss Krod.Our power hitters need to step up and start smacking the ball into the gaps and quit uppercutting for a bomb.In clutch times i rather see Izturis and Aybar up at least i know they are going to hit the ball.
Vlad is otrocious. He shouldn’t even be in the starting lineup at this point. We’d be better with Kendrick at DH. Vlad looks lost and scared to hit. He got lucky against Papelbon. Our lineup will be much better next year without him in it. I can’t wait.
Several others failed to get a big hit, but the most is expected of Vlad batting cleanup. I think we can win a couple in Anaheim though. I am optimistic about that. Great pitching by our guys too. Very proud of them.
Whaaaaaaaaaa.
How many men did the LAoAAlalaAaA Angels leave on base these two games? 4 Bajillion? Five?
Learn your team how to catch a freakin pop-up, and shut it.
Earl, there’s no question Aybar didn’t touch the bag or come even close to it. It would have been outrageous if they hadn’t called that.
There needs to be a consistency regarding the “neighborhood play.” Especially since many a fielder has been far further from that neighborhood and still gotten the call.
You can’t have umpires calling that out a billion times before and then selectively picking that instance to call someone safe.
There is consistency in the neighborhood play and the neighborhood play needs to be in baseball for the safety of the players. But the neighborhood play still requires the fielder to touch the base at some point. either before, during, or after. it allows them to leave the base early on the catch or touch the base late after the throw. but still need to touch the base at some point during the turn. Thats all the 2nd base umpire is looking for, That the fielder touches the base and that the ball is caught before the runner reaches 2nd base.
So Jerry Layne held him to a “standard that few, if any, infielders are asked to while turning a double play?”
Are you serious?!? How is touching the bag a standard they don’t require you to meet when turning the double play. I understand it’s a California team and you’re the O.C. Register and it’s against the big bad Yankees, but seriously?!? A “standard that few, if any, infielders are asked to while turning a double play?” I can understand if it’s close, like if your foot looks like it might graze the bag, but Aybar was playing that thing like it was molten lava. He was about as close to turning that double as the one overthrown to him to end it.
And for the record I don’t like the yankees, or the Angels, I don’t even like baseball. But I know the rules, and I think it’s ridiculous to even act like that should have been an out. You need to ACTUALLY tag the bag to get the out.
“You need to ACTUALLY tag the bag to get the out.”
Except you don’t, and there’s plenty of videotape to show umpires calling an out in that situation when infielders are in a different neighborhood altogether.
The Little League World Series had less “mistakes”. What are these guys getting “paid for”?
Was catching up on some NY sports radio… Even their show hosts think the “neighborhood play” going against the Angels was completely b.s.
And to illustrate their point, “Do you think the umpire calls that against Derek Jeter in Yankee Stadium?”
Of course not. It was selective usage of when to apply the “you must tag the base in order to make the out while making a double play” criteria. There’s no way that the umps make that call against New York OR Boston in their home parks.