Tuesday, March 04, 2014
"Yer Out! No, I mean Safe! Wait, let me check on that!"
Flags over Hammond Field
There was a certain
buzz yesterday in the press box at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. It is the
spring training home of the Minnesota Twins, and they were entertaining the
Toronto Blue Jays. The sun was shining, the grass was a brilliant emerald, and
there was nary a cloud in the sky.
Many were watching
the game with baited breath for the first challenge to a play to be done by
replay. This is the first season that many of the judgements of the umpires are
being called into question, with the hopes that a televised replay will supply
a view that will be ruled official.
It happened at
3:06pm. I know that the time was correct because it was murmured throughout the
box. “Did you get the time?” one mumbled. “Are you sure?” another asked. It was
being treated as some sort of historical moment. One scribe even commented
before the replay decision that it was “ just another exhibition game”.
The Twins’ sixth
inning began with back to back singles from Jorge Polanco and Kennys Vargas.
Eric Fryer smashed a ground ball towards third base. Brett Lawrie dove for the
ball, tagged the base, and threw to second to complete the double play. It was
the second outstanding double play in the sixth, as the Twins had done the same
to the Jays. With two out, Chris Rahl hit a sharp ball to short. Munenori
Kawasaki’s throw to first base was a little high, and Jared Goedert had to
stretch to make the play. The first base umpire ruled that Goedert was not on
the base when the runner touched the bag, using the two handed sweeping signal.
Munenori Kawasaki # 66
John Gibbons, the
Blue Jays manager, strolled from the dugout towards first base. That’s when the
buzz became a mild crescendo. “Is he really going to do it? Is the machine
going to make the call? Is baseball ready for the twenty-first century?” Yes,
emphatically.
Decision Making Time!
The first base umpire
and the home plate umpire went to the side of the Blue Jays dugout, donned head
sets, and waited for the verdict from the truck. Until the season begins, all
replay decisions will be made on-site, in trucks with proper replay facilities.
The regular season replays will be done in New York, at a studio set up at
Major League Baseball Headquarters. The decision took two minutes and thirty
four seconds. No kidding. It was announced for the scribes. The safe sign.
Fieldin Culbreth was
the umpire at first base. Brian O’Nara was in the truck. O’Nara said that he
looked at two different replays. One of the replays was blurry, while the other
one clearly showed that Goedert’s foot was not on the bag when the runner
touched.
After the game, Rahl
talked about his role in this monumental
moment in baseball. (My italics!) “It’s pretty exciting. It’s one of those
things where I was just trying to hustle and beat it out, just trying to get to
that inside corner of the bag. I didn’t really get a good look if he pulled or
not off first. When the coach came out and they went to the replay, I was
thinking: Maybe I’m the first one. This could be kind of cool.”
Goedert laughed when
asked if this was something he would tell his grandchildren about. “Maybe so.
I’d probably tell them I was part of history, and then tell them to guess why.
And I’ll bet they won’t guess that.
Jared Goedert
Gibbons used his
second appeal later in the game, to no avail. Again, not much fanfare. A couple
of steps away from the dugout, the umpire made the safe sign. I suppose if
there had been a change, he would have thumbed the runner out. Hopefully, no
umpire will extend his arms, palms up. ‘We’re just not sure about this one.” A
little humour.
Post game....just checking on that call!
Baseball is catching
up with the other major sports in this regard. All critical hockey replay
decisions are made in Toronto. NFL decisions are made on the field, with
dialogue from off-field officials. NBA replays are judged on court. The world
of soccer needs to study these examples. Due to the number of theatrical
performances on a soccer pitch, the nebulous judgement of officials on offside
calls, and questionable goal mouth decisions, the officials of the beautiful
game have plenty of homework.
By the way, the Jays
got trounced 12-2. Lefty J. A. Happ made his second appearance this spring. He
was not sharp in the first inning, walking four batters, giving up two hits,
allowing four runs. The first question that a scribe asked him in the interview
situation after his performance was, “Are there any positives you can take from
your start?” It really is an uncomfortable situation. He was shelled in his
first spring appearance. He spent much of last season rehabbing. On May 7th
in Tampa Bay, he suffered a skull fracture when struck by a line drive off the
bat of Desmond Jennings; however, he also injured his knee, and spent three
months on the shelf.
Happ did say that he
needed to be “more aggressive in the zone.” He said that he was anxious to go
out there and do it again, but that he needed to rely more on his fielders. He
added, “I felt like I was making good pitches. I plan to treat this season the
way that I treated the start from last season. I feel like I am more confident
with my position with the team this year.” When asked about the instant reply,
he added, “Hopefully, it won’t slow the pace down too much.”
The Jays headed to
Clearwater to face the Phillies today, with a game against the Pirates in
Dunedin on Wednesday.
James Hurst.
March 4, 2014
# posted by James Hurst @ 10:43 AM 
