You might remember there was a call to replay the ninth inning of the Dodgers-Padres game of April 15, thanks to the misleading signals from home umpire Dale Scott. David Cameron put forth the most passionate argument for the replay at Fangraphs.
Cameron’s point was that an umpire seemingly turning a dead play into a live one (emphasis on seemingly) was of a separate ilk than the conventional missed call, and that the game should have been replayed because, among other reasons, “a mistake by Dale Scott could have repercussions on the standings.”
I felt this was pretty silly, for a number of reasons, just one being that whatever the origins of the mistake, its impact was likely to be lost amid the hundreds of bad calls baseball sees each year.
Here’s one of those calls. With a runner on base in the top of the sixth inning for the Dodgers at Colorado, and the Rockies leading 2-1, Jerry Hariston Jr. was called out on this play by first-base umpire Tim Welke. Photo courtesy of Jay Jaffe:
Think that Scott gave a misleading signal on the triple play against the Padres? I’d say that Welke giving an out signal on this one was pretty misleading.
Like I said, this happens all the time, and the game goes on. But let’s put an end to the idea forever that the triple-play call was some kind of preeminent miscarriage of justice.
KT
we need to win this series…come on guys…Let’s score some runs
Anonymous
1952 call for replay!
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sPoiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8c4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=971%2C2934076
Anonymous
“Think that Scott gave a misleading signal on the triple play against the Padres? I’d say that Welke giving an out signal on this one was pretty misleading.”
Excelente!
Anonymous
Expedient, accurate, and timely. As usual, nice work.
Good 8th. Let’s get the bats going.
KT
Nice start matt
KT
Kemp and helton were discussing the call at 1st…they both had a laugh
Anonymous
What else could they do but laugh.
KT
That’s all you could do on a play like that
Anonymous
Yep.
Then rally.
KT
yep…then rally…you called it
Anonymous
Congrats to Matt Kemp on winning the Player of the Month Award. Apparently he also finished in 2nd, 4th and 5th place as well…
KT
^_^
Matt Powell
that was HORRIBLE!
KT
good thing he wasn’t running like the dodger announcers wanted him to do
Anonymous
Farewell, Junior Seau. (sad)
Anonymous
Dre has an OPS of .868 against lefties this year (38 pa).
KT
Come on Dre get the monkey off your back against this guy
Anonymous
That’ll do!
KT
Kemp doesn’t look comfortable leading off
Going back to 1st on every pitch to the plate
KT
YES DRE!! nice at bat
Jason Ungar
That picture is so embarrassing. lol
KT
Let’s go Jerry….Let’s get #1 rbi
KT
that was ball 3 jerry
KT
JERRY!!!! with 2 RBI’s
Anonymous
The real J-Hair!!
Anonymous
Things even out, and Hairston proves it. Despite occasional glitches, I think the umpires in general do a great job, and I am for eliminating rather than expanding instant replay.
Jason Ungar
Harriston has been so great!! Good pick up for Ned on that!
Jeffrey Thomas III
When the boys come home I say we all start a “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” chant when Hairston comes to bat. Springer be damned.
Jon Weisman
On the 2012 Ned scoreboard so far, it’s yay on Hairston, Mark Ellis and Capauno, nay on Harang, Kennedy and Coffey.
Anonymous
To be fair, I’d like to see Coffey throw some innings healthy first.
Jon Weisman
I said “so far.” I think Coffey will help.
Anonymous
Based amount of playing time it is probably better than 50/50 but okay so far.
Linkmeister
What’s wrong with Harang? He’s been more than adequate, I’d say.
Jon Weisman
How does a 5.72 ERA grab you?
Linkmeister
Not well. I didn’t realize it was that high.
KT
Has Harang been that bad or did he get let down…I think I’ve watched all his games and it just doesn’t seem like he’s been that bad
Anonymous
Dear Lyons,
Jerry may not have had a rbi yet this year, but in 9 pa with RISP, he did have an OBP of .375.
KT
I have 7 more minutes before I have to leave to pick up my daughter from school…lucky the school is only a couple of minutes away…Hope I don’t have to wait long for her
KT
I got a reprieve from my wife…get to see the whole game live instead of coming home to the DVR
KT
Come on James insurance runs
KT
Let’s go AJ
Jon Weisman
Kershaw takes a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth, with 81 pitches thrown. He’s allowed a walk, two singles and two solo HR, with 6 K.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Deadspin always has something amusing to say on plays like these:
http://deadspin.com/5907145/tim-welke-demonstrated-why-the-human-element-is-a-pathetic-joke
Anonymous
I would assume that it is on Mattingly’s instructions that Lopes didn’t get more involved? Certainly, he had the best view and could have been in Welke’s face instantaneously.
Jon Weisman
Dee Gordon homers on Tuesday, now in the cleanup spot today.
Anonymous
Grumble.
Anonymous
Grumble X2
KT
WOW…is there anything else to say
Anonymous
Dang! Cargone.
Anonymous
Can’t blame the umpires, the bullpen or the manager today.
Anonymous
Mattingly went too long with Kershaw.
KT
it was the 25 minute sitting in the top of the 8th that got him
Anonymous
Perhaps. I don’t second-guess Mattingly for letting him go out there, but rather for leaving him in against a guy who’s hot and had already homered against him today.
Anonymous
Not Clayton’s day. I can live with it, knowing full well that Kershaw is still brilliant.
Anonymous
Ouch.
Before the debate begins, I have no problem with Kershaw coming back out in the 8th.
Jon Weisman
I can’t imagine anyone would have had a problem with that.
Jon Weisman
First three-HR game in Clayton Kershaw’s career bit.ly/JDLxCe
KT
Come on DP
Anonymous
Wright does a pretty good job there.
Anonymous
Need one baserunner to give WonderKemp a chance.
Anonymous
Tracy would probably just walk him.
Anonymous
Violating the old baseball adage about not putting the go ahead run on base? ( I tend to agree with you)
KT
Come on Adam
KT
Nice Adam
Anonymous
Maybe, somehow, someway, perhaps this thing isn’t over yet…
Anonymous
Kennedy defies our expectations.
Anonymous
Adam Kennedy singles. Do you believe in miracles?
KT
Come on Tony basehit
KT
Let’s go Mark
Anonymous
If we lose a Kershaw game, it really hurts. What happens when Capuano and Lilly return to Earth? Our starting pitching doesn’t compare to SF, our bullpens are about equal, and aside from Kemp, Ethier, and AJ our offense is nothing to get excited about. I still have fears this season could take a sharp left turn a la 2005, when Bob promised me we would finish ahead of Arizona.
Jon Weisman
Hi Icaros. Yeah, if everything goes bad and nothing stays good, it won’t be a happy year.
Anonymous
Your angst is a little misplaced. No starting pitcher goes undefeated over the course of the season. The Dodgers are contenders, and may be able to add a key piece later on.
Anonymous
Of course he won’t go undefeated. I’m just saying the Giants have three great starters to our one, and we don’t make up for it with a significantly better offense.
Anonymous
Yeah, on pitching side, E-less would have to step up and Rubby will be here in time. While I don’t think that new ownership would allow the team to go south without doing something, not sure what options might be, on offense either.
Anonymous
Yes, good call on Rubby. He is already our second best starter, and not having him hurts a lot.
KT
Do you think they don’t walk Kemp
Anonymous
Jon was right about Kemp’s walks.
KT
Make them pay Dee
Anonymous
Imagine if Dee launched another one like yesterday’s.
Anonymous
Well, I almost called it.
KT
TIE GAME!!!!
Anonymous
The Rockies paid.
Anonymous
Well that was fun!
Anonymous
Just what a cleanup hitter is supposed to do!
Anonymous
Deeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!
KT
IBB to Dre
KT
Come on Jerry
Anonymous
Nice job in the clean up spot.
Jason Ungar
epic
Linkmeister
Wow.
Jon Weisman
Dee Gordon now has a lifetime 3.000 OPS in the cleanup spot.
Alex Chavez
whoa Says Dee Gordon doubled to shallow center, yet both guys scored.
Reality update please? :)
Anonymous
Kemp is fast.
Anonymous
It was perfectly placed, and the Rocks didn’t play it very well.
KT
Kemp was moving on the pitch a good throw had him…catcher didn’t make an attempt at kemp and was ready to throw to 3rd…the hit was a shallow shot to rcf….maybe should have been a single and advancing to second on the throw
Anonymous
Hoping for some free baseball now.
overkill94
Dang, I had just turned on the radio when the bad called occurred and thought Rick and Charlie might have been exaggerating a bit when they said that was the worst call of the year so far. Looking at that picture now they were definitely right, what a joke! What really irks me is when umpires refuse to ask for help – whether it be the home plate ump not asking the 1st/3rd base ump to rule on a check swing or a situation like this where the 1st base ump is in a horrible position – just man up and see if someone saw something obvious that you didn’t.
That being said, great comeback in the 9th! Got home just in time to see Tracy’s bold decision blow up in his face and Dee coming up huge. Now let’s win this thing!
KT
Come on Jamie throw strikes
Anonymous
In the end, Tracy’s decision was no worse than a gopher ball to Kemp would have been.
KT
Do they sac him over?
KT
can’t defense a walk…come on jamie throw strikes
KT
looks like we want to give it right back to them
Anonymous
While his numbers are not yet good, I do think Gordon could become something really special by 2014. In the minors, I figured him as a SS version of Juan Pierre, which never got me too excited, but he swings with much more authority and hits harder line drives than JP ever did. As he matures and adds a few more pounds to his frame, I could see Dee developing some legit leadoff power a la Furcal in his prime.
Jon Weisman
A SS version of Juan Pierre, especially one with an arm, would be just fine with me.
KT
need a K here
Anonymous
Come on Scotty! (Ugh!)
Jon Weisman
Five infielder time? Or not with Giambi up.
Anonymous
Jason Giambi: Formidable Opponent or Moot Point Maker?
Anonymous
See y’all Friday.
Anonymous
Crud
Anonymous
Rockies earned that one.
Anonymous
Can’t afford to lose games like this with Harang and Capuano starting in the next series. Since the 9-1 start, this team is now only a game over .500.
Anonymous
So if you bank the 8 games above .500 from starting 9-1, and add in 1 game above .500 for every 15 games – then they would finish at 17 games above .500. In other words, they would be right around 90 wins. Would that be good enough? Remains to be seen, but it would be not a bad season.
Anonymous
Yes, 90 wins would be great, but how do they maintain that pace without relying on Kemp to hit 85 HRs and Capuano and Lilly to finish with sub 3 ERAs?
Anonymous
I guess I figure if Matt Kemp hits 85 HRs and Capuano and Lilly finish with sub 3 ERAs, then the Dodgers will win more than 90 games. A lot more in fact. Now obviously those aren’t at all likely to happen, but that doesn’t mean they still can’t win 87-92 games this year.
Anonymous
Who else do you expect to step up and lead this team to 87-92 wins?
Anonymous
I’m guessing then, you don’t understand how a baseball “team” wins. Just look a little south and see how the best hitter of the last decade is doing for them lately!
Jon Weisman
NPUT
Anonymous
Apples to Oranges a bit. Apples to apples would’ve been if he called him out and then through up his arms and called time-out. Then with other runners on base they lollygagged back to their bases because time was called. Then the first baseman threw the ball to those other bases and they tagged those runners out with the play standing because the first base ump wasn’t really calling time out when he raised both arms twice, he was just stretching or swatting at a mosquito.