Saturday, September 9, 2017

MLB Ejection 167 - David Rackley (3; Mike Scioscia)

HP Umpire David Rackley ejected Angels Manager Mike Scioscia (ball four call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the Angels-Mariners game. With one out and two on (R1, R2), Mariners batter Mitch Haniger took a 2-2 slider from Angels pitcher Jesse Chavez for a called third ball before singling on the next pitch. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and waist-high (px .809, pz 2.901), the call was correct.*^ At the time of the ejection, the Mariners were leading, 3-0. The Mariners ultimately won the contest, 8-1.

This is David Rackley (86)'s third ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
David Rackley now has 11 points in the UEFL Standings (7 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 11).
Crew Chief Bill Miller now has 11 points in Crew Division (10 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 11).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
*This pitch was located 0.732 horizontal inches from being deemed an incorrect call.
^This ejection was not indicated in the box score, but effected pursuant to UEFL Rule 7-2 (Disputed Information). Also see Rule 6-5-c-5-d pertaining to contributory pitch QOC.

This is the 167th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 79th Manager ejection of 2017.
This is LA-Anaheim's 4th ejection of 2017, 5th in the AL West (TEX 9; OAK 6; HOU, SEA 5; LAA 4).
This is Mike Scioscia's 2nd ejection of 2017, 1st since August 8 (Ramon De Jesus; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).
This is David Rackley's 3rd ejection of 2017, 1st since June 29 (Dusty Baker; QOC = N-C [Foul/HBP]).

Wrap: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Seattle Mariners, 9/9/17 | Video as follows:

Friday, September 8, 2017

Did Scherzer Quick Pitch Herrera? About Rule 6.02(a)(5)

Did Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer strike out Phillies batter Odubel Herrera on an illegal quick pitch Friday night in Washington? At first glance, video evidence suggests that Scherzer may have benefitted from HP Umpire Jeff Kellogg's failure to enforce baseball's quick pitch rule, but what does the rule really say? And did Herrera himself violate the batter's box rule?

Did Kellogg miss Scherzer's quick pitch?
The Play: With one out and none on in the top of the 5th inning of Friday's Phillies-Nationals game, Nats pitcher Scherzer delivered a 1-2 fastball to Phillies batter Odubel Herrera for a called third strike. Replays indicate Herrera did not appear to be looking at Scherzer as Scherzer pitched from Windup Position.

The Rule: The variety of illegal pitch known as the "quick pitch" appears in two parts of the Official Baseball Rules. The first (OBR 5.07(a)) pertains to legal pitching deliveries and positions. 5.07(a) carries no real weight, however, unless backed up by an actual rule that penalizes illegal pitches.

That's where Rule 6.02(a)(5) Comment factors in: "A quick pitch is an illegal pitch. Umpires will judge a quick pitch as one delivered before the batter is reasonably set in the batter’s box. With runners on base the penalty is a balk; with no runners on base, it is a ball. The quick pitch is dangerous and should not be permitted."

There it is. Lest you think Rule 6.02(a)(5) only applies to balks (6.02(a) is the "it is a balk when" rule), the rule's comment clarifies that there is indeed a penalty for a quick pitch with no runners on: it's a ball. To reiterate, "The quick pitch is dangerous and should not be permitted." A penalty exists whether or not there are runners. Rule 6.02(b) also states that an illegal pitch thrown with the bases empty shall result in a ball added to the count, unless the batter reaches base.

Analysis: Given the rulebook's strong language toward a quick pitch's danger, why then did HP Umpire Kellogg not call Scherzer for a quick pitch? Is there more to the story than meets the eye?

Batter Herrera jumps out of the box.
Reviewing the at-bat, we see that Scherzer is working briskly, "setting the tempo," so to speak. That's pretty good news for fans of baseball's popular "pace-of-play" issue.

Herrera, on the other hand, isn't readying himself in the box in a particularly hurried fashion—at least not timely enough for the faster-paced Scherzer.

In the second video below, notice Herrera's consistency in his leisurely act of getting set. Pitch-to-pitch, Herrera's cadence is fairly similar. Scherzer, on the other hand, acquiesces to Herrera's "slowness" on Pitch #2 of the at-bat, decides to press Herrera and pitches immediately upon Herrera coming set in the batter's box on Pitch #3, and, finally, delivers Pitch #4 before Herrera has come reasonably set in the batter's box, which results in the baseball arriving at home plate a mere fraction of a second after a visibly startled Herrera jumps backward and out of the left-handed batter's box.

Scherzer's 1-2 delivery to Herrera appears to constitute an illegal quick pitch and, as Rule 6.02(a)(5) Comment states, "is dangerous and should not be permitted." This play should have been called back. The strike three call was incorrect as the ball should have been dead on the illegal pitch thrown to a batter who wasn't reasonably set, play resuming with a 2-2 count.
Related PostRules Review - About Cleveland's Quick Pitch in Seattle (6/9/16).
Related PostMLB Ejection 016 - Ramon De Jesus (John Gibbons) (7/23/17).

What About the Batter's Box Rule?: Though Official Baseball Rule 5.04(b)(4) states, "The batter shall keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout the batter’s time at bat," with exceptions allowed for a swing, check swing, "Time" call, pickoff play, fake bunt, wild pitch/passed ball, pitcher delay, or catcher leaving the catcher's box, the penalty for batter's violation is "the umpire shall issue a warning to the batter for the batter’s first violation of this Rule in a game. For a batter’s second or subsequent violations of this Rule in a game, the League President may issue an appropriate discipline."

Note that in Minor League Baseball only, a second violation will result in an automatic strike called with no pitch having been thrown. The ball is automatically dead upon the enforcement of this penalty.

Meanwhile, Rule 5.04(b)(3) states, "If the batter refuses to take his position in the batter’s box during his time at bat, the umpire shall call a strike on the batter. The ball is dead and no runners may advance."

To bring everything full circle, notice that Herrera's preparation ritual takes place with his left foot within the batter's box (if not with both feet in the box). Thus, he is legal. However, even if Herrera was not legal pursuant to batter's box Rule 5.04(b)(4), a quick pitch is still illegal. Similarly, even if an umpire feels a batter is taking too long, the remedy is a Rule 5.04(b)(3) automatic strike—not allowing the pitcher to pitch when the batter isn't looking (something about being "dangerous"). Two wrongs don't make a right, and if a batter is not in compliance with 5.04(b), the umpire shall impose a warning or penalty before a pitch is thrown. As the rule states, "the ball is dead."

Videos (2x) as follows:

MLB Ejections 165-166 - Morales, Cooper (1|1; CWS x2)

HP Umpire Gabe Morales ejected White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (ball four call; QOCN) and 2B Umpire Eric Cooper ejected White Sox Manager Rick Renteria (ball four call by HP Umpire Morales; QOCN) in the top of the 6th inning of the Giants-White Sox game. With one out and two on (R1, R3), Giants batter Hunter Pence took a 3-2 fastball from Giolito for a called fourth ball as baserunner R3 Buster Posey scored on a steal of home. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and thigh-high (px .693, pz 2.435), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejections, the Giants were leading, 4-2. The Giants ultimately won the contest, 9-2.

This is Gabe Morales (47)'s first ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
This is Eric Cooper (56)'s first ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Gabe Morales now has -1 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = -1).
Eric Cooper now has 1 point in the UEFL Standings (2 Prev + 2 MLB - 3 Incorrect-Crewmate = 1).
Crew Chief Eric Cooper now has 1 point in Crew Division (1 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 1).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
*This pitch was located 1.092 horizontal inches from being deemed a correct call.

This is the 165th, 166th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 73rd player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Giolito's line was 5.1 IP, 5 R, 4 BB.
This is the 78th Manager ejection of 2017.
This is Chicago-AL's 13/14th ejection of 2017, 1st in the AL Central (CWS 14; DET 9; KC 6; MIN 4; CLE 0).
This is Luis Giolito's first career MLB ejection.
This is Rick Renteria's 7th ejection of 2017, 1st since July 15 (Tom Hallion; QOC = Y [Base Award]).
This is Gabe Morales' first ejection since July 31, 2016 (John Farrell; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Eric Cooper's first ejection since August 13, 2016 (Walt Weiss; QOC = U [USC-NEC]).

Wrap: San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago White Sox, 9/8/17 | Video as follows:

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

MLB Ejection 164 - Chad Fairchild (2; Justin Turner)

HP Umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Dodgers 3B Justin Turner (strike three call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Diamondbacks-Dodgers game. With none out and none on, Turner took a 2-2 fastball from Diamondbacks pitcher Taijuan Walker for a called third strike before referencing a video replay in contradiction of the call after the inning's conclusion.^ Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and thigh-high (px 1.235, pz 2.265), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 1-1. The Diamondbacks ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

This is Chad Fairchild (4)'s second ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Chad Fairchild now has 10 points in the UEFL Standings (12 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 10).
Crew Chief Alfonso Marquez now has 8 points in Crew Division (8 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 8).
^From the MLBUM and Ejection Standards for Removal from the Game: "During an argument if a manager, coach or player makes reference to having observed a video replay that purportedly contradicts the call under dispute, such person should be warned immediately to stop or he will be subject to ejection from the game."
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
*This pitch was located 3.852 horizontal inches from being deemed a correct call.

This is the 164th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 72nd player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Turner was 0-2 (SO) in the contest.
This is Los Angeles-NL's 8th ejection of 2017, 1st in the NL West (LAD 8; ARI, COL 5; SF 4; SD 3).
This is Justin Turner's first ejection since June 12, 2016 (Mike Muchlinski; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Chad Fairchild's 2nd ejection of 2017, 1st since August 22 (Kevin Pillar; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 9/6/17 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 163 - Mike Everitt (4; Matt Chapman)

HP Umpire Mike Everitt ejected Athletics 3B Matt Chapman (Unsportsmanlike-NEC toward Angels C Juan Graterol; QOCU) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the Angels-Athletics game. With none out and one on (R1), Chapman stepped to the plate and made an unsporting comment to Angels catcher Graterol, resulting in a bench-rising incident as HP Umpire Everitt addressed Chapman and A's Manager Bob Melvin regarding the conduct. Replays indicate that after this interaction and counseling from Everitt, Chapman made another comment to Graterol, resulting in his ejection and issuance of warnings to both teams. At the time of the ejection, the A's were leading, 1-0. The A's ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

This is Mike Everitt (57)'s fourth ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Mike Everitt now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (3 Prev + 2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call = 5).
Crew Chief Mike Everitt now has 11 points in Crew Division (10 Previous + 1 Irrecusable Call = 11).

This is the 163rd ejection report of 2017.
This is the 71st player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Chapman was 0-0 (BB) in the contest.
This is Oakland's 6th ejection of 2017, 2nd in the AL West (TEX 9; OAK 6; HOU, SEA 5; LAA 1).
This is Matt Chapman's first career MLB ejection.
This is Mike Everitt's 4th ejection of 2017, 1st since August 27 (Joe Girardi; QOC = N [Interference]).

Wrap: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Oakland Athletics, 9/6/17 | Video as follows:

Triple-A - 2017 PCL and IL Postseason Rosters

MiLB's Pacific Coast & International League regular seasons have concluded; here are 2017's postseason umpires:

Triple-A's Pacific Coast League (PCL):
> John Bostwick (also worked 2017 MLB Spring Training)
> Mike Cascioppo (2017 MLB Spring Training)
> Blake Felix
> Bryan Fields
> JJ January (2015 Futures Game)
> Garrett Patterson (2017 MLB Spring Training)
> Ronnie Teague (2017 MLB Spring Training, 2015 Futures Game)
> Nate White (2014 Futures Game)

Triple-A's International League (IL):
> John Bacon (also worked 2017 MLB Spring Training)
> Ryan Clark
> Dan Merzel (2017 MLB Spring Training2015 Futures Game)
> Robert Moreno
> Jeremie Rehak (2017 MLB Spring Training)
> Jeremy Riggs (2016 IL Postseason2017 AAA All-Star Game)
> Alex Tosi (2017 MLB Spring Training)
> Jansen Visconti (2014 Futures Game)

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

MLB Ejection 162 - Marvin Hudson (2; Josh Donaldson)

HP Umpire Marvin Hudson ejected Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson (strike one call; QOCY) in the top of the 18th inning of the Blue Jays-Red Sox game. With none out and none on, Donaldson took a 0-0 sinker from Red Sox pitcher Carson Smith for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and belt-high (px -.671, pz 3.180 [sz_top 3.411]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 2-2. The Red Sox ultimately won the contest, 3-2, in 19 innings.

This is Marvin Hudson (51)'s second ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Marvin Hudson now has 6 points in the UEFL Standings (2 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 6).
Crew Chief Jerry Layne now has -7 points in Crew Division (-8 Previous + 1 Correct Call = -7).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
*This pitch was located 2.916 horizontal and 3.768 vertical inches away from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 162nd ejection report of 2017.
This is the 70th player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Donaldson was 0-6 in the contest.
This is Toronto's 10th ejection of 2017, 2nd in the AL East (NYY 11; TOR 10; TB 6; BOS 5; BAL 4).
This is Josh Donaldson's first ejection since September 19, 2016 (Chris Conroy; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Marvin Hudson's 2nd ejection of 2017, 1st since June 11 (Carlos Gonzalez; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Historical Context: Donaldson's 18th inning ejection is the latest in a game since August 18, 1982, when 1B Umpire Dave Pallone ejected the Dodgers' Ron Cey and Tommy Lasorda for arguing a call at first base in the 20th inning, and HP Umpire Eric Gregg ejected Cubs coach John Vukovich for arguing balls and strikes in the 18th (who was filling in for Cubs skipper Lee Elia, whom Gregg had thrown out in the 8th); however, the August 18 game was actually a completion of an originally scheduled contest on August 17 that had been suspended in the 17th inning; thus, the 18th- and 20th-inning ejections transpired after play had resumed; effectively, during the 1st and 3rd innings of resumption.

Honorable Mention, AL: As for a late-game ejection on the same night of play in the American League, we refer to an Angels-Athletics game on July 9/10, 1971, where HP Umpire George Maloney ejected California Angels RF Tony Conigliaro in the 19th inning. As is the case with so many ejections in the modern era, Conigliaro's pre-ejection performance was poor. Prior to ejection, Conigliaro was 0-8 (5 strikeouts) in the contest.

Honorable Mention, NL: HP Umpire Terry Tata ejected Mets Davey Johnson and Darryl Strawberry for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the 17th inning of a game that started on July 4, 1985. Tata famously told Johnson, "Davey, at three o'clock in the morning, anything's a strike."

Honorable Mention, MiLB: Pawtucket Red Sox Manager Joe Morgan earned a 22nd-inning ejection from HP Umpire Dennis Cregg, hours before April 20, 1981's Sox-Red Wings game was suspended at 4:07 AM in the 32nd inning.

Wrap: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox, 9/5/17 | Video as follows:

Monday, September 4, 2017

MLB Ejection 161 - Jordan Baker (4; Darren Bush)

HP Umpire Jordan Baker ejected Athletics Hitting Coach Darren Bush (strike two and three calls; QOCY) in the bottom of the 5th inning of the Angels-Athletics game. With two out and two on (R1, R2), Athletics batter Matt Chapman took a 0-1 changeup and 0-2 curveball from Angels pitcher Noe Ramirez for called second and third strikes. Replays indicate the pitch ruled strike two was located over the outer edge of home plate and thigh-high (px .859, pz 2.256) and the pitch ruled strike three was located over the outer half of home plate and below the midpoint (px .711, pz 3.160 [sz_top 3.371]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Angels were leading, 9-7. The Angels ultimately won the contest, 11-9, in 11 innings.

This is Jordan Baker (71)'s fourth ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Jordan Baker now has 16 points in the UEFL Standings (12 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 16).
Crew Chief Mike Everitt now has 10 points in Crew Division (9 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 10).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
*The called second strike was located 0.66 horizontal inches away from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 161st ejection report of 2017.
This is Oakland's 5th ejection of 2017, T-2nd in the AL West (TEX 9; HOU, OAK, SEA 5; LAA 1).
This is Darren Bush's first career MLB ejection.
This is Jordan Baker's 4th ejection of 2017, 1st since June 23 (Brad Ausmus; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Oakland Athletics, 9/4/17 | Video as follows:

Sunday, September 3, 2017

MLB Ejection 160 - Sam Holbrook (7; Carl Willis)

HP Umpire Sam Holbrook ejected Red Sox Pitching Coach Carl Willis (ball three call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Red Sox-Yankees game. With two out and the bases loaded, Yankees batter Gary Sanchez took a first pitch, then 2-1 fastball from Red Sox pitcher Addison Reed for called first and third balls, respectively. Replays indicate the first pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and thigh-high (px .805, pz 1.837), while the pitch ruled a third ball was located over the outer half of home plate and above the knees (px .610, pz 1.742 [sz_bot 1.589 / MOE 1.672]), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Yankees were leading, 3-1. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 9-2.

This is Sam Holbrook (34)'s seventh ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Sam Holbrook now has 11 points in the UEFL Standings (13 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 11).
Crew Chief Sam Holbrook now has 12 points in Crew Division (12 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 12).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
*Ball three was located 0.84 vertical inches or 1.66 horizontal inches from being deemed a correct call.

This is the 160th ejection report of 2017.
This is Boston's 5th ejection of 2017, 4th in the AL East (NYY 11; TOR 9; TB 6; BOS 5; BAL 4).
This is Carl Willis' first career MLB ejection.
This is Sam Holbrook's 7th ejection of 2017, 1st since July 8 (Bud Black; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees, 9/3/17 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 159 - Marty Foster (3; Paul Molitor)

HP Umpire Marty Foster ejected Twins Manager Paul Molitor (check swing ball two call by 1B Umpire Mike Muchlinski) in the top of the 7th inning of the Royals-Twins game. With two out and two on (R1, R2), Royals batter Lorenzo Cain attempted to check his swing on a 1-2 curveball from Twins pitcher Alan Busenitz for a called second ball, appealed and affirmed as "no swing" by 1B Umpire Muchlinski. Play was reviewed and reversed by the UEFL Appeals Board (1-8), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Twins were leading, 4-3. The Royals ultimately won the contest, 5-4.

This is Marty Foster (60)'s third ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Marty Foster now has 0 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 MLB - 3 Incorrect-Crewmate = 0).
Crew Chief Mike Winters now has 7 points in Crew Division (7 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 7).

This is the 159th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 77th Manager ejection of 2017.
This is Minnesota's 4th ejection of 2017, 4th in the AL Central (CWS 12; DET 9; KC 6; MIN 4; CLE 0).
This is Paul Molitor's 2nd ejection of 2017, 1st since April 20 (Alan Porter; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).
This is Marty Foster's 3rd ejection of 2017, 1st since June 1 (Yasmani Grandal; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, 9/3/17 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 158 - Mike Estabrook (1; Carlos Gomez)

HP Umpire Mike Estabrook ejected Rangers CF Carlos Gomez (strike three call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 3rd inning of the Angels-Rangers game. With one out and none on, Gomez took a 2-2 sinker from Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and knee-high (px 1.025, pz 1.737 [sz_bot 1.681]), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 2-2. The Rangers ultimately won the contest, 7-6.

This is Mike Estabrook (83)'s first ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Mike Estabrook now has -2 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Crew Chief Bill Welke now has 1 point in Crew Division (1 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 1).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
*This pitch was located 1.332 horizontal inches from being deemed a correct call.

This is the 158th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 69th player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Gomez was 0-2 (SO) in the contest.
This is Texas' 9th ejection of 2017, 1st in the AL West (TEX 9; HOU, SEA 5; OAK 4; LAA 1).
This is Carlos Gomez's first ejection since May 7, 2016 (Jeff Nelson; QOC = Y-C [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Mike Estabrook's first ejection since August 5, 2016 (Danny Valencia; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Texas Rangers, 9/3/17 | Video as follows: