Thursday, April 25, 2019

Expect Anything - Angels Turn DP on NY's Weight Shift

In today's world of expanded instant replay, umpires are learning to expect anything such that the unexpected becomes just another baseball play. Wednesday night in Anaheim, the Angels challenged 2B Umpire Mike Everitt's ruling that a runner was safe at second base, finding on review that Yankees baserunner R2 Tyler Wade momentarily broke contact with the base while Angels infielder Andrelton Simmons applied a tag, resulting in an inning-ending double play.

Fielder Simmons tags runner Wade.
The Play: With one out and two on (R1, R2), Yankees batter Brett Gardner flew out to Angels center fielder Mike Trout, who threw back to the infield as New York's baserunners returned to their bases. As fielder Simmons walked the ball back toward his pitcher, he tagged NYY baserunner R2 Wade as Wade shifted his weight at second base, momentarily breaking contact with the base such that he found himself susceptible to Rule 5.09(b)(4)'s "Any runner is out when—He is tagged, when the ball is alive, while off his base."

Replay Review: After a four-minute review (remember, reviews are generally supposed to take no more than two minutes), the call was overturned and the runner declared out.
Related Post2017 Rules Mods, Including IBB Change, Announced (3/2/17).

Everitt checks the ball and runners.
Lesson: Be prepared for anything, "BE IN POSITION TO SEE EVERY PLAY" and "Keep your eye everlastingly on the ball while it is in play" (Rule 8.00 [General Instructions to Umpires]). In this situation, 2B Umpire Everitt was in position to observe the play—see how he moves at the 35-second mark, constantly checking the runners, his positioning, and, possibly, whether "Time" has been called (it has not; the ball is still live).

However, as we saw from the first-base mid camera angle, Simmons' tag was on the left field/opposite side of the base, such that, as the broadcasters surmised, it required the Replay Official to stitch together another camera so as to see the tag on the runner at the moment that the runner shifted his left foot off of second base.

For more on the philosophy of this literal game of inches on the bases, see the following article.
Related PostReplay Rewind - Technically Correct or Spiritual Travesty? (6/9/18).

Video as follows:
Alternate Link: Angels stick with play to catch runner off-guard for double play (LAA)

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