Calls of the Month - August 2024

August 2024's Top 5 Calls of the Month feature a few bizarre bunt plays and tag attempts, questions concerning boundaries and home runs, and a guest appearance by...Kramer?

5) Jeremy Riggs closes in on a tag play.

4) Bill Miller makes a rare call....

3) Shane Livensparger's no-catch decision

2) Larry Vanover, the oldest umpire ever to work an MLB game, calls a HR

1) Charlie Ramos (not pictured) with the HR call and James Hoye as Kramer

Video as follows:

Calls of the Month - July 2024

Our Top 5 Calls of the Month for July 2024 follow umpires officiating bang-bang plays and having some difficulty with challenges and Replay Reviews.

5) Junior Valentine ball-glove-runner all arrive together on a quick hitter at 2nd!

4) John Libka (X 2) Nails a pair of SB Attempts in the same inning! 

3) Boston Loses its Challenge thanks to Laz Diaz. 

2) Ben May Correctly calls catch on a most difficult decision.

1) Junior Valentine nabs a batter leaning into a pitch.

Video as follows:

Calls of the Month - June 2024

Our Top 5 Calls of the Month for June 2024 follow several tricky plays on the bases, a heads up call from a plate umpire helping a blocked out crewmate, and a tag by the slimmest of margins.

5) Gabe Morales is perfectly still watching for a pulled foot while nailing a whacker! 

4) Tom Hanahan calmly calls a pickoff at 1st

3) Will Little Fair/Foul and Force out at 3rd! 

2) CB Bucknor on a swipe tag at 1B as HPU... wait, what?! 

1) Mark Carlson Sees some dirt dislodged by a glove and gets the OUT!

Video as follows:

Calls of the Month - May 2024

Our Top 5 Calls of the Month for May 2024 include several close calls at both home plate and on the bases, with umpires who stick with the play to get the call right.

5) Cory Blaser gets his nose in there for a call at the plate.

4) Doug Eddings gets knocked down, but gets back up to later in the game nail an awkward out call.

3) Chris Conroy takes a "Reverse Force" (tag-up appeal play) at 1st.

2) Chad Fairchild no call at the plate great calmness.... and call.

1) Adam Hamari "The Hammer" with a confirmed catcher's interference call on a check swing.

Video as follows:

Calls of the Month - April 2024

CloseCallSports' Top 5 Calls of the Month for April 2024 feature umpires whose concentration and keen eye allowed them to accurately assess close plays across Major League Baseball.

5) Alex Tosi's check swing hit-by-pitch in Cincinnati is confirmed via Replay Review.

4) Brian Walsh's out of play ruling on an overthrown ball is confirmed in Cincinnati.

3) CB Bucknor's out call on a force play at second base in Detroit is confirmed.

2) Angel Hernandez's HBP call in Los Angeles is confirmed by the slightest of margins.

1) Jonathan Parra's out call on a stolen base attempt in DC is confirmed by a tag on the heel.

Video as follows:

September 2023 Top 5 Calls of the Month

September 2023's Top 5 Calls of the Month showcase five close plays across baseball that umpires were able to officiate correctly thanks to hustle, sound mechanics, and patient judgment.

Top 5 Calls of the Month - September 2023

5. Jeremy Riggs' swipe tag at first base.

4. Alfonso Marquez's no home run, no fan interference.

3. Ryan Additon's walk-off caught stealing at second.

2. Jeremie Rehak's catcher's interference on a swing and a miss.

1. John Tumpane gets low to call a play at the plate.

Video as follows:

August 2023 Top 5 Calls of the Month

August 2023's Top 5 Calls of the Month highlights five MLB umpires whose efficient use of mechanics, positioning, and patience enables them to correctly officiate some difficult plays.

Top 5 Calls of the Month - August 2023

5. Ryan Wills' pulled foot out vs safe call at the home plate.

4. Chad Whitson's patient safe call on a creative slide.

3. Jeremy Riggs' dust-cloud tag play at third base.

2. Brennan Miller's three-sounder with shadows at first.

1. Tripp Gibson's foul tip vs catcher's interference call.

Video as follows:

July 2023 Top 5 Calls of the Month

July 2023's Top 5 Calls of the Month highlights five MLB umpires whose efficient use of mechanics, positioning, and patience enables them to correctly officiate some difficult plays.

Top 5 Calls of the Month - July 2023

5. Nate Tomlinson's out call at third in Detroit.

4. James Hoye's fan interference vs home run call.

3. Roberto Ortiz's stolen base overslide in Colorado.

2. Clint Vondrak's safe call at second in San Diego.

1. Vic Carapazza's stolen base out call in New York.

Video as follows:

June 2023 Top 5 Calls of the Month

For June 2023, tmac has selected a Top 5 calls showcasing five MLB umpires whose efficient use of mechanics, positioning, and patience enables them to correctly officiate some difficult plays.

We also pause to remember Northwoods League Umpire Conor McKenzie, who passed away last weekend while en route to officiate a Northwoods League game in Madison.

Top 5 Calls of the Month - June 2023

5. Ben May's plate at the plate in Milwaukee.

4. Jeff Nelson's catcher's interference call in Milwaukee, a day later.

3. Andy Fletcher's legal plate blocking at home in San Francisco.

2. Chris Segal's swim move of a runner in Arlington.

1. Todd Tichenor's dancing out of the way of a foul ball in Kansas City.

Video as follows:

Call of the Month - May 2023

Umpires Jansen Visconti and Pat Hoberg combine for May 2023's Calls of the Month as tmac takes us through a fan interference play in Seattle, called by 1B Umpire Visconti, and a tag play in Washington, called by HP Umpire Hoberg.

Both plays feature touches nearly imperceptible in real time (and not necessarily on replay either) and that's why Visconti and Hoberg are our May 2023 co-calls of the month.

Video as follows:

April 2023 Call of the Month - Quinn Wolcott

Our April 2023 Call of the Month takes us to Chicago vs Seattle, where 2B Umpire Quinn Wolcott officiates a stolen base attempt, ruling Cubs baserunner Nick Madrigal out on Mariners second baseman Kolten Wong's tag attempt.

Wolcott reads the play and sticks with the feet-first slide to rule the runner out based on a tag on the back of the runner's leg, a call confirmed via Replay Review as a result of a Cubs challenge.

Video as follows:

Call of the Month - August 2022

In August 2022, Ramon De Jesus earned Call of the Month honors as the 1B Umpire for Cleveland-Seattle hustled and adamantly signaled a foul ball on Guardians first baseman Owen Miller's attempted catch of Mariners batter Dylan Moore's pop fly toward the protective netting along the first base-side grandstand.

As the fly ball approached the stadium in play-out of play boundary on the right field side, 1B Umpire De Jesus ran parallel to player Miller's pursuit of the baseball (or at least as close as the dugout and camera well jut-out would allow), putting himself into a position to best officiate this play.

From that angle, De Jesus saw the ball initially enter Miller's mitt, but before Miller had secure possession of the ball, it made substantial contact with the netting, leading to a passionate call of foul ball/no catch.

Video as follows:

Call of the Month - July 2022

1B Umpire Pat Hoberg's safe call on Rays batter Roman Quinn's infield single in Kansas City, confirmed via Replay Review, is our Call of the Month for July 2022.

For Hoberg, Quinn's pushed bunt up the first base line leads to several potential scenarios, as Royals first baseman Nick Pratto dove to his right to field the batted ball, with pitcher Brady Singer and second baseman Whit Merrifield converging upon first base as Quinn ran toward the bag.

When Pratto tossed the ball to Merrifield, 1B Umpire Hoberg had to officiate what tmac describes as a "no sounder" play at first base—that is, one in which the umpire cannot listen for a sound of a thrown ball hitting the fielder's glove or mitt, because Merrifield didn't receive a hard throw, but a soft lob. Furthermore, the question of whether or not Merrifield was able to place his foot on first base before the batter-runner Quinn's arrival adds to the seemingly simple play's complexity.

Video as follows:

Call of the Month - June 2022

For June 2022's call of the month, we follow the journey of 2B Umpire Jim Reynolds on a tag up play at third base, which he has responsibility for because U3 Alex Tosi has gone out to officiate a batted ball near the outfield wall.

With one out and Chicago's extra inning-placed runner at second base in the 12th inning of a game led by the Rangers, White Sox batter Jake Burger hits a fly ball deep to the left field warning track. As Rangers left fielder Charlie Culberson prepares to catch the fly, White Sox baserunner R2 Luis Robert gets ready to tag up and try and advance to third base.

Culbertson's throw to third baseman Ezequiel Duran arrives on a bounce, with Duran keeping a tag applied to R2 Robert as the runner potentially overslides third base. U2 Reynolds hustles over to third base to call Robert out (upheld via Replay Review), officiating his newfound responsibility created when U3 Tosi left the infield.

Video as follows:

Call of the Month - May 2022

May 2022's Call of the Month takes us to Fenway Park, where 1B Umpire Greg Gibson officiates a tricky play at first base as multiple variables come together simultaneously to make an infield ground ball into a call challenged and confirmed via Replay Review.

The play begins with Red Sox batter JD Martinez hitting a ground ball up the middle, where Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña made a diving play to stop the ball before throwing to first baseman Yuli Gurriel as Martinez arrived at first base.

Boston challenged the call, alleging that Gurriel had pulled his foot, but as signaled by Gibson and confirmed by Replay, Gurriel kept his foot on the base and caught the ball prior to Martinez's arrival.

Video as follows:

Call of the Month - April 2022

For April 2022's Call of the Month, tmac visits the SEC to follow 2B Umpire Brian deBrauwere as an Ole Miss baserunner attempts to tag up and advance to second base on a caught fly ball to right-center field vs South Carolina.

Regardless of ruleset, the general principles of foundational umpiring—hustling with a purpose to attain an angle with which to see the play—still apply and this video analysis emphasizes the umpire's game and situational awareness by observing the Ole Miss runner going back to tag at first base on a fly ball to the outfield, and then anticipating and reacting to the expected play at second base, moving into a position that affords the best look at the keyhole or action area in which the fielder will attempt to tag the runner and the runner will attempt to slide into the base.

Video as follows:

Sept 2021 Call of the Month - Ben May is Safe at Second

Tmac's September 2021 Call of the Month actually took place on October 1 as 2B Umpire Ben May called White Sox batter-runner Tim Anderson safe at second base while sliding away from Tigers infielder Willi Castro's lunging tag attempt.

With runners on second and third base and none out, White Sox batter Anderson hit a ground ball into left-center field and as Detroit threw toward home plate, Anderson ran toward second base. Upon the cut-off throw being redirected to Castro at second base, Anderson's swim-slide produced a series of close tag attempts and misses as Anderson tried to maintain contact with the bag.

Video as follows:

August 2021 Call of the Month - Cory Blaser's Safe Call

Tmac's choice for call of the month in August 2021 involves 3B Umpire Cory Blaser officiating a play in which Diamondbacks baserunner R3 Christian Walker attempts to safely dive back into third base as Phillies fielder Ronald Torreyes tries to apply a tag.

With none out and a runner on third base, D-Backs batter Drew Ellis hit a ground ball to third base several feet into fair territory. As Torreyes fields the ball, runner Walker, having obtained a secondary lead, attempts to return to third base as Torreyes attempts to retire the runner.

3B Umpire Blaser has both a fair/foul call (at the MLB level, many crews designate the 1B/3B Umpire as the umpire with fair/foul calling responsibility for balls fielded in the dirt cutout near first or third base, regardless of whether the ball was fielded in front of or behind the base) and a safe/out call on the runner. Watch along as Blaser prepares and adjusts to patiently rule the runner safe.

Video as follows:

July 2021 Call of the Month - Nelson's HR/Foul/INT

A potential home run vs foul ball vs spectator interference play in St Louis is tmac's call of the month for July 2021 with 1B Umpire and Crew Chief Jeff Nelson officiating the action in the right field corner, a ruling affirmed by Replay Review.

Cardinals batter Paul Goldschmidt nearly hit a home run July 20 against Chicago, but 1B Umpire Nelson ruled the ball foul, determining that the batted ball had touched a fan in foul territory before deflecting into the foul pole atop the right field wall.

Replay Review confirmed the fan interference decision and the play serves as a reminder of the importance of getting set prior to a critical action, even if the area of contact is hundreds of feet away. We also revisit the case of Alfonso Marquez during a somewhat similar play in Anaheim from the 2017 season, in which the umpire taught the same lesson.

Related Post: Tmac's Teachable Moments - Standing Still (5/12/17).

Video as follows:

June 2021 Call of the Month - Sean Barber's Position Slide

For the month of June 2021, Tmac has selected 3B Umpire Sean Barber's Father's Day safe call on a tag play in New York as Yankees baserunner Gary Sanchez steps around A's third baseman Matt Chapman and eludes the tag, with Barber scrambling around the base to officiate the play.

With Chapman falling down to field Oakland's throw to third, Sanchez jogs into third base standing up, eventually running by third base before diving back to get his hand into the base while still avoiding Chapman's tag attempt.

Barber's call, ultimately upheld via Replay Review, involves adjusting one's position to gain the best angle to see whether or not the fielder tagged the runner.

Video as follows: