Angel's Devil in the Details on Ball Four Hand-Mouth Award

When Angel Hernandez, arguably the most scrutinized umpire in Major League Baseball these days, called Toronto's Yusei Kikuchi for an automatic ball after the Blue Jays pitcher licked his fingers while on the rubber, he correctly awarded Red Sox batter JD Martinez first base on ball four, a move that drew widespread attention and criticism for a "technical" call.

With none out and none on in the bottom of the 2nd inning, Kikuchi stepped onto the pitcher's plate as he waited for Martinez to become ready in the batter's box. While still in contact with the rubber, Kikuchi then put his hand to his mouth and returned his hand to the baseball resting in his glove, before quickly attempting to disengage the rubber.

But 1B Umpire Angel Hernandez recognized an infraction of the rules and accordingly called a ball—the fourth of Martinez's at-bat—resulting in a 3-2 walk without ball four physically being thrown in Boston. The penalty for a first offense is a warning, and any subsequent violations result in an automatic ball. Replays indicate Kikuchi was warned for this same infraction an inning earlier; thus, the subsequent violation resulted in a ball added to the count.

Hernandez enforced Official Baseball Rule 6.02(c)(1)—the first of MLB's nine "pitching prohibitions"—which states that a pitcher shall not, "While in the 18-foot circle surrounding the pitcher’s plate, touch the ball after touching their mouth or lips, or touch their mouth or lips while in contact with the pitcher’s plate. The pitcher must clearly wipe the fingers of their pitching hand dry before touching the ball or the pitcher’s plate."

The exception to this rule is that a pitcher may blow on a cold hand if both teams agree to it prior to the game, but this exception does not extend to the licking of fingers. Accordingly, this rule was properly enforced. It is not often seen because pitchers will often either 1) go to their mouth while not on the rubber (legal), and/or 2) clearly wipe their free hand on their pants leg or other part of the uniform in accordance with OBR 6.02(c)(1). Hernandez is serving as interim crew chief while Sam Holbrook is absent.

Video as follows:

Bat of Castellanos - Removal vs Ejection Criteria

After Reds batter Nick Castellanos hit a grand slam in Cincinnati, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt asked HP Umpire Cory Blaser and crew to inspect the bat, hoping for a finding of illegal alteration and an automatic out (plus ejection). Instead, umpires simply removed the bat from the game. What's the rule?

Official Baseball Rule 3.02(b): Two rules potentially govern this play. The first is OBR 3.02(b) regarding cupped bats and states, "An indentation in the end of the bat up to 1¼ inches in depth is permitted and may be no wider than two inches and no less than one inch in diameter. The indentation must be curved with no foreign substance added."

Official Baseball Rule 6.03(a)(5): This rule regarding illegal bats states that a batter is out and ejected from the game, while no advancement on the bases will be allowed, if the batter "uses or attempts to use a bat that, in the umpire’s judgment, has been altered or tampered with in such a way to improve the distance factor or cause an unusual reaction on the baseball. This includes bats that are filled, flat-surfaced, nailed, hollowed, grooved or covered with a substance such as paraffin, wax, etc."

Analysis: Castellanos' bat appeared to have a chip in it along its cupped end, bringing it into violation of 3.02(b)'s depth rule. The only question is whether the umpires judged that Cincinnati had deliberately altered or tampered with the bat to cause that to happen—and furthermore—with the goal of improving its performance and gaining an unfair advantage.

Conclusion: After consultation with Replay Review for a rules check, Crew Chief Phil Cuzzi simply ordered the bat removed from the game, but did not eject Castellanos or declare any outs on the play because the umpires' judgment did not deem a deliberate attempt to tamper with the bat to create an unfair advantage.

Video as follows:

Close Call of the Week: Illegal Bat on Blocked FG

In the 3rd quarter of Sunday's Steelers-Packers game, Green Bay attempted a field goal to tie on 4th and goal. After Packers kicker Mason Crosby's attempt was blocked by Steelers nose tackle Steve McLendon, the football bounced towards Steelers safety Ryan Clark who attempted to lateral the ball to William Gay before Steelers defensive end Ziggy Hood ultimately contacted the loose ball by batting it out of bounds—and in a forward direction.

Citing Hood's action as illegal batting, referee Carl Cheffers' crew awarded Green Bay a first down, allowing them to retain possession at the Steelers' two-yard line. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's challenge was denied on the grounds that possession is ineligible for review.

Relevant to this play is NFL Rule 12, Section 4, Article 1, which states an illegal bat has occurred when "a player of either team bats or punches a loose ball in the field of play toward his opponent's goal line," or forward, the prescribed penalty for which is a loss of 10 yards and automatic first down (since the foul was committed by the defense and prior to any deemed change of possession).

As for that issue of possession which Tomlin challenged, Rule 15-5 states that "recovery of a loose ball that does not involve a boundary line or the end zone" is specifically non-reviewable. Accordingly, officials properly denied Tomlin's request for instant replay review.

Rule 3-2-3 states that "a loose ball (either during or after flight) is considered in possession of team (offense) whose player kicked, passed or fumbled. [Prior possession] ends when a player secures possession or when the down ends if that is before such possession." Article 7 of Rule 3 states that a player is in possession of a ball when "he is inbounds and has a firm grip and control of the ball with his hands or arms."

As for gaining possession of a loose ball, a player must not only have (1) complete control of the ball, he must additionally (2) "have both feet or any other part of his body, other than his hands, completely on the ground inbounds, and maintain control of the ball long enough to perform any act common to the game. If the player loses the ball while simultaneously touching both feet or any other part of his body to the ground, there is no possession. This rule applies in the field of play and in the end zone." Note 1 states that "a player who goes to the ground in the process of attempting to secure possession of a loose ball (with or without contact by an opponent) must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground." Note 1, however, generally is applied during a pass situation.

Replays are inconclusive as to whether Pittsburgh's Clark had possession of the loose ball, although it is clear he attempted to perform an action common to the game in the form of a lateral—again, though, it is unclear whether he gained a firm grip and control of the ball prior to the pitch. The penalty for illegal batting was properly enforced—half the distance (recall the original line of scrimmage) and first down to the offense as the defense was ruled not to have gained possession.

Video: Steelers block Green Bay's game-tying FG attempt, lose the ball out of bounds as penalty flags fly

Ejection 074: Tim Tschida (3)

HP Umpire Tim Tschida ejected Rays pitcher Joel Peralta for illegal substance-defense in the bottom of the 8th inning of the Rays-Nationals game. With none out and none on, Nationals Manager Davey Johnson requested that crew chief Tschida inspect Peralta's glove. After inspection, Peralta was ejected and his glove confiscated for possessing an illegal/foreign substance (pine tar), the call is irrecusable. At the time of the ejection, the Rays were leading, 5-4. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 5-4.

UEFL Standings Update

This is Tim Tschida (4)'s third ejection of 2012.
Tim Tschida now has 6 points in the UEFL (4 Previous + 2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call = 6).
Crew Chief Tim Tschida now has 5 points in the UEFL's Crew Division (4 Previous + 1 Irrecusable = 5).

This is the 74th ejection of 2012.
This is the 28th player ejection of 2012.
This is the Rays' first ejection of 2012, last place in the AL East (BOS, TOR 4; NYY 3; BAL 2).
This is Joel Peralta's first career MLB ejection.
This is Tim Tschida's first ejection since May 28, 2012 (Gene Lamont; QOC = Incorrect).

Wrap: Rays at Nationals, 6/19/12
Video: Peralta Ejected for Illegal/Foreign Substance Pine Tar on Glove; Equipment Confiscated