Ejections: Dan Iassogna (1)

HP Umpire Dan Iassogna ejected Indians pitcher Mitch Talbot for throwing at Yankees batter Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Indians-Yankees game. With two out and none on, Rodriguez took a 0-0 fastball for a hit by pitch. Warnings had not previously been issued on 6/11, but the Indians and Yankees had a benches clearing incident on 6/10. The call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Yankees were leading, 2-0. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 4-0.

This is Dan Iassogna (58)'s first ejection of 2011.
Dan Iassogna now has 4 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4)
Dan Iassogna is owned as a Secondary Umpire by #1UmpFan, who is now tied for 28th place in the UEFL with 1 point.
*The call is correct under UEFL Rule 6.b.ii.e.

This is the 69th ejection of 2011.
This is the 31st player ejection of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Talbot allowed 2 R in 5.2 IP.

Wrap: CLE @ NYY 6/11/11 Wrap
Video: Iassogna ejects Talbot for plunking A-Rod

Related Post: Dale Scott (1)
Related Video: CLE @ NYY 6/10: Benches Clear

Ejections: Dale Scott (1)

HP Umpire Dale Scott ejected Indians batter Orlando Cabrera for arguing a strike three call in the top of the 8th inning of the Indians-Yankees game. With two out and three on, Cabrera took a 0-2 fastball from Yankees pitcher Amauri Sanit for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located above the knees, but off the outer edge of the plate, the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Yankees were leading, 11-3. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 11-7.

This is Dale Scott (5)'s first ejection of 2011.
Dale Scott now has -2 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2)
Dale Scott was undrafted in 2011.

This is the 68th ejection of 2011.
This is the 30th player ejection of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Cabrera was 0-4 in the contest.

Wrap: CLE @ NY (AL) 6/10/11 Wrap
Video: Condensed Game 21:30-21:40 Mark

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Discussions: Your Ejections

Fantasy? Tonight we ask, "What if you were an umpire in the UEFL?" Judging by our current poll (so far), it looks like many of us here have called some ball. In your experience as an umpire, surely players, coaches - and you - haven't always seen eye to eye. Sure, the school, youth, or recreation level may not produce the volume of ejections seen at the professional level, but undoubtedly, there have been times where discipline has been levied. As one of our Facebook Followers, Josh pointed out:

we should have a place to keep track of our own ejections.....it would be interesting to hear the circumstances that led to the EJ, the same way we read about the events leading up to the ones in the majors....just a thought!

Discussion point: So until we get a membership ejection page set up, let's start here, with this post. Just as Josh asked, what are your tales of ejections from your very own games? How did it happen? Who got dumped...and by whom? Why? What was the argument over... and what would your (or your partner's) Quality of Correctness have been?

But before we begin the discussion... let's recall the world in which we live. Technology has been used time and time again to discredit just about anyone for just about anything. Sports officials simply don't need that. So before you say "I'm John Doe of the ABC-18U League in Citytown, Statesville, and I ejected Coach Q Public because I didn't like his tone," take an extra second to remove some personally identifiable information. You never know who is watching, and it's always safer to be vague. Make no mistake, we still want to hear about the Type B Obstruction call you totally nailed that the coach completely didn't understand, but maybe leave out the coach's name, and yours, as well. Team A works just fine. It's okay, over half of our commenters refer to themselves as "Anonymous." That said, how do you rate in the members' UEFL?

Discussions: Ending the Game with Science

Ending the game with a called third strike is always exciting, especially if it's a called third strike to clinch the pennant, as called by Tom Hallion, who was credited with the best third strike mechanic in baseball. It can also be a little more common. Anonymous wrote today:

Michael Cuddyer had a heated argument over a close strike 3 call to end the Indians-Twins game with Adrian Johnson. He may have bumped him. Was not sure where to post this.

This is a reference to the 2-2 pitch which ended the Twins-Indians game, in which Cuddyer was called out on strikes on a fastball from Indians pitcher Chris Perez by HP Umpire Adrian Johnson. The call clinched the game for the Indians as a one run victory, and Cuddyer vehemently argued the call with Johnson (of course, to no avail).

The play is an exciting way to end the game, but most importantly, was the call right? With regard for the UEFL Rulesbook regarding strike zone Quality of Correctness, we first consider the Pitch f/x chart, courtesy of Brooks Baseball.

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball


Pitch #5 looks outside and therefore a ball, right? Not quite. As shown in Ejections: Ron Kulpa (1, 2), looks can be deceiving. In responding to an overturned challenge of Quality of Correctness ("Incorrect" ==>"Correct"), I wrote

In using pitch f/x to determine QoC, parameters to be judged include horizontal location, vertical location (coordinates of pitch), normalized zone variability or quotient (amount of vertical "stretch" or "shrink" applied to vertical parameters so that the strike zone ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 vertical feet, movement of pitch (known as pfx, and specifically pfx_x and pfx_z), and type of pitch. In regards to pitches which only depend on the horizontal constraints of the strike zone (as is the case here), we specifically consider horizontal location, px. In this plate appearance (Nolasco against Kemp), we see pitch (1) with a horizontal location of 0.895 ft; pitch (2) has a location of -0.946 ft. Considering the working strike zone is 22.880 inches (17" plate + 2*2.944")*, we see that 11.440 inches correspond to 0.953 feet on either side of the plate. Since both 0.895 ft and -0.946 ft have an absolute value less than the working strike zone value of 0.953 feet, we must conclude that the call was correct.
*To calculate the working diameter of the strike zone, we use the formula of plate diameter + 2 times ball diameter (one for each side of the plate). The plate is 17" in diameter as defined by OBRule 1.05. The ball is a sphere with a maximum circumference of 9.25 inches as defined by OBRule 1.09. Circumference = pi * diameter; therefore, diameter = circumference / pi; diameter = 9.25 / 3.14159... = 2.944". Adding these figures together yields a working strike zone of 22.880 inches.

Therefore, we can say that definitively, any "px" value less than 0.953 feet from the center of home plate shall be correctly ruled a strike, making any px between -.953 and +.953 a strike... Back to Johnson's strike call to end the game. Johnson's called third strike had a px value of 0.918. Considering the science behind pitch f/x, it is a numerical fact that Johnson made the correct call.

Ejections: Mark Carlson (1)

HP Umpire Mark Carlson ejected Dodgers batter Casey Blake for arguing a strike three call in the top of the 6th inning of the Dodgers-Phillies game. With two out and none on, Blake took a 0-2 curveball from Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located thigh high and over the inner half of home plate, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Phillies were leading, 2-0. The Phillies ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

This is Mark Carlson (48)'s first ejection of 2011.
Mark Carlson now has 4 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4)
Mark Carlson is owned as a Secondary Umpire by clement30, who is now tied for 19th place in the UEFL with 4 points.

This is the 67th ejection of 2011.
This is the 29th player ejection of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Blake was 0-3 in the contest.

Wrap: LAD @ PHI 6/6/11 Wrap
Video (1): Casey Blake is ejected for arguing balls and strikes

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Ejections: Rob Drake (3, 4, 5, 6)

HP Umpire Rob Drake ejected Nationals pitcher Jason Marquis and Manager Jim Riggleman for throwing at Diamondbacks batter Justin Upton in the bottom of the 6th inning and Diamondbacks pitcher Esmerling Vasquez and Manager Kirk Gibson for throwing at Nationals batter Danny Espinosa in the top of top of the 8th inning of the Nationals-Diamondbacks game. In the 6th, with one out and one on, Upton took a 0-0 fastball from Marquis for a hit by pitch. Replays indicate the pitch hit Upton in the lower back as he turned to avoid it. In the 7th, with one out and one on, Espinosa took a 0-1 fastball for a hit by pitch. Replays indicate the pitch hit Espinosa in the upper back as he turned to avoid it. Warnings had previously been issued. The calls were correct.* At the time of both ejections, the Nationals were leading, 1-0. The Nationals ultimately won the contest, 9-4, in 11 innings.

These are Rob Drake (30)'s third, fourth, fifth, and sixth ejections of 2011.
Rob Drake now has 24 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (8 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 24).
Rob Drake is owned as a Secondary Umpire by BSBALLUMP, who is now in 2nd place in the UEFL with 18 points.
*The calls are correct under UEFL Rule 6.b.ii.e.

These are the 63rd, 64th, 65th, and 66th ejections of 2011.
These are the 27th and 28th player ejections of 2011.
These are the 35th and 36th Manager ejections of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Marquis allowed 0 runs in 5.1 IP.
This is Jim Riggleman's 3rd ejection of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Vasquez allowed 0 runs in 0.1 IP. A subsequent home run caused Vasquez to allow 2 runs after his ejection.
This is Kirk Gibson's 3rd ejection of 2011.

Wrap: WSH @ AZ 6/5/11 Wrap
Video (1): Upton drilled, Marquis and Riggleman ejected
Video (1.2): WSH Feed of Marquis and Riggleman toss
Video (2): Vasquez plunks Espinosa; Gibson and Vasquez ejected
Related video: Werth hit by pitch, warnings issued

Ejections: Tony Randazzo (1, 2)

HP Umpire Tony Randazzo ejected Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek and pitcher Jonathan Papelbon for arguing a ball call in the top of the 9th inning of the A's-Red Sox game. In the Varitek ejection, none out and one on, A's batter Daric Barton took a 3-2 fastball from Papelbon for a called fourth ball. Varitek was ejected during a play in which A's batter Cliff Pennington hit a RBI double. Replays indicate all callable pitches during the two at bats were correctly ruled, the call was correct. In the Papelbon ejection, A's batter Connor Jackson hit a 0-0 fastball for a 2 RBI single; there were no callable pitches during the at bat. Papelbon then threw one pitch to A's batter Ryan Sweeney, was ejected, and replaced by Red Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks; the one callable pitch thrown by Papelbon (a called strike) was correctly ruled; the call was correct. At the time of the first ejection, the Red Sox were leading, 7-5. At the time of the second ejection, the contest was tied, 7-7. The Red Sox ultimately won the contest, 9-8, in 14 innings.

These are Tony Randazzo (11)'s first and second ejections of 2011.
Tony Randazzo now has 8 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 8).
Tony Randazzo was undrafted in 2011.
*This ejection is eligible for a Ball/Strikes Exemption under UEFL Rule 6.e.iv.b.

These are the 61st and 62nd ejections of 2011.
These are the 25th and 26th player ejections of 2011.
Prior to his ejection, Varitek was 0-3 in the contest.
Prior to his ejection, Papelbon allowed 4 runs in 0.1 IP.

Wrap: A's at Red Sox 6/4/11 Wrap
Video (1): Randazzo tosses Varitek, Papelbon
Video (2): Varitek and Papelbon ejected (1:35)

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Case Plays: Cop on Field

This Case Play has been completed. Congratulations to UEFL League Members TonyTheRed, RichMSN, kickersrule, ump_24, and cyclone14 for correctly answering the posted scenario. The correct response is:

(a) B1/BR1 is out at second base on the tag. Unintentional interference by authorized personnel, such as uniformed security or law enforcement officers, as shown in the video, results in a live ball with no penalty under Rule 3.15. Play resumes with one out and B2 at bat. B1 is credited with a single and the out is recorded as 9-6.

1 Point Added to:
cyclone14 is now in 2nd place in the UEFL with 14 points.
ump_24 is now tied for 3rd place in the UEFL with 12 points.
TonyTheRed is now tied for 8th place in the UEFL with 10 points.
kickersrule is now tied for 16th place in the UEFL with 8 points.
RichMSN is now in 17th place in the UEFL with 7 points.

Thank you for participating in this Case Play and congratulations to all participants, who responded with at least partial correctness. Stay tuned for further Case Plays. The original Case Play post has been reproduced below.

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Pursuant to UEFL Rule 4.f., this Case Play is open for 48 hours from the time of this post (6/1/11 at 1:15AM). During this time, all Case Play responses will remain in moderation (screened or invisible) until the 48 hour submission period is closed. To receive full point(s) credit, you must answer the following scenario correctly, including any relevant MLB Rule(s) and all relevant results of the play after applying said rule(s).

Video: Cop's funny blunder

Using the Official Baseball Rules (OBR), please answer the following scenario:

Prior to the top of the 1st inning, the home team positions a police officer on the right field warning track, in fair territory. As the first pitch of the game is thrown, the officer, unaware of the game situation, remains on the track, facing the outfield stands and with his back towards home plate. B1 hits the 0-0 pitch to right field in the area of the officer, who is only now aware of the situation. The ball bounces once in front of the officer, strikes him in the back of the leg as he is attempting to avoid touching the ball, whereupon which the ball deflects to F9, who throws to F6 and easily retires B1 at second base. (a) What is the call and how will play resume (who is at bat, what is the out and baserunner situation)? Does it matter that the officer tried to avoid getting hit by the ball? It is quite clear that the officer did not intentionally make contact with the batted ball for the purposes of this scenario. (1pt for [a])

Consult the UEFL Rulebook for further information regarding Rule 4.f and Case Plays.

Ejections: Greg Gibson (1)

HP Umpire Greg Gibson ejected Padres Manager Bud Black for arguing a foul ball call in the top of the 4th inning of the Astros-Padres game. With two out and none on, Astros batter J.A. Happ swung at a 1-2 sinker from Padres pitcher Dustin Moseley for a called foul ball. Replays indicate the pitch was fouled at the plate, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Astros were leading, 1-0. The Padres ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

This is Greg Gibson (53)'s first ejection of 2011.
Greg Gibson now has 4 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Greg Gibson is owned as a Primary Umpire by TonyTheRed, who is now in 9th place in the UEFL with 9 points.
Greg Gibson is owned as a Primary Umpire by HIGHSCHOOLUMP, who is now tied for 19th place in the UEFL with 4 points.
Greg Gibson is owned as a Primary Umpire by BrooklynUmp, who is now tied for 22nd place in the UEFL with 3 points.
Greg Gibson is owned as a Secondary Umpire by rasseul, who is now tied for 22nd place in the UEFL with 3 points.

This is the 60th ejection of 2011.
This is the 34th Manager ejection of 2011.
This is Bud Black's second ejection of 2011.

Wrap: Astros at Padres 6/3/11 Wrap
Video (1): HOU@SD 6/3 Game Recap (0:18)
Video (2): HOU@SD 6/3 Condensed Game (3:34, Brief Argument Only)

MLB News: Joyce off Galarraga's Games

Last season, we reported the Jim Joyce / Armando Galarraga imperfect game as Unofficial Ejections: Derryl Cousins (1, 2).
That was one year ago, on June 2, 2010, during an Indians-Tigers game that the Tigers would still go onto win, Galarraga completing the shutout and complete game. Since that moment, Joyce and Galarraga have had a unique relationship: they exemplified the values of sportsmanship during the lineup card exchange at home plate the next day, they appeared together on the ESPY Awards show, and they authored a book together.

Major League Baseball has now confirmed that due to the co-authoring of their book, Joyce and Galarraga are considered business partners. As a result, Joyce and Galarraga will no longer meet on the regular- or post-season field as umpire and pitcher. MLB confirmed this timely decision as Joyce and Galarraga's book, Nobody's Perfect: Two Men, One Call, and a Game for Baseball History, hit the shelves just this season, just in time for the one year anniversary of the imperfect game. Citing a conflict of interest on the field, MLB spokesperson Pat Courtney confirmed the move was made to avoid "any appearance of impropriety."

Such a possible might have to wait, however, as Galarraga is currently with the AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, having struggled in eight starts this season, with a 3-4 record and a 5.91 ERA. over 42.2 innings pitched. It should also be noted this isn't the first time MLB has kept an umpire from working a particular player's games. Jim Joyce will join Jim Wolf in that regard. Jim Wolf is the brother of Major League pitcher Randy Wolf, and accordingly, does not plate his brother's games.

News: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110602&content_id=19922910&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb