Reviewing Jim Joyce's Game-Ending Obstruction Call

3B Umpire Jim Joyce ruled obstruction on Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks as Cardinals baserunner Allen Craig stumbled home, thus cementing one of the wildest finishes in World Series officiating history. This is the first World Series in history to end on an obstruction or interference error.

Joyce identifies, signals obstruction at third base.

With one out and two on in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Red Sox-Cardinals game, tied 4-4, Cardinals batter Jon Jay hit a 0-1 splitter from Red Sox pitcher Koji Uehara on the ground to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who threw home to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to retire Cardinals baserunner R3 Yadier Molina, running on contact. After the put out of Molina, Saltalamacchia threw towards third base in an attempt to retire R2 Craig, the ball sailing into left field as Middlebrooks dove towards the throw in vain and Craig slid headfirst into third.

Replays indicate that as the ball rolled into left field, Craig stood and attempted to run home, appearing to trip over Middlebrooks, who lay on the ground in fair territory near third base. Craig proceeded home as left fielder Daniel Nava fielded the errant throw and fired to catcher Saltalamacchia, who tagged Craig prior to his attempted touch of home plate.

Ruled obstruction by Joyce and mirrored by HP Umpire Dana DeMuth, the rule book confirms the game-ending call was correct.

Relevant to this play is Rule 2.00 (Obstruction), which states:

"Obstruction is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner."

Rule 2.00 (Obstruction) Comment further specifies, in part: "After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and missed, he can no longer be in the 'act of fielding' the ball. For example: an infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him and he continues to lie on the ground and delay the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner."

Pursuant to the terms of Rule 2.00 (Obstruction), and as referenced by Rule 7.06(b) [obstruction if no play is being made on the obstructed runner], the umpires properly identified the obstruction as it occurred and allowed play to continue until no further action was possible, at which point, DeMuth imposed his penalty to nullify the act of obstruction, awarding R2 Craig home plate.

Video: After Craig trips over Middlebrooks, Joyce calls obstruction while DeMuth gives Craig the plate

Roster: 2013 World Series Umpires

MLB has announced umpires for the World Series, the final round of the 2013 postseason.

World Series (WS Game One Alignment Below)
HP: John Hirschbeck -cc (12 Previous + 3 World Series + 1 Crew Chief Assignment Bonus = 16).
1B: Mark Wegner (6 Previous + 3 World Series = 9).*
2B: Dana DeMuth (8 Previous + 3 World Series = 11).
3B: Paul Emmel (3 Previous + 3 World Series = 6).*
LF: Bill Miller (6 Previous + 3 World Series = 9).
RF: Jim Joyce (0 Previous + 3 World Series = 3).

UEFL Honorary World Series Assignment: Wally Bell (7 Previous + 3 World Series = 10).
(Honorary WS Assignment approved by UEFL Appeals Board, 7-0).

-cc denotes Crew Chief, * denotes first WS assignment, ^ denotes first 2013 Postseason assignment. Per UEFL Rule 4-3-c, all umpires selected to appear in the World Series shall receive three bonus points for this appearance, four if the umpire has not appeared during an earlier postseason game (e.g., Wild Card or Division Series). The crew chief shall receive one additional bonus point for this role (four points total).

Getting an Edge: Breaking down the unbiased LCS numbers

Amid accusations of umpire bias during the League Championship Series, both National and American, the discerning fan turned to objective analysis: If the Cardinals truly were gifted umpire calls over the Dodgers, the numbers would show it, the same principle conceivably holding true for the Red Sox and Tigers.

For better or worse, the numbers show that the Cardinals experienced a net advantage of +20 pitches during the 2013 NLCS vs. Los Angeles; the Red Sox +12 during their ALCS vs. Detroit.

In the grand scheme of this type of analysis, league average theoretically and logically should be a net neutral (plus zero) result, that's what average is all about—yet St. Louis, for instance, came away with 20 calls that a simply complex piece of technology says should have gone the Dodgers' way based on the rules book definition of the strike zone. For the purpose of this discussion, we concentrate on the NLCS, ultimately concluding that bias did not factor into the series, despite St. Louis' clear pitch calling advantage.

Forum: American, National League Championship Series

As the 2013 AL and NL Championship Series get underway, we again open the umpire forum to discussion. Notes include home plate umpire performance according to pitch f/x and UEFL Rules 6-2-b-a (horizontal bound, "Kulpa Rule") and 6-2-b-b (vertical strike zone, "Miller Rule"). Plays include significant plays, if such plays occur. For future games, notes include home plate umpire probables. Call +/- also included/highlighted.

- 10/11, LAD@STL 1: HP Umpire Gerry Davis: pfx (148/156 Balls, 51/62 Strikes = 199/218 = 91.3%) +1 STL.

- 10/12, LAD@STL 2: HP Umpire Mark Carlson: pfx (81/87 Balls, 36/45 Strikes = 117/132 = <90.0%) +6 STL.
- 10/12, DET@BOS 1: HP Umpire Joe West: pfx (110/115 Balls, 46/52 Strikes = 156/167 = 93.4%) +1 BOS.

- 10/13, DET@BOS 2: HP Umpire Rob Drake: pfx (90/95 Balls, 36/42 Strikes = 126/137 = 92.0%) +2 BOS.

- 10/14, STL@LAD 3: HP Umpire Mike Everitt: pfx (80/84 Balls, 42/46 Strikes = 122/130 = 93.8%) +3 STL.

- 10/15, BOS@DET 3: HP Umpire Ron Kulpa: pfx (83/83 Balls, 40/46 Strikes = 123/129 = 95.3%) +4 BOS.
- 10/15, STL@LAD 4: HP Umpire Bruce Dreckman: pfx (102/108 B, 47/49 S = 149/157 = 94.9%) +4 STL.

- 10/16, STL@LAD 5: HP Umpire Ted Barrett: pfx (93/94 Balls, 50/53 Strikes = 143/147 = 97.3%) +1 STL.
- 10/16, BOS@DET 4: HP Umpire Alfonso Marquez: pfx (100/105 B, 46/54 S = 146/159 = 91.8%) +4 BOS.

- 10/17, BOS@DET 5: HP Umpire Dale Scott: pfx (111/113 Balls, 45/50 Strikes = 156/163 = 95.7%) +3 DET.

- 10/18, LAD@STL 6: HP Umpire Greg Gibson: pfx (100/107 B, 40/46 S = 140/153 = 91.5%) +5 STL.
Series Complete: NLCS Cardinals defeat Dodgers (4-2), net advantage St. Louis, +20 pitches (won series).

- 10/19, DET@BOS 6: HP Umpire Dan Iassogna: pfx (84/88 Balls, 48/53 Strikes = 132/141 = 93.6%) +4 BOS.
Series Complete: ALCS Red Sox defeat Tigers (4-2), net advantage Boston, +12 pitches (won series)

Plays
- LAD@STL, NLCS 1: HP Umpire Gerry Davis rules Ellis out at the plate on Beltran's throw for DP*
- LAD@STL, NLCS 1: 1B Umpire Mark Carlson in his first CS doubles up Jay on Puig's outfield DP
- LAD@STL, NLCS 1: RF Umpire Greg Gibson doesn't fall for the catch sell job, rules the trap in right
- LAD@STL, NLCS 2: 3B Umpire Ted Barrett rules Freese left timely on appeal after Jon Jay's sacrifice fly
- LAD@STL, NLCS 2: 1B Umpire Mike Everitt completes the double play on Matt Holliday's ground ball
- DET@BOS, ALCS 1: 1B Umpire Rob Drake finds Victor Martinez safe on backend of force out
- DET@BOS, ALCS 2: 1B Umpire Ron Kulpa rules no interference as fans do not reach onto field
- STL@LAD, NLCS 3: 2B Umpire Ted Barrett sees Ethier trap Molina's fly ball for a single
- STL@LAD, NLCS 3: 1B Umpire Bruce Dreckman rules Descalso beat the return throw from 2nd
- STL@LAD, NLCS 3: HP Umpire Mike Everitt calls Crawford safe ahead of Molina's tag on play at home plate
- STL@LAD, NLCS 4: 1B Umpire Ted Barrett rules Puig safe at first base ahead of Carpenter's throw
- STL@LAD, NLCS 4: 2B Umpire Greg Gibson calls Nick Punto out on pickoff to Kozma
- BOS@DET, ALCS 4: 1B Umpire Dale Scott punches out Dustin Pedroia on barehanded Miggy play
- BOS@DET, ALCS 4: 1B Umpire Dale Scott again bangs Pedroia on Miguel Cabrera groundout
- BOS@DET, ALCS 5: 1B Umpire Dan Iassogna captures the tail end of the Tigers' 4th inning double play
- BOS@DET, ALCS 5: 1B Umpire Dan Iassogna rules Iglesias out on razor thin margin sac bunt play
- BOS@DET, ALCS 5: 1B Umpire Dan Iassogna calls Pedroia safe on infield single ahead of throw
- BOS@DET, ALCS 5: 3B Umpire Rob Drake obstructs Pena's tag attempt on Middlebrooks
- LAD@STL, NLCS 6: 1B Umpire Gerry Davis calls Crawford safe on lead-off infield hit
- DET@BOS, ALCS 6: 1B Umpire Joe West calls Iglesias out at first base on second half of Pedroia's DP


*No, tag was not made. Yes, a collision occurred. As pointed out in Comments, this is an issue of a philosophical (bracing for impact; expected) vs. technical call. Pursuant to baseball & umpiring philosophy, the call of out is correct; technically, we have no tag. It is unknown whether replay in 2014 would reverse this call.

MLB Umpire Wally Bell Dead at 48

21-year MLB veteran umpire Wally Bell has died of a heart ailment, which has been updated to be a heart attack suffered while at a Youngstown area hospital. Bell was in town after attending the weekend's Austintown Fitch Hall of Fame Dinner. Bell was 48 years old. Throughout the 2013 postseason and 2014 regular and postseason, umpires will wear the memorial WB patch in Bell's honor.

Wally Bell officiated over 2,750 MLB games.

Born January 10, 1965 in Ravenna, Ohio, Bell (sleeve number 35) graduated from the Joe Brinkman Umpire School in 1984 and joined the Major League staff in 1992, appointed as a National League umpire. After working his first MLB All-Star game in 1997, Bell officiated his first Division Series in 1998, first Championship Series in 2000 and World Series in 2006. Having worked the 2013 World Baseball Classic final round in San Francisco, All-Star Game and NL Division Series between the Cardinals and Pirates, Bell was on track for a potential return to the Fall Classic.

After Monday's Cardinals-Dodgers game in Los Angeles, NLCS crew chief Gerry Davis spoke on behalf of his crew: "It was a devastating loss for us. Wally was a true umpire's umpire. I think if you'll check with the players and teams they felt the same way because Wally always gave 110 percent on the field."
Video: Cardinals-Dodgers hold a moment of silence at Dodger Stadium prior to Game 4 (TBS)

"We had to regroup rather quickly and put our concentration where it needed to be. We kept telling each other that that's the way Wally would have wanted it, and we know that that's really true. One of the things that we shared in the locker room afterwards is that I'm sure he's very proud right now."

Video: Davis & MLB EVP of Baseball Operations Joe Torre's press conference regarding Bell's passing

After LA's 3-0 victory over St. Louis, Dodgers catcher AJ Ellis stepped back from the celebration to offer perspective and reflect: "Fun team win 2nite but thoughts and prayers are with family and other umpires grieving loss of Wally Bell...Wally kept game fun and loose and I always looked forward to catching with him behind plate. I will miss his personality and professionalism."

Meanwhile, in the Boston-Detroit ALCS, crew chief Joe West, president of the World Umpires Association said, "Wally was a great umpire, a great partner and a great friend. The umpiring community is deeply saddened by this tragic loss. He will be sorely missed by many."

Boston pitcher Jake Peavy wrote: "Just heard the news & devastated about the passing of Wally Bell. A great umpire, a great man" while Shane Victorino added, "My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Wally Bell. So sad to hear (and) will remember him tomorrow as I take the field."

Jose Bautista remembered Bell's ebullient personality: "He always had great spirits on the field, i will always remember how he teased me about my beard."

MLB.com's Cut4 captured additional thoughts in "The 140 Club": "Players mourn the loss of Wally Bell."

Added fellow umpire John Hirschbeck: "He was like to a son to me, my wife Denise, very dear friend. It’s devastating. Wally was one of the first to call me and congratulate me on working the World Series."

Bell is the first MLB umpire to die while on the active roster since John McSherry, who passed away of a heart attack during Opening Day 1996 in Cincinnati and first active pro official to die since Greg Willard of the NBA.

Bell, who volunteered for the American Heart Association and officiated high school basketball during the winter offseason, returned to baseball after undergoing open heart surgery in 1999. Bell is survived by his children Jason Patrick (8/10/99) and Lindsey Jane (9/27/00), two brothers and a sister.

ALCS Game 2 (DET-BOS): The Non-Fan Interference Foul

Prince Fielder tangled with fans on a pop fly, while interference was waived off by 1B Umpire Ron Kulpa in the bottom of the 9th inning of Boston's walk-off victory over Detroit during Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. The terminology "non-fan interference foul" is used because this play does not qualify under the rules book definition of spectator interference. Batter Jarrod Saltalamacchia would eventually hit a walk-off RBI single to win the game for the Red Sox.

Replays suggest no fan interference occurred.

Summary
For spectator interference to exist on this type of a play (fair or foul fly ball near the stands), pursuant to Rule 2.00 (Interference)(d), a spectator must (i) reach out of the stands and over the playing field and (ii) touch either (1) a live ball or (2) a player and hinder an attempt to make a play on said live ball. Video replay of the Fielder play suggests the fans did satisfy criterion (ii) by touching a player and hindering an attempt to make a play on a live ball, but did not satisfy criterion (i) because the spectators did not reach over the playing field, though they may have reached out of the stands. Accordingly, the ruling and result of this play was both technically and functionally proper and correct.

Related: Rule 3.16: Spectator Interference on Batted Ball
Related: ALDS Game 4 (OAK-DET): The Fan Interference Home Run

Long-Form Explanation

Roster: 2013 AL and NL Championship Series Umpires

MLB has announced umpires for the Championship Series, the third round of the 2013 postseason.

American League Championship Series (ALCS Game One Alignment Below)
HP: Joe West -cc (7 Previous + 2 Championship Series + 1 Crew Chief Assignment Bonus = 10).
1B: Rob Drake (2 Previous + 2 Championship Series = 4).
2B: Ron Kulpa (8 Previous + 3 Championship Series = 11).^
3B: Alfonso Marquez (2 Previous + 3 Championship Series = 5).^
LF: Dale Scott (5 Previous + 2 Championship Series = 7). 
RF: Dan Iassogna (12 Previous + 2 Championship Series = 14).

National League Championship Series (NLCS Game One Alignment Below)
HP: Gerry Davis -cc (2 Previous + 2 Championship Series + 1 Crew Chief Assignment Bonus = 5).
1B: Mark Carlson (0 Previous + 3 Championship Series = 3).*^
2B: Mike Everitt (3 Previous + 2 Championship Series = 5).
3B: Bruce Dreckman (0 Previous + 3 Championship Series = 3).^
LF: Ted Barrett (5 Previous + 2 Championship Series = 7).
RF: Greg Gibson (7 Previous + 2 Championship Series = 9).

-cc denotes Crew Chief, * denotes first AL/NLCS assignment, ^ denotes first 2013 Postseason assignment. Per UEFL Rule 4-3-c, all umpires selected to appear in the AL and NL Championship Series shall receive two bonus points for this appearance, three if the umpire has not appeared during an earlier postseason game (e.g., Wild Card). Crew chiefs shall receive one additional bonus point for this role (three points total).

ALDS Game 4 (OAK-DET): The Fan Interference Home Run

A fan interference home run in Detroit, RF Umpire Gary Darling presiding, tied the Athletics-Tigers game at four during Game 4 of the American League Division Series. The terminology "fan interference home run" is used because this play, without a doubt, qualifies under the rules book definition of spectator interference—the implications of which may be slightly different than a cursory skim of the rules book might insinuate (see Long-Form Explanation for why). Relevant to the play is the impacted fielder, A's right fielder Josh Reddick.

Replays confirm the spectator interference.

Summary
The spectator interference, under Rule 3.16, does not prevent a home run from being called, though the umpire is obligated to "impose such penalties as in his opinion will nullify the act of interference." If the interference "clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball," the batter is out. The call on the field was technically improper as spectator interference occurred. That said, the penalty to nullify the act of interference may very well have been a four-base award, as in a home run. Darling stated the fielder was not going to catch the ball and it was "clearly going to be a home run," making the result of the play proper. In other words, spectator interference does not imply an out, "ground rule double" or the like. All spectator interference means is a fan reached out of the stands and over the playing field and touched a live ball (or player), the penalty for which is to award bases or outs to nullify the act of interference.

The only improperly administered part of this play was failure to rule spectator interference so that ballpark security could have ejected the offending fan for violating the Comerica Code of Conduct and MLB Rule.

Related: Rule 3.16: Spectator Interference on Batted Ball
Related: Ejections: Joe West (7) (Charlie Manuel, 9/4/2011)

Discussions: 2013 AL and NL Division Series

As the 2013 AL and NL Division Series get underway, we again open the umpire forum to discussion. Notes include home plate umpire performance according to pitch f/x and UEFL Rules 6-2-b-a (horizontal bound, "Kulpa Rule") and 6-2-b-b (vertical strike zone, "Miller Rule"). Plays include significant plays, if such plays occur. For future games, notes include home plate umpire probables. Call +/- also included/highlighted.

- 10/3, PIT@STL 1: HP Umpire Tony Randazzo: pfx (97/99 Balls, 42/46 Strikes = 139/145 = 95.9%) +0 NU.
- 10/3, LAD@ATL 1: HP Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt: pfx (104/107 B, 42/47 K = 146/154 = 94.8%) +0 NU.

- 10/4, PIT@STL, 2: HP Umpire Wally Bell: pfx (97/98 Balls, 50/55 Strikes = 147/153 = 96.1%) +1 STL.
- 10/4, TB@BOS, 1: HP Umpire Chris Guccione: pfx (104/106 Balls, 43/48 Strikes = 147/154 = 95.5%) +1 BO.
- 10/4, LAD@ATL, 2: HP Umpire Marvin Hudson: pfx (95/97 Balls, 30/39 Strikes = 125/136 = 91.9%) +2 ATL.
- 10/4, DET@OAK, 1: HP Umpire Mark Wegner: pfx (96/100 Balls, 40/47 Strikes = 136/147 = 92.5%) +4 OAK.

- 10/5, TB@BOS, 2: HP Umpire Eric Cooper: pfx (78/81 Balls, 35/42 Strikes = 113/123 = 91.9%) +3 TB.
- 10/5, DET@OAK, 2: HP Umpire CB Bucknor: pfx (107/109 Balls, 35/40 Strikes = 142/149 = 95.3%) +2 DET.

- 10/6, STL@PIT, 3: HP Umpire Jerry Layne: pfx (98/101 Balls, 31/41 Strikes = 129/142 = 90.8%) +1 STL.
- 10/6, ATL@LAD, 3: HP Umpire John Hirschbeck: pfx (114/116 B, 41/46 S = 155/162 = 95.7%) +1 ATL.

- 10/7, OAK@DET, 3: HP Umpire Gary Darling: pfx (109/110 B, 44/54 S = 153/164 = 93.3%) +0 NU.
- 10/7, STL@PIT, 4: HP Umpire Sam Holbrook: pfx (100/101 B, 34/38 S = 134/139 = 96.4%) +1 PIT.
- 10/7, BOS@TB, 3: HP Umpire Dana DeMuth: pfx (105/110 B, 43/44 S = 148/154 = 96.1%) +0 NU.
- 10/7, ATL@LAD, 4: HP Umpire Bill Miller: pfx (93/93 Balls, 43/46 Strikes = 136/139 = 97.8%) +1 LAD.
Series Complete: NLDS Dodgers defeat Braves (3-1), net advantage Atlanta, +2 pitches (lost series).

- 10/8, OAK@DET, 4: HP Umpire Jim Reynolds: pfx (105/110 B, 32/40 S = 137/150 = 91.3%) +3 OAK.
- 10/8, BOS@TB, 3: HP Umpire Paul Emmel: pfx (113/116 Balls, 44/47 Strikes = 157/163 = 96.3%) +4 BOS.
Series Complete: ALDS Red Sox defeat Rays (3-1), net advantage Boston, +2 pitches (won series).

- 10/9, PIT@STL, 5: HP Umpire Jim Joyce: pfx (74/76 Balls, 33/37 Strikes = 107/113 = 94.7%) +0 NU.
Series Complete: NLDS Cardinals defeat Pirates (3-2), net advantage St. Louis, +1 pitch (won series).

- 10/10, DET@OAK, 5: HP Umpire Tom Hallion: pfx (104/106 B, 30/40 S = 134/146 = 91.8%) +0 NU.
Series Complete: ALDS Tigers defeat Athletics (3-2), net advantage oakland, +5 pitches (lost series).

Plays (QOC Coloring: Green [Correct], Yellow [Irrecusable or Inconclusive] or Red [Incorrect])
- PIT@STL, NLDS 1: 1B Umpire Wally Bell punches out Russell Martin at first on a tough play
- LAD@ATL, NLDS 1: 3B Umpire Bill Miller rules Simmons' 7th-inning screecher foul at third
- PIT@STL, NLDS 2: 1B Umpire Jerry Layne rules Mercer safe on fumbled hard grounder
- TB@BOS, ALDS 1: 1B Umpire Eric Cooper doles out the safe sign on a Stephen Drew infield single
- LAD@ATL, NLDS 2: 3B Umpire Tim Welke rules Gattis' grounder to Uribe off third a foul ball
- LAD@ATL, NLDS 2: 1B Umpire John Hirschbeck rules Puig safe at first on infield single
- LAD@ATL, NLDS 2: 2B Umpire Bill Miller calls Dee Gordon out on an attempted 9th inning steal
- DET@OAK, ALDS 1: 1B Umpire CB Bucknor rules Iglesias out at first as Barton fields Lowrie's throw
- DET@OAK, ALDS 1: 1B Umpire CB Bucknor calls Infante safe on infield hit to third baseman Donaldson
- DET@OAK, ALDS 1: 2B Umpire Gary Darling calls Torii Hunter out at second on attempted steal
- TB@BOS, ALDS 2: 1B Umpire Dana DeMuth bangs Myers out on slick play by John Lackey
- TB@BOS, ALDS 2: 2B Umpire Paul Emmel spots the quick tag on Dustin Pedroia's backside
- DET@OAK, ALDS 2: 3B Umpire Tom Hallion rules Moss safe at third, ahead of Cabrera's lunging tag
- STL@PIT, NLDS 3: 1B Umpire Sam Holbrook calls Beltran out on bang-bang play at first
- STL@PIT, NLDS 3: 3B Umpire Paul Nauert rules Francisco safe at third on a strike out-stolen base
- ATL@LAD, NLDS 3: 1B Umpire Bill Miller deems Puig safe as 1B Coach Lopes argues for a balk
- ATL@LAD, NLDS 3: 2B Umpire Tim Welke calls Puig safe on a force out, error advance to second
- ATL@LAD, NLDS 3: 3B Umpire Laz Diaz calls "Time" on Mark Ellis' foul ground ball wide of third
- OAK@DET, ALDS 3: HP Umpire Gary Darling issues warnings after benches clear in the 9th
- BOS@TB, ALDS 3: 1B Umpire Paul Emmel calls Middlebrooks out at first on Cobb's gem
- BOS@TB, ALDS 3: 2B Umpire Mike Winters punches Loney out on Napoli's double play toss
- BOS@TB, ALDS 3: HP Umpire Dana DeMuth rules batted ball that bounces over catwalk foul
- BOS@TB, ALDS 3: 3B Umpire Larry Vanover finds Ellsbury safe by razor thin margin at third
- BOS@TB, ALDS 3: 1B Umpire Paul Emmel calls Escobar safe at first on slow chopper to Drew
- BOS@TB, ALDS 3: 2B Umpire Mike Winters has Berry safe on stolen base attempt in the eighth
- ATL@LAD, NLDS 4: 2B Umpire Laz Diaz rules Hanley Ramirez safe on series' first stolen base
- ATL@LAD, NLDS 4: 1B Umpire Tim Welke calls Elliot Johnson out on Juan Uribe's quick throw
- ATL@LAD, NLDS 4: RF Umpire John Hirschbeck sees a fair ball on Johnson's missed catch attempt
- ATL@LAD, NLDS 4: 3B Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt calls foul on Juan Uribe's bullet down the line
- OAK@DET, ALDS 4: RF Umpire Gary Darling rules home run, upholds call after instant replay review
- PIT@STL, NLDS 5: 1B Umpire Paul Nauert finds Morneau safe on close play at first base
- PIT@STL, NLDS 5: 1B Umpire Paul Nauert gets Mercer out on the backend of a double play
- DET@OAK, ALDS 5: LF Umpire Gary Darling calls Peralta's fly ball a foul ball, inches off the line
Division Series Complete: 33 Close Calls, 26.5 Correct, 3.5 Incorrect, 3 Irrecusable = 80.3% Accuracy.

Discussions: 2013 Wild Card Games

As the 2013 MLB Wild Card games get underway, we again open the umpire forum to discussion. Notes include home plate umpire performance according to pitch f/x and UEFL Rules 6-2-b-a (horizontal bound, "Kulpa Rule") and 6-2-b-b (vertical strike zone, "Miller Rule"). Plays include significant plays, if such plays occur. For future games, notes include home plate umpire probables.

- Final, CIN@PIT, NL WC: HP Umpire Joe West: pfx (81/83 Balls, 28/34 Strikes = 109/117 = 93.2%).
- - CIN: + 4 Called Strikes located out of strike zone - 2 Balls located in strike zone
- - PIT: + 2 Called Strikes located out of strike zone - 0 Balls located in strike zone = + 0 (Neutral).
- HP: West. 1B: Dale Scott. 2B: Dan Iassogna. 3B: Rob Drake. LF: Tim Timmons. RF: Lance Barksdale.*
- Final, TB@CLE, AL WC: HP Umpire Gerry Davis: pfx (98/99 Balls, 51/55 Strikes = 149/154  = 96.8%).
- - TB: + 2 Called Strikes located out of strike zone - 1 Ball located in strike zone
- - CLE: + 2 Called Strikes located out of strike zone - 0 Balls located in strike zone = +1 (0.6% TB).
- HP: Davis. 1B: Ted Barrett. 2B: Mike Everitt. 3B: Greg Gibson. LF: Phil Cuzzi. RF: Brian Knight.*

Notes: *Lance Barksdale (NL) and Brian Knight (AL) are working their first postseason assignments.

Plays (QOC Coloring: Green [Correct], Yellow [Irrecusable or Inconclusive] or Red [Incorrect])
CIN@PIT: 1B Umpire Dale Scott rules McCutchen safe at first on the Reds' double play attempt
CIN@PIT: LF Umpire Tim Timmons struck by bounding batted ball, fair ruled by both Tim & 3B Rob Drake
CIN@PIT: HP Umpire Joe West upholds RF Umpire Lance Barksdale's home run (no interference) call

TB@CLE: HP Umpire Gerry Davis consults with crew, properly overturns 3B Umpire Gibson's foul call
TB@CLE: 1B Umpire Ted Barrett punches out Loney at first on backend of double play
TB@CLE: 1B Umpire Barrett calls Brantley safe at first on grounder up the middle