MLB Ejection 174 - Ryan Blakney (2; Amir Garrett)

HP Umpire Ryan Blakney ejected Reds pitcher Amir Garrett (check swing ball four call by 1B Umpire Vic Carapazza) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Reds-#Marlins game. With two out and one (R1) on, Marlins batter Lewis Brinson attempted to check his swing on a 3-1 slider, ruled ball four and affirmed as no swing on appeal by 1B Umpire Carapazza. Play was reviewed and affirmed by the UEFL Appeals Board (8-0), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Reds were leading, 8-5. The Reds ultimately won the contest 8-5.

This is Ryan Blakney (36)'s second ejection of 2019.
Ryan Blakney now has 2 points in the UEFL Standings (-2 Prev + 2 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 2).
Crew Chief Dan Iassogna now has 1 point in Crew Division (0 Previous + 1 QOCY = 1).

This is the 174th ejection report of the 2019 MLB regular season.
This is the 85th player ejection of 2019. Prior to ejection, Garrett's line was 0.2 IP, 2 BB, SO.
This is Cincinnati's 22nd ejection of 2019, 1st in the NL Central (CIN 22; PIT 10; CHC, MIL 7; STL 3).
This is Amir Garrett's 3rd ejection of 2019, 1st since July 30 (Larry Vanover; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is Ryan Blakney's 2nd ejection of 2019, 1st since August 23 (Lorenzo Cain; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Cincinnati Reds vs. Miami Marlins, 8/27/19 | Video as follows:

Boone: MLB Told Us "Time" Call Was Wrong

As we previously wrote and as purportedly confirmed by MLB today, HP Umpire Gabe Morales' 9th inning "Time" call at Dodger Stadium during Saturday, 8/24/19's Yankees-Dodgers game was premature.

Speaking to reporters before his club's game Tuesday evening, Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said that MLB informed him the umpire's "Time" call on August 24 was in error and that runner Gleyber Torres should have been permitted to score the game's tying run. Instead, the Torres had to go back to third base and the Yankees lost to the Dodgers by one run.

To summarize our analysis, Morales likely called "Time" when requested by Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen because he believed the play was over—from his position at home plate, it would have appeared that Torres was walking back to third base without an intent to advance.
Related Post: As Muncy Admits Fakery, Umps Should Be Patient (8/25/19).
Related Post: Morales' Mercy - Dodgers' Key Time Call Against NY (8/24/19).

The rest of our summary is perhaps better quoted: "Unfortunately for Morales and New York, the play may not have been as complete as first thought, as Torres broke for home plate a split second after Morales' decision to call 'Time.'"

Boone said MLB commented on the "play."

Gil's Call: Rule 5.12(b)(8) ("no umpire shall call 'Time' while a play is in progress") was the lesson of the day, and it occurs to me that I can perhaps further clarify what exactly a play is—a pretty good clue exists under Obstruction (B) rule 6.01(h)(2), which states, "If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible."

Rule 8.01(d) regarding ejections also uses this language: "If an umpire disqualifies a player while a play is in progress, the disqualification shall not take effect until no further action is possible in that play."

Accordingly, a good exercise for an umpire considering whether to call for time or not is to ask whether further action is possible. If the answer is "yes," wait a few beats or seconds to allow the answer to turn into a "no." If the answer is "no" (or when it becomes "no"), proceed to call "Time."

There's a chance this was an umpire's version of an "inadvertent whistle"... just at a really inopportune time. Many umpires have been there: it isn't a pleasant feeling, and there isn't much one can do to correct it in a "once rung, a bell cannot be unrung" sense of things.

There's also a chance the umpire was duped by a soccer-style flopper in Max Muncy out at second base, as previously discussed, and that's a shame that will only serve to make umpires more distrustful of players who may suffer legitimate injuries in the future. And that's harmful to them, as well. But in a world where gamesmanship and winning is more important than ethics and honesty, an umpire must by necessity be skeptical and not call "Time" until the umpire is ready to kill the action-less "play."

SIDEBAR: In the infancy of baseball video games—I'll discuss Triple Play, since that's the game I referenced during June's Truth About Baseball's Electronic Strike Zone podcast episode—with a runner on base, the game would not move on until—quite literally—no further action was possible...as in, the ball had to be delivered back to the pitcher. Subsequent video games discovered this was a waste of...time...and eliminated this strict adherence to Rule 5.12(b)(8).
Related Post: Podcast - Truth About Baseball's Electronic Strike Zone (6/5/19).

So in the end, maybe we should all play a few innings of Triple Play 99  and see how patient these umpires are at calling "Time."

Video as follows:

Justin Turner Bumps Umpire Rob Drake at Game's End

A non-ejection incident occurred following the final out of San Diego's victory over Los Angeles as Dodgers 3B Justin Turner bumped HP Umpire Rob Drake while arguing a strike three call to end the game; Turner was not ejected, but a report for the incident is indicated here pursuant to UEFL Rule 8-2 governing Odds & Ends, unofficial ejections, and similar unsportsmanlike incidents.

Gil's Call: Turner's contact with Drake appeared to occur as he leaned in as one would to hear what another person is saying in a loud environment. It doesn't look to follow the pattern of a player who deliberately charges into an umpire, but contact nonetheless does occur during a balls/strikes dispute situation, which by its definition makes it unsporting, whether intentional or not. Turner's pursuit of Drake following the shoulder/chest contact serves as an aggravating circumstance.

Turner pursues Drake after the initial contact.

Turner took a 1-2 fastball from Padres pitcher Kirby Yates for a called third strike to seal San Diego's win over LA. Replays indicate the final pitch of the game was located over the outer half of home plate and above the hollow of the knee (px 0.57, pz 1.79 [sz_bot 1.73]).

Apparently unaware he had struck out to end the game, Turner pursued Drake and appeared to make contact with the umpire as he argued the call, with Crew Chief Tim Timmons briefly stepping in front of Turner and Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts, which slowed but did not stop Turner's advance as Drake exited the field. The Padres won the contest, 4-3.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 173 - Manny Gonzalez (2; Keon Broxton)

HP Umpire Manny Gonzalez ejected Mariners RF Keon Broxton (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 2nd inning of the #Yankees-#Mariners game. With two out and none on, Broxton took a 3-2 fastball from Yankees pitcher J.A. Happ. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and thigh-high (px 0.81, pz 3.11[sz_top 3.52]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Yankees were leading, 4-3. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 5-4.

After the strike three call, Broxton threw his batting gloves in Gonzalez's direction; this equipment appeared to make contact with umpire Gonzalez's face. Precedent: In June, Asdrubal Cabrera received a four-game suspension for throwing his batting gloves at the feet of Bill Miller in Texas.
Related Post: MLB Suspends Cabrera - Too Harsh or Just Right? (6/21/19).

This is Manny Gonzalez (79)'s second ejection of 2019.
Manny Gonzalez now has 11points in the UEFL Standings (7 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 11).
Crew Chief Sam Holbrook now has 18 points in Crew Division (17 Previous + 1 QOCY = 18).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
This pitch was located 1.25 horizontal inches from being deemed an incorrect call.

This is the 173rd ejection report of the 2019 MLB regular season.
This is the 84th player ejection of 2019. Prior to ejection, Broxton was 0-1 (SO) in the contest.
This is Seattle's 5th ejection of 2019, 2nd in the AL West (OAK 6; SEA 5; TEX 4; HOU, LAA 3).
This is Keon Broxton's first career MLB ejection.
This is Manny Gonzalez's 2nd ejection of 2019, 1st since June 15 (Ron Gardenhire; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners, 8/26/19 | Video as follows:

Injury Scout - Guccione Exits in Kansas City

Chris Guccione left Monday's Athletics-Royals game and entered concussion protocol in Kansas City following a deflected pitched ball off his mask.

With one out and none on, Royals batter Ryan O'Hearn took a 1-2 83-mph splitter that bounced in the dirt and caromed directly into Guccione's traditional-style facemask; Guccione remained in the game for two additional at-bats before being removed during a mound visit.

1B Umpire and Crew Chief Mike Everitt took over as home plate umpire for the remainder of the contest, with 2B Umpire Lance Barrett moving to first base and 3B Umpire Bill Welke remaining at the hot corner.

Relevant Injury History: Guccione has a significant history of head trauma.

On August 8, 2019, Guccione left a game in Cleveland after a foul ball off the mask.
Related Post: Injury Scout - Guccione Leaves DH (8/8/19).

On August 1, 2018, Guccione exited in Pittsburgh after a foul ball to the face.
Related Post: Injury Scout - Guccione Leaves Game on Foul to Mask (8/1/18).

On May 26, 2016, Guccione exited a game in Pittsburgh following a foul to the head.
Related Post: Injury - Chris Guccione Exits After Foul to Mask (5/26/16).

Last Game: August 26 | Return to Play: Sept 6 | Time Absent: 10 Days | Video as follows:

Batter Dietrich Hit by Pitch in Strike Zone Ruling

After Max Muncy admitted to embellishing his injury ("soccer style") in Los Angeles, we cautioned umpires about blind trust. Reds batter Derek Dietrich took a hit-by-pitch on a pitched ball thrown within the strike zone in Miami during Cincinnati's Monday night clash against the Marlins.

This Ask the UEFL play comes from a reader who asks what the HBP options are when a batter is touched by a pitched ball within the strike zone or a batter who fails to avoid being touched by a pitch. In either case, the lesson is not to assume the batter is always a credible witness.

What happens when the HBP is in the zone?

The Play: With two out and one on (R2) in the top of the 2nd inning of Monday's Reds-Marlins game, Reds batter Derek Dietrich took a 2-2 fastball from Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez for a hit-by-pitch, and was awarded first base by HP Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.

The Hitch: Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and below the midpoint (px 0.49, pz 3.02 [sz_top 3.4]), which would indicate the pitch was located within the strike zone (pursuant to the Kulpa Rule, this is a strike by approximately five horizontal inches and, per the Miller Rule, by about three vertical inches).

How about a batter w/ no attempt to avoid?

The Rule: Official Baseball Rule 5.12(b)(2) specifies the standard hit-by-pitch criteria under which a batter is entitled to first base without liability to be put out: "He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (A) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (B) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball."

SIDEBAR: The rule has nothing to do with a batter who "leans in" and touches a pitched ball. Leaning into a pitch to draw a HBP call falls under an extreme case of scenario (B): making no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball.

Outcomes: If the pitch was located in the strike zone, it is a dead ball strike [+1 strike].
If the batter makes no attempt to avoid a pitch out of the zone, it is a dead ball, ball [+1 ball].

Did Dietrich try to avoid the pitched ball?

For the Dietrich play, which begins with a 2-2 count, if the umpire judges that the pitch is located in the strike zone, whether or not Dietrich attempted to avoid being touched by it, the proper call is "Time" and adding a strike to the count (in this case, it would be strike three and the batter would be out).

If the umpire deems the pitch is outside of the strike zone and Dietrich made no attempt to avoid being touched (potentially including a determination that he intentionally leaned into the pitched ball), the proper call is "Time" and adding a ball to the count (in this case, ball three).

If the umpire deems the pitch was outside of the strike zone and Dietrich did make an attempt, however slight, to avoid being touched, the proper call is "Time" and awarding the batter first base.

Video as follows:

The Players Weekend Uniform Hiccup

MLB's Players Weekend was beset by a series of uniform and equipment issues that should serve as a lesson for all umpires to pay attention to one of the more neglected parts of the rulebook. When rules committees announce annual rule changes and the uniform/equipment section starts listing approved Pantone colors—Rule 3.00 in professional baseball—umpiring turns tedious. When is anyone ever going to need to know these rules and why does it matter?

Answer: Like them or hate 'em, the all-black and all-white uniforms created for the 2019 edition of MLB Players Weekend caused a notable issue with pitchers for the team wearing all white uniforms a la a cricket squad, and for customized-yet-unapproved player bats.

The reason teams don't ordinarily wear white hats is because of Official Baseball Rule 3.03(g), which states, "No part of the uniform shall include a pattern that imitates or suggests the shape of a baseball."

It's a problem for a pitcher, specifically, to wear a white hat when his release point of a white baseball often falls near his head, where the cap is worn. For this reason, MLB ordered pitchers of teams wearing white uniforms during Players Weekend to wear black hats...

...Which in turn violates Rule 3.03(a) ("All players on a team shall wear uniforms identical in color, trim and style, and all players’ uniforms shall include minimal six-inch numbers on their backs") and OBR 3.03(c) ("No player whose uniform does not conform to that of his team-mates shall be permitted to participate in a game").

Trevor Dannegger Named Cal Lg Umpire of Yr

The Class-A California League named Trevor Dannegger its Doug Harvey Award recipient for Umpire of the Year. The Cal League is one of two MiLB entities (the other being the rookie-class Appalachian League) to recognize its top umpire.

The award named for late Hall of Fame umpire Doug "God" Harvey, a Hall of Fame umpire who officiated in the California League before his National League career, has now been bestowed upon promising Cal League umpires for 10 seasons.

Trevor Dannegger accepts the Doug Harvey Award.

Doug Harvey Award Recipients, 2010-19

Year	Umpire Name
2019	Trevor Dannegger
2018	Darius Ghani
2017	Mike Rains
2016	Patrick Sharshel
2015	Reid Gibbs
2014	Sean Allen
2013	Ronnie Teague
2012	Chris Gonzalez
2011	Ryan Goodman
2010	Blake Davis

Cal League President Charlie Blaney's statement:

Congratulations to Trevor Dannegger for being the tenth recipient of the Doug Harvey Award. Trevor is a tremendous worker and is very approachable which managers and players love. We've been very honored to have him in our League this year. The Cal League sincerely thanks the family of Doug Harvey for lending his name once again to this prestigious award.

The California League inducted Doug Harvey into its local Hall of Fame in 2017, following Harvey's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Harvey was born in South Gate, California and was the last big league umpire not to have attended umpire school.
Related Post: Doug Harvey Set for CAL League Hall of Fame Induction (6/16/17).

MLB Ejection 172 - John Bacon (1; Doug Brocail)

1B Umpire John Bacon ejected Orioles Pitching Coach Doug Brocail (check swing ball one call) in the top of the 5th inning of the #Rays-#Orioles game. With two out and one on (R1), Rays batter Avisail Garcia attempted to check his swing on a 0-1 slider from Orioles pitcher Dylan Bundy, ruled a ball by HP Umpire Lance Barksdale and affirmed as no swing on appeal by 1B Umpire Bacon. Play was reviewed and adjudicated by the UEFL Appeals Board (0-8), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Orioles were leading, 6-3. The Orioles ultimately won the contest, 8-3.

This is John Bacon (70)'s first ejection of 2019.
John Bacon now has -4 points in the UEFL Standings (-2 Prev + 2 AAA - 4 Incorrect Call = -4).
Crew Chief Ted Barrett now has 14 points in Crew Division (14 Previous + 0 QOCN = 14).

This is the 172nd ejection report of the 2019 MLB regular season.
This is Baltimore's 5th ejection of 2019, T-2nd in the AL East (NYY 7; BAL, BOS 5; TOR 4; TB 2).
This is Doug Brocail's 2nd ejection of 2019, 1st since April 14 (Stu Scheurwater; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).
This is John Bacon's first career MLB ejection.

Wrap: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles, 8/25/19 | Video as follows:

As Muncy Admits Fakery, Umps Should Be Patient

In the aftermath of HP Umpire Gabe Morales' fateful "Time" call that preceded Yankees runner Gleyber Torres' potential tying score at Dodger Stadium Saturday, Dodgers infielder Max Muncy admitted he faked the extent of his injury, putting the umpire in a vice and reminding all officials to exercise patience when making calls.

To recap, Morales called "Time" as a response to Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen's request after a collision between Yankees runner Brett Gardner and Muncy on a force play attempt at second base. Prior to calling "Time," from Morales' angle at home plate, it appeared Yankees runner Torres was walking slowly toward third base with his back to home plate.
Related Post: Morales' Mercy - Dodgers' Key Time Call Against NY (8/24/19).

For this reason, it would have appeared to Morales that the play was over and no further action was possible, making his "Time" call proper, in his judgment, and in accordance with Rule 5.12(b)(8), which states, in part, that, "no umpire shall call 'Time' while a play is in progress."

Unfortunately for Morales and New York, the play may not have been as complete as first thought, as Torres broke for home plate a split second after Morales' decision to call "Time." Remember, a play is generally not complete until “no further action is possible.” Accordingly a good exercise for an umpire considering whether to call for time or not is to ask whether further action is possible.

First and foremost, umpires should be patient.

What Lesson Can We Learn? In a word, it's "Patience." An umpire should take his or her time to process the entire situation to deem that the play has truly concluded and no further action is possible. Timing is a huge buzz word in umpiring, and there is a certain timing to calling "Time" at the conclusion of a play.

As callous as it may sound, umpires shouldn't "be nice" and stop the game for a hurt infielder. There's a colloquialism that holds umpires should refrain from calling "Time" after every consequential play, and certainly should never think of calling "Time" just because a player falls to the ground. First, it's not permitted in the rules until a play is complete, and second, leniency when not supported by rule leads to con artistry, such as Muncy's soccer-esque flopping and flailing. And if there's one thing an umpire doesn't like more than missing a call, it's being duped by a malfeasant player.

Will the Yankees seek to police the game themselves via a bean ball aimed at the embellishment-minded Muncy? Only time will tell.

A protest must be lodged immediately.

Finally, we have our 10% Boone moment of the day, as Aaron Boone when asked about the play after the game stated that his team might seek to protest the game as a remedy for Morales' quick trigger. Unfortunately, such a protest would be doomed to failure, as Rule 7.04 Comment, regarding protests, clearly states that a protest doesn't apply to judgment calls and, more to the point, must be filed immediately upon the conclusion of the play-to-be-protested. Accordingly, we probably won’t see a bona fide protest, just a complaint about a premature “Time” call.

Morales' judgment call here was that the play was over when he called "Time." If, instead, Morales called "Time" with knowledge that the play was not yet over, that would be a rules interpretation issue subject to protest...albeit, Boone's protest statute of limitations had long run out by the time New York ultimately lost to LA.

Gil's Call: In conclusion, managers can't afford to be patient when it comes to filing a protest, but an umpire better be patient when it comes to calling timeout. This ensures the requesting team doesn't receive an unfair advantage by a premature call not in accordance with the rules (e.g., calling "Time" while the runners are running the bases and/or the defense is not in position to hold runners at their present locations). "Don't be nice, call the rulebook."

Video as follows: