Discussion of 2019 NL and AL Wild Card Games

Join Close Call Spots for a live blog and discussion of the 2019 American and National League Wild Card Games.

Mike Everitt (NL) and Chad Fairchild (AL) are plate umpires for the two Wild Card games, with Jeff Nelson serving as Crew Chief for the NL's Brewers @ Nationals game and Bill Miller the Crew Chief for AL Rays @ Athletics. See the entire crew via the following link.
Related: 2019 Wild Card & Division Series Umpires (9/30/19).

Home plate umpire performance is listed following the completion of each contest according to UEFL f/x (Statcast pitch data and application of UEFL Rules 6-2-b-a [horizontal bound, "Kulpa Rule"] and 6-2-b-b [vertical strike zone, "Miller Rule"]). Fouls, swinging strikes, balls batted into play, and hit-by-pitches are excluded from the analysis.

- 10/1 MIL@WAS Gm 1: Mike Everitt: pfx. 100/102 Balls + 37/40 Strikes = 137/142 = 96.5%. +1 MIL.
- 10/2 TB@OAK Gm 1: Chad Fairchild. 105/109 Balls + 52/56 Strikes = 157/165 = 95.2%. +2 OAK.

Note: The highest plate score during the 2018 Wild Card Games was Jim Wolf's 98.8% (AL WC).
The highest overall plate score during the 2018 Postseason was Joe West's 99.4% (ALCS Gm 3).

Live Blog: Join the CCS Crew LIVE for postseason discussion and analysis (requires Java):

Replay Rewind - NL Wild Card HBP in Washington

Before Nationals batter Juan Soto's bases-clearing RBI single/error gave Washington the lead over Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card Game, a Replay Review decision upheld HP Umpire Mike Everitt's HBP call on Michael Taylor, who would become one of the baserunners that put the Nats ahead for good.

First Things First: 1B Umpire Kerwin Danley had a pulled foot (safe) call challenged by Milwaukee early. I too had a pulled foot by the Brewers first baseman in real time and on replay, I couldn't quite confirm it. That's good enough for a call stands i my opinion. Because the end result (safe) jived with my initial thought (safe), I didn't spend too much time here.

Crew consultation is key here.

The Main HBP Event: As for the 8th inning HBP that set Washington's rally into motion, I had a hit-by-pitch in real time, but on replay at first glance, I had a foul ball. Slowing it down even further, I couldn't be quite certain that Josh Hader's pitch hit Taylor's bat first, though I still believe it did.

In other words, if we were solely using video to make a call on this play, I'd have a foul ball, but because the Replay Review standard requires clear and convincing evidence in order to confirm or overturn an on-field ruling, I must stick with call stands because the replay isn't entirely clear and convincing - or rather, it's convincing, yet unclear.

Mark it down as Craig Counsell going 0-for-2 on the night in replay (teams get two Manager's Challenges to use during the postseason), though both plays were fairly close—the second of which was the definition of a 50-50 call.

It would have been great to have at least one more frame with which to slow the tape and a useful camera angle not obstructed by the bat itself (nor by the player), because from this angle, I can't tell if the ball glanced off the wrist before hitting the bat. An aerial view, like the top-down in Tampa Bay, would have been key.

This is why the initial call on the field is so important and why a crew consultation is absolutely vital: when "call stands" is the outcome because of inconclusive or unclear video, the original on-field ruling is what will prevail.
Related Post: Crew Consultation - Importance of the Call on the Field (10/2/19).

Video as follows:

Postseason Operations Update

With the 2019 MLB postseason upon us, here is a brief operations update for CloseCallSports.com with new umpire crew lineup card and plate score reporting graphics that go into effect today.

We've added crew lineup graphics for each round of the playoffs, so it is easier to see and share what umpires are on which games. Plate score reporting has evolved as well, with UEFL f/x joined by two additional scores for the sake of transparency and fairness. Here's how to read the new postgame plate accuracy reports:

Top Value: ML Private. Also called the Zone Evaluation Equivalent Estimate, his figure attempts to portray what the league's Umpiring Department uses internally in its evaluation of umpires. Because ZE remains a private enterprise, ML Private is solely an approximation of what such a score may look like. Margin of error is two inches.

Middle Value: UEFL f/x. Our standard plate eval methodology returns pursuant to the manufacturer-specified one-inch margin of error value. Extensive documentation on UEFL f/x is available on this website, and we'd direct you to last postseason's UEFL f/x primer for more information.
Related Post: UEFL f/x vs K-Zone and the Player-Umpire Disconnect (10/4/18).
Related Post: Ask UEFL - About Close Call Sports' Strike Zone QOC (8/1/18).

Bottom Value: ML Public. This is the PitchCast/StatCast visual representation one might see on ESPN K-Zone or FoxTrax graphics, also indicated on MLB GameDay and Baseball Savant. This figure, which incorporates a zero-inch margin of error, is what the public sees and is bound by the list of errors previously discussed on Close Call Sports, such as the following article.
Related Post: Dude, What Happened Last Night? About Pitch f/x Error (8/30/16).

Video as follows:

ABS Playoff Highlights - Delayed Calls & System Errors

The Atlantic League, ahead of MLB's postseason, carried its TrackMan Automated Ball/Strike System (ABS) into the playoffs in York, with the Revs broadcasters and players appearing to grow frustrated with the computer zone now that the games actually matter...a sign of things to come?

The Freedom Division Championship Series between Sugar Land and York, won by the Sugar Land Skeeters, featured quite a few interesting rulings from ABS, with broadcasters at one point turning an adjective sometimes used (by Hawk Harrelson) to describe umpires into an insult intended for the electronic strike zone: "Man, that was brutal...that one was just plain bad."

Has the ALPB ABS honeymoon officially ended now that the postseason has arrived?

The other main highlight of ABS in York pertained to time spent waiting for ABS to make a call, including some calls resulting in a three-plus second delay such that the pitcher had already received a throw back from his catcher before the home plate umpire made a call, adding to the visible confusion.

Now playing on ABS: Delayed strike calls.

Imagine a one-out, two on (R1, R3) situation with a 3-1 count and the runner from first base taking off for second. The catcher doesn't have the luxury of waiting three seconds to find out if ABS tracked the pitch as a ball or a strike, so his throw down to second base gets away and into center field, enabling the runner from third to score and the runner from first base to advance to third. And after all of that mess, ABS rules the pitch ball four anyhow, rendering the throw to second entirely unnecessary.

Video as follows:

2019 Wild Card, Division Series Umpires Roster

MLB's umpire roster for the 2019 American and National League (AL/NL) Wild Card Game and Division Series (ALDS/NLDS) features crews of six umpires for these postseason rounds, supported by Replay Officials who do not join the on-field umpires or otherwise rotate out of New York.

UEFL Replay Review Ranking (Review Affirmation Percentage [RAP]) is indicated by the number in parentheses, while additional information is indicated for postseason crew chiefs (-cc), regular season crew chiefs (*), first postseason assignments (^1st^) and first Division Series asssignments ({1st DS}).

NL Wild Card (Milwaukee Brewers @ Washington Nationals) Umpires:
HP: Mike Everitt* (55)
1B: Kerwin Danley (7)
2B: Jeff Nelson* -cc (12)
3B: Cory Blaser (41)
LF: David Rackley (23)
RF: Carlos Torres ^1st^ (48)

AL Wild Card (Tampa Bay Rays @ Oakland Athletics) Umpires:
HP: Chad Fairchild (19)
1B: Fieldin Culbreth* (28)
2B: Bill Miller* -cc (4)
3B: Chris Guccione (82)
LF: Lance Barrett ^1st^ (45)
RF: Adam Hamari ^1st^ (16)

NL and AL Wild Card Game Replay Officials: Laz Diaz & Dan Iassogna.

NL Division Series A (St. Louis Cardinals @ Atlanta Braves) Umpires:
HP: Pat Hoberg {1st DS} (68)
1B: Alan Porter [Game 2 Plate] (28)
2B: Sam Holbrook* [Game 3 Plate] -cc (15)
3B: Jim Wolf [Game 4 Plate] (48)
LF: Tom Hallion* [Game 5 Plate] (24)
RF: Ed Hickox (55)

NL Division Series B (Wild Card [MIL/WAS] @ Los Angeles Dodgers) Umpires:
HP: Will Little (76)
1B: Jordan Baker [Game 2 Plate] {1st DS} (87)
2B: Ted Barrett* [Game 3 Plate] -cc (17)
3B: Doug Eddings [Game 4 Plate] (28)
LF: Alfonso Marquez [Game 5 Plate] (88)
RF: Tripp Gibson {1st DS} (28)

AL Division Series A (Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees) Umpires:
HP: Manny Gonzalez (9)
1B: Todd Tichenor [Game 2 Plate] (24)
2B: Gary Cederstrom* [Game 3 Plate] -cc (14)
3B: Lance Barksdale [Game 4 Plate] (28)
LF: Eric Cooper [Game 5 Plate] (39)
RF: Adrian Johnson (37)

AL Division Series B (Wild Card [TB/OAK] @ Houston Astros) Umpires:
HP: John Tumpane (28)
1B: Bruce Dreckman [Game 2 Plate] (68)
2B: Mark Wegner* [Game 3 Plate] -cc (62)
3B: James Hoye [Game 4 Plate] (48)
LF: Jerry Meals* [Game 5 Plate] (65)
RF: DJ Reyburn (12)

NL and AL Division Series Replay Officials: Ron Kulpa, Gabe Morales, Paul Nauert & Brian O'Nora.

-cc denotes Game/Series Crew Chief, * denotes regular season crew chief, ^1st^ denotes first postseason assignment, {1st DS} denotes first Division Series assignment. Pursuant to UEFL Rule 4-3-c, umpires selected to appear in the Wild Card games receive one bonus point for this appearance, while umpires assigned to the Division Series receive two points for an on-field appearance. Postseason crew chiefs receive an additional bonus point, but replay officials who do not appear on the field (e.g., Wild Card & Division Series replay personnel) do not receive points for this role.

Video as follows:

2019 Stats - Ejections Spike, But So Do Correct Calls

Ejections spiked drastically in 2019 as umpires concluded the regular season with the most heave-ho's since 2006, but not for a lack of umpire accuracy. Plate scores actually improved and Replay Reviews were down—and so were overturned calls. Read on for a glimpse into the MLB umpire stats for 2019.

Ejection Events, Especially for Balls/Strikes, Soared to Highest Level in 13 Years
Umpires ejected more players, coaches, and managers in 2019 than at any other time during the video instant replay era—and that includes both limited home run reviews (2008-2013) and expanded Replay Review (2014-present).

The 217 ejections during the 2019 regular season easily eclipsed the 2018 regular season's total of 179 ejections, and comprised the most disciplinary dismissals since the 2006 season's 218 ejections. 2019 now ranks seventh-highest since the leagues merged in 2000, trailing just 2000-01 and 2003-06.

Reason for Ejection (Balls/Strikes Soars): After 2014's institution of expanded replay, ball/strike ejections have increased or remained at comparable levels year-to-year that at all rates outpaced ball/strike ejections experienced during pre-2014 seasons.

In 2019, the climb continued with a whopping 133 ejections for arguing a ball or strike call, a 40% increase over 2018. Of these 133 ejections, the umpire's call was correct 96 times, incorrect 33 times, and could not be conclusively categorized as correct or incorrect on four occasions (i.e., the computer malfunctioned, generally failing to track the pitch entirely), corresponding to a Quality of Correctness—Correct percentage of 74%.

In 2018, umpires were 65% accurate on the 95 ball/strike calls that led to ejection, while in 2017, that figure was just 54% over 101 calls.

The method of ball/strike QOC evaluation remained constant in all three years, which means that 2019's dramatic ejections increase was associated with a greater frequency of correct calls that precipitated the ejection events.

MLB Ejection 217 - Mark Carlson (4; Craig Counsell)

HP Umpire Mark Carlson ejected Brewers Manager Craig Counsell (Replay Review decision that upheld Carlson's out/home-plate collision no-call; QOCY) in the top of the 9th inning of the #Brewers-#Rockies game. With two out and one on (R1), Brewers batter Ben Gamel hit a 1-1 pitch from Rockies pitcher DJ Johnson on a fly ball to center field, fielded by outfielder Yonathan Daza and thrown to catcher Tony Wolters as Brewers baserunner R1 Lorenzo Cain attempted to score, ruled out on the tag. Upon Replay Review as the result of a Manager's Challenge by Counsell, Carlson's ruling (no violation of the collision rule) was confirmed. Replays indicate catcher Wolters fielded the ball prior to Cain's arrival, and in doing so, legally blocked Cain's path to home plate in accordance with Official Baseball Rule 6.01(i)(2), which states, in part, "it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 6.01(i)(2) if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in a legitimate attempt to field the throw" and "A catcher shall not be deemed to have hindered or impeded the progress of the runner if, in the judgment of the umpire, the runner would have been called out notwithstanding the catcher having blocked the plate."* At the time of the ejection, the Brewers were leading, 2-1. The Rockies ultimately won the contest, 3-2, in 10 innings.

This is Mark Carlson (6)'s fourth ejection of 2019.
Mark Carlson now has 11 points in the UEFL Standings (7 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 11).
Crew Chief Brian Gorman now has 12 points in Crew Division (11 Previous + 1 QOCY = 12).
*MLB modified its interpretation of Rule 6.01(i)(2) shortly after its introduction in 2014 to clarify that a catcher shall not be called for a plate blocking violation if the runner had not yet arrived at the point of blockage at the time the catcher fielded the throw and prepared to tag the runner. In this situation, F2 Wolters caught the ball and readied his tag for the sliding R1 Cain before Cain arrived to Wolters' position.

This is the 217th ejection report of 2019.
This is the 98th Manager ejection of 2019.
This is Milwaukee's 9th ejection of 2019, T-3rd in the NL Central (CIN 23; PIT 12; CHC, MIL 9; STL 3).
This is Craig Counsell's 3rd ejection of 2019, 1st since May 25 (Mike Estabrook; QOC = N [Ball/Strikes]).
This is Mark Carlson's 4th ejection of 2019, 1st since Sept 2 (Rick Renteria; QOC = Y [Foul/K]).

Wrap: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies, 9/28/19 | Video as follows:

Atlantic League ABS Robo-Ump Ejection Encore

With the Atlantic League playoffs underway, we decided to check in on the Automated Ball/Strike System and...HP Umpire Derek Moccia just doled out the first ABS ejection in ALPB postseason history after a computer's strike three call to High Point Rockers batter Michael Russell on Long Island didn't sit well with the visiting squad, as the Ducks completed the series sweep over High Point to advance to the Atlantic League Championship Series.

The ejection report is as follows: HP Umpire Derek Moccia ejected Rockers Pitching Coach Frank Viola for arguing the Automated Ball/Strike System's strike calls in the top of the 2nd inning of the Rockers-Ducks Liberty Division Championship Series, Game 3. With one out and one on (R1), Rockers batter Michael Russell took four pitches from Ducks pitcher Seth Simmons—one called a ball and three called strikes. At the time of the ejection, the Ducks were leading, 2-0. The Ducks ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

Although Frank Viola hasn't been the ALPB's only balls/strikes ejection in the electronic ABS era, Viola has been the league's most outspoken critic following his ejection on the very first regular season day of ABS in July. He now adds "first-ever postseason ABS ejection" to his ALPB résumé.
Related Post: History - Baseball's First Ejection Due to TrackMan (7/12/19).
Related Post: Frank Viola Not a Fan of ALPB Rules Changes (8/3/19).

Video as follows:

Arizona Fall Testing Automated Ball/Strike System

For the first time in history, affiliated baseball is using a computer to call balls and strikes in the Arizona Fall League, appearing to delight players by continuing its Atlantic League tradition of calling unexpected strikes. MiLB umpires using ABS hear "ball" or "strike" prompts via earpiece and relay that information through their calls, sometimes after a notable delay.

One notable exchange early on in the AFL's 2019 schedule featured Salt River Rafters batter Geraldo Perdomo attempting to argue a strike three call with HP Umpire Eric Bacchus, who simply pointed to the electronic device in his ear, leaving Perdomo to turn away and yell at no one in particular.

ABS continues to befriend batters.

Perdomo's at-bat featured three called strikes, all of which according to MLB's Gameday graphic were marginally close to home plate, with the strike two pitch well above the GD-drawn upper boundary.

Nonetheless, ABS—which MLB has now notably divorced from the "TrackMan" name, even though the TrackMan hardware still exists in ballparks—had them all as strikes and Perdomo returned to the Rafters dugout having struck out looking.

So much for eliminating pitchers' ability to paint the corner.

In addition to the robot umpire concept, the AFL's other notable umpiring-related experiment pertains to the accessibility of helmets for home plate umpires, which may be worn underneath a traditional-style facemask.

In the majors, only a few umpires—most notably Mike Estabrook—consistently wore the umpire's helmet throughout the season. John Tumpane, for instance, actually took a foul ball to the head while wearing the helmet in April, which coincidentally shares the robo-ump's ABS name with its thermoplastic polymer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
Related Post: Tumpane, Hudson Weather Easter Eggs to Head (4/21/19).

Video as follows:

Call for ? - Upcoming Drew Coble Podcast

Our next Plate Meeting Podcast guest is former American League umpire Drew Coble, whose 2,303-game career spanned 18 years from 1982 to 1999. Coble's résumé includes two AL Division Series, three League Championship Series, the 1991 World Series and two All-Star Games.

Coble holds the distinction of being one of only two Major League umpires inducted into the Elon College (now Elon University) Hall of Fame. The other is Joe West.

Coble ejected 71 players, coaches, and managers over his career, beginning with his first ejection of Sparky Anderson in 1982 and ranging from Yogi Berra and Bill Buckner to Lou Piniella and Joe Torre.

---

The Plate Meeting, a Left Field Umpire Podcast is the official audio program of Close Call Sports, where we talk umpiring with umpires, including analysis or other conversation pertaining to plays, ejections, rules, and more.

To subscribe to The Plate Meeting, visit the show's Anchor.fm page, which offers external links to popular podcast providers, such as Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, Radio Public, and Google Podcasts.

Follow us on Twitter 🐦 (@UmpireEjections) and like on Facebook 👍 (/UmpireEjections).