Jose Siri Ejected From Winter League After Drawing a Line

A Dominican Winter League HP Umpire ejected Gigantes de Cibao CF José Siri (strike one call) in the top of the 10th inning of the Giants-Eagles game. With one out and none on, Siri took a 1-0 pitch from Eagles pitcher Neftali Feliz for a called first strike, resulting in a dispute over the pitch call. Siri was ejected not for verbally arguing the call, but what the Umpire Manual refers to as "actions intended to ridicule," which specifically includes drawing a line in the dirt or making other gestures indicating resentment. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 3-3. The Eagles ultimately won the contest, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Wrap: Gigantes del Cibao [Giants] vs Aguilas Cibaeñas [Eagles] (LIDOM), 12/11/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 177 - Chad Fairchild (2; Austin Romine)

The following ejection occurred on September 17, 2022: HP Umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Reds catcher Austin Romine (runner's interference no-call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 11th inning of the #Reds-#Cardinals game. With none out and the bases loaded, Cardinals batter Paul Goldschmidt hit a 1-2 splitter from Reds pitcher Fernando Cruz on the ground to center fielder Nick Senzel (playing in on the shift), who threw to home plate as Cardinals baserunner R3 Andrew Knizner attempted to score. Replays indicate the throw hit Knizner's left arm before bouncing away from catcher Romine; because the runner establishes their own base path and no tag attempt was being attempted at the time of the ball contacting the runner, who did not intentionally interfere with the thrown ball, the no-call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Cardinals had won the contest, 1-0, in 11 innings.

This is Chad Fairchild (4)'s 2nd ejection of 2022.

For scorekeeping purposes, this is logged as Ejection 177 despite occurring between Ejections 164 & 166.

*There is no base path violation pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 5.09(b)(1) governing base paths and out-of-the-base-path (three-foot) calls. There is no runner's lane violation because the runner's lane only applies at first base. This leaves the question as to whether or not the runner intentionally interfered with a thrown ball, as in OBR 5.09(b)(3), which is unlikely given that the throw did not yet exist as the runner established his running motion in fair territory between third base and home plate.

Refer to our September 18 analysis for further explanation.

Related Post: Cardinals Win When Reds' Throw Hits Runner - Legal? (9/18/22).

This is the 177th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.

This is the 62nd player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Romine was 0-4 (2 SO) in the contest.

This is Cincinnati's 5th ejection of 2022, 4th in the NL Central (CHC 10; PIT, STL 6; CIN 5; MIL 4).

This is Austin Romine's 1st ejection since August 24, 2017 (Dana DeMuth; QOC = U [Fighting]).

This is Chad Fairchild's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since Sept 11 (Max Scherzer; QOC = Y [Replay Review]).

Wrap: Cincinnati Reds vs St Louis Cardinals, 9/17/22 | Video as follows:

Jim Reynolds Retires Following 24 Major League Seasons

A member of MLB's large Class of 1999, 24-year Major League umpire Jim Reynolds announced his retirement after 2,815 regular season games, three Wild Cards, seven Division Series, five League Championship Series, and two World Series.

Born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, Reynolds' professional baseball career began after meeting University of Connecticut classmate Dan Iassogna during a 1987 fire drill on the north campus. Iassogna's father had been a football referee, and the pair began working games here and there under the tutelage of UConn baseball coach Andy Baylock.

After college, Reynolds and Iassogna were roomates at the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring in Arizona, with both candidates making it to the lower minor leagues after graduation. Reynolds officiated the New York-Penn League in 1992, advancing through the South Atlantic, California, Eastern, Southern, American Association, and International Leagues before getting the call in June 1999.

Two and a half months after Reynolds' first American League game on June 4, 1999 in Boston, he found his first ejection in Tampa Bay's Larry Rothschild on July 25. Reynolds ejected 43 players, coaches, and managers during his big league career.

Reynolds, who confirmed his retirement on The Jay and Brian Show, retires as a crew chief, having received that promotion ahead of the 2020 season. Thursday is Jim Reynolds' 54th birthday.

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Watch the Berti - 1B Umpire Ceja's Teachable Moment

Tmac's latest offseason Teachable Moment highlights an adjustment at first base. Nationals batter Luis Garcia grounds out after a bad bounce that looked to ruin Miami's play at first, but then Marlins 2B Jon Berti makes a snazzy play to beat the runner, 1B Umpire Nestor Ceja instinctually adjusting both his physical position and point of focus in order to make a call ultimately confirmed following Replay Review.

The key for this play is to always keep in mind one's responsibilities while reacting to the unexpected. In this scenario, Ceja knows his responsibility after signaling "fair" is to first base, so after locating the ball and reading that fielder Berti has backed up the play and fielded the ball, Ceja turns his attention back toward first base in order to rule on the out/safe issue.

Video as follows:

2022 CCS Year-End Umpire Awards Selections

After compiling your votes, Close Call Sports bestows its 2022 Year-End Umpire Awards on the umpires you identified as best in various categories, including Crew Chief, Fill-In, Most Improved, Honorable, Promising, and, of course, the best overall umpire of the year.

(Top) Umpire of the Year: Pat Hoberg (45.0%)

Other Vote Getters: Alan Porter (22.8%), Tripp Gibson (10.7%).

Pat Hoberg receives the 2022 CCS Umpire of the Year Award for best overall umpire, after calling a perfect game (129/129 pitches for 100% accuracy) during Game 2 of the 2022 World Series. Not only was it Hoberg's first-ever World Series on-field appearance, it was also the first-ever Perfect Game recorded on the public-facing pitch track system during the "zero-error" era.

Seven Other Awards follow (via "Read More"):

Jackpot Umpire Tom Hallion Retires After Lengthy Career

Longtime Major League umpire and Crew Chief Tom Hallion retires after an NL and MLB career spanning across five decades, hanging up his mask 37 years after first suiting up in the National back in 1985.

During his big league career, Hallion officiated more than 3600 regular season games, to go along with 78 postseason games—and two separate journeys through Minor League Baseball.

Like retired umpire Bob Davidson, Tom Hallion had to start over in the low minors after losing his National League umpiring job in 1999 as the result of a failed mass resignation negotiation strategy as umpires looked toward a new deal with professional baseball.

In 2003, Hallion began calling games in the Class A New York-Penn League, the same minor league Hallion began his professional umpiring journey with back in 1979.

Hallion, who was hired back to MLB in 2005 thanks to a bargaining agreement with the league the prior offseason, officiated a total of 10 Division Series (1996, 97, 2008, 12, 13, 14 16, 18, 19, 21), five League Championship Series (1998, 2007, 09, 10, 11), and two World Series (2008, 21).

Hallion initially said he planned to retire following the 2021 World Series, but came back to work one more season before calling it a career. He announced his 2022 retirement on a podcast. Hallion retires with 102 career NL and MLB ejections.

Video as follows:

Twins Retire Angels' Sierra on Failed Inside-the-Park HR Try

Minnesota's relay throw to retire Angels batter-runner Magneuris Sierra trying for an inside-the-park home run in Anaheim brought HP Umpire Dan Bellino into position to rule on several factors, such as the home plate collision/blocking rule as well as checking to see that Twins catcher Gary Sanchez's tag attempt was timely.

This call was ultimately confirmed via Replay Review.

Video as follows:

Watching 1B Umpire Wills on a Wild Throw to 1st Base

When Replay Review upheld HP Umpire Phil Cuzzi's ruling that a Reds wild throw at first base remained on the playing field, it gave us a chance to take a closer look at 1B Umpire Ryan Wills officiating the backend of this play with Cubs batter-runner Christopher Morel sliding back into first base after making an initial attempt toward second.

Wills adjusts his position by moving toward first base and preparing for a potential tag play on the runner's dive back into the base, properly declaring the runner safe on the untimely tag.

This Teachable Moment illustrates the importance of remaining with one's responsibilities (Wills has the batter-runner) while allowing your crewmate to take other elements of the play that may need to be officiated (Cuzzi takes the boundary call near the dugout).

Video as follows:

Arizona Runs into Double Play on Force Play Confusion - Teachable

Diamondbacks baserunners ran themselves into a crucial 9th inning double play as confusion on the bases moved Pittsburgh that much closer to a tense win in Arizona. 2B Umpire Adam Hamari is our focus for this Tmac's Teachable Moment.

With none out and the bases loaded in the top of the 9th, D-Backs batter Carson Kelly hit a ground ball to Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, who threw to second baseman Rodolfo Castro, who stepped on second base before throwing back to third base, where Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman stepped on third base before running Arizona runner R2 Emmanuel Rivera back to second base and then tagging Rivera.

Despite initial confusion with an errant "safe" call, umpires correctly officiated the play by declaring both Arizona runners R1 Sergio Alcantara out on the force play at second base and declaring R2 Rivera out on a tag off of second base for a double play. Pirates F6 Newman's touch of third base proved immaterial, as Castro had already forced R1 Alcantara out at second base, removing the force from third.

But, by virtue of Alcantara remaining on the field at second base, preceding runner R2 Rivera hesitated to retouch second base, allowing Pittsburgh fielder Newman enough time to tag Rivera off the base for the second out of the inning, with Alcantara serving as the first out.

Video as follows:

Asdrubal Cabrera Punches Batter During HR Trot - Call?

HP Umpire Kenny Garcia ejected Caribes 1B Asdrubal Cabrera for unsportmsanlike conduct in punching Tiburones batter-runner Carlos Castro during a home run, so what happens? The umpires properly ruled the play Obstruction (Type 2), and awarded Castro base touches and advancements to second, third, and home plate, deeming that had Cabrera not physically obstructed Castro, the batter-runner would have scored a run.

Although this differs from the Carlos Gomez vs Brian McCann play in Atlanta in which McCann obstructed Gomez during an out-of-the-field home run, both plays share the same ultimate game play ruling of obstruction: "If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call “Time” and impose such penalties, if any, as in their judgment will nullify the act of obstruction" (Official Baseball Rule 6.01(h)(2)).

The Gomez play is slightly more complex as replays indicate Gomez verbally taunted the opposing Braves throughout his home run trot, but the ruling of Obstruction 2 on McCann still prevailed despite both players being ejected for unsporting conduct.

Related: MLB Ejections 177, 178, 179 - Eddings / Nauert (Laird, Freeman, Gomez) (9/25/13).

Related: Ask UEFL - Batter-Runner Fights Fielder During HR Trot (9/4/21).

The reason is found within OBR 8.01(d), which states, "Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field. 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."

Because the ejection doesn't take effect until the end of the play, the obstruction thus becomes the enforced infraction; however, upon the award's completion, the batter is ejected (in the MLB/Gomez play, not the Venezuelan play).

Video as follows: