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The Spectacle Blog
Today’s NL and AL Wild Card games were for the birds as the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles prevailed.
The Cardinals-Braves game proved controversial. In the bottom of the 8th, with runners on first and second and one out, Braves rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons hit a fly ball to shallow left field which Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma and left fielder Matt Holliday converged on. There appeared to be a miscommunication between Kozma and Holliday as the ball landed between them loading the bases.
Or did it?
As it turned out, left field umpire Sam Holbrook called the infield fly rule which prompted Kozma and Holliday to back off. When an umpire calls the infield fly rule, the batter is automatically out. While David Ross and Dan Uggla were permitted to advance to second and third, Simmons was called out. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez exploded and Braves fans did the same by littering the field with foreign objects which caused a delay in the game.
During the delay, Gonzalez protested the game. But MLB denied the appeal since it was a judgment call by the umpire as opposed to a breach of the rules.
I disagree. Here is the definition of the Infield Fly Rule:
An infield fly is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule. (italics mine).
When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an infield fly, the umpire shall immediately declare infield fly for the benefit of the runners.
Well, neither Kozma or Holliday stationed themselves anywhere near the infield. Nor did Holbrook make the call immediately. Yes, it was wrong for the Braves fans to react they way they did. But they were more clever when they chanted “infield fly rule” when the Cardinals hit fly balls deep into the outfield.
For a moment there, it looked like Chipper Jones was going to end his career by making the final out of the game. He had already committed an error which led to three Cardinal runs in the fourth and had been hitless in his first four at bats. If he had made the final out, it would have been the worst possible way for Jones to end his career.
Jones hit a routine groundball to Cardinals secondbaseman David Descalso. But Descalso’s throw forced Cards firstbaseman Allen Craig off the bag and Jones was ruled safe. Now that was an error. But under the circumstances he was credited with a hit.
Freddie Freeman then doubled which brought the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately for the Braves, Dan Uggla hit a routine grounder to Descalso and it was all over. The Cardinals broke the Braves’ hearts for the second straight year and Chipper Jones walked off the field for the last time.
The Cards advance to the NLDS and will host the Washington Nationals starting Sunday.
The Orioles-Rangers game was far less controversial. I was surprised that Buck Showalter started Joe Saunders given that he was 0-6 with an ERA of nearly 10.00 in Arlington. But Saunders pitched into the sixth inning giving up only one run. Showalter looked like a genius and he might very well be.
Then again, the Rangers were flat nearly the entire game. Less than two weeks ago, they had a five game lead in the AL West. The Rangers would be swept by the Oakland A’s and ceded the AL West title. The back to back AL champions found themselves in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation.
Down 5-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Rangers appeared to show life by loading the bases against O’s closer Jim Johnson. This brought the tying run to the plate. But it was not to be. David Murphy flied out to Nate McLouth to end the game. So we won’t get to see anymore of Nolan and Ruth Ryan or George and Laura Bush in the post-season.
The O’s now go back to Baltimore to face the New York Yankees in the ALDS starting Sunday. It will be the first time the NLDS will be an interdivisional affair. The O’s and Yankees built up quite a rivalry this season and it will no doubt intensify over the next several days.
View all comments (14) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/10/06/a-wild-card-for-the-birds-card
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Bob K| 10.6.12 @ 3:10AM
You are 1 and 1.
Bob Grant| 10.6.12 @ 5:45AM
The friggin' Rangers. All they had to do was win ONE of their last FIVE games to make it to the REAL post season (no, this wildcard sham doesn't count) and couldn't pull it off.
JP| 10.6.12 @ 12:36PM
They were a huge disappointment for me. They collapsed. I knew after the As took the first game of the final series, the Rangers were in deep trouble.
Who knows? Maybe this is the As year? My prediction for the WS: Cards vs As.
chuck| 10.6.12 @ 7:45AM
The umpire called the infield fly rule after Holliday and the outfielder both moved away from the ball. The replay is clear. The fielders both move away, then the umpire's arm goes up to call IFR. And the damned ball was halfway to the wall! Since when does the "infield" extend halfway into the outfield?
It was the worst call I've ever seen in a baseball game. Clearly, the call should have been reversed, and the bases should have been loaded with one out.
MLB should hang their head in shame. And the idiot who made the call would make a hell of a replacement ref for the NFL.
Sjccoach| 10.6.12 @ 8:43AM
The rule says nothing about the ball being in the infield. It says a ball caught with ordinary effort by an infielder. The infielder was camped under the ball. The correct call was made.
chuck| 10.6.12 @ 10:05AM
BS! You see plays like that all the time, when infielders and outfielders get confused over who has the ball. I've never seen the IFR called like that. Watch the replay, I did, about 10 times. Both of the fielders move away to let the other make the catch, then the ump raises his arm. If the IFR was going to be in effect, he should have called it a lot sooner.
chuck| 10.6.12 @ 10:27AM
And if it wasn't called like that, would you have jumped up and hollered that the ump should have called the IFR?
Somehow I doubt it.
Sjccoach| 10.6.12 @ 11:43AM
First don't insult me. Second you don't know what I think. The proper call was made. If you read the whole rule an outfielder can catch the ball in the outfield and the rule will still apply. Stick to facts not emotions.
chuck| 10.6.12 @ 12:20PM
I did not intend to insult you, and if I did, my apologies.
From MLB rules: "When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall immediately declare Infield Fly for the benefit of the runners"
The umpire did not immediately call an Infield Fly. Look at the replay. You can see the ball coming into view, well into its downward trajectory when the ump calls IFR.
Either the umpire should have called it well before he did, or not at all.
Sjccoach| 10.6.12 @ 1:02PM
I accept your apology. You have to read the whole rule plus the commentary. I'm quoting the rule.
An infield fly is a fair fly ball (not including a line driver nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder woh stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.
When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall immediately declare "Infield Fly" for the benefit of the runners. If the ball is art the baselines the umpire shall declare "Infield Fly, If Fair."
The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul.
If a declared Infield Fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground, and bounces foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball. If a declared Infield Fly falls untouched to the ground outside the baseline, and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an Infield Fly.
Sjccoach| 10.6.12 @ 1:10PM
Rule 2.00 (Infield Fly) Comment: On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infielder - not by some arbitrary limitation such as the grass, or the base lines. The umpire must rule also that ball is an infield fly, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire's judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielder. The infield fly is in no sense to be considered an appeal play. The umpire's judgment must govern, and the decision must be made immediately.
When an infield fly is called, runners may advance at their own risk. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of Rule 6.05(I), The infield fly rule takes precedence.
I know it is a lawyerly answer. The ball was well out of the infield when the line umpire determined it could be caught with ordinary effort by the infielder he made the immediate call. It is one weird things that occur in baseball.
JP| 10.6.12 @ 12:34PM
This is why I'm beginning to hate the game. Bud Selig destroyed the game. I occaisonally will catch a game on TV or the radio. And I try to keep up with the stats. But the changes made to post-season are ridiculous. Even though the team that won the division and had the best record will maintain homefield advantage, the fact they have to travel for games 1 and 2 is proposterous. The entire idea behind all of these changes is increase the chance that the series will go on as long as possible. Look for a full NFL like play-off system in future years. And with that, the World Series will be pushed into late November.
Almost no one pays attention to MLB once the NFL season begins. And this is especially true of the post-season. But, Selig, the owners, and player's union got what they want.
BTW, the ump in the Cards game blew the call. In perfect world, he would have been quietly let-go after the game (at least from umping in the post-season).
reff44| 10.6.12 @ 9:37PM
I would encourage all who think the umpire did not call the play correctly to consider the words of the rule: "When it is apparent" is a very important part of the rule because it means that it may not be apparent immediately, so it may not be called immediately. When the infielder was in an ordinary position to "POSSIBLY" make a play, the infield fly was called. That is the correct way to "IMMEDIATELY" call the batted ball an infield fly.
Sorry to all Braves fans, but the call was made correctly.
chuck| 10.7.12 @ 8:40AM
And I'll ask you the same question: If the Infield Fly Rule was not called, would you have protested that it should have been?