Hell, if *that's* your criteria... <blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/1kFh6"><a href="//imgur.com/1kFh6"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Things just HAD TO spiral out of control, right? The play only costed 2 runs and we loss by 3. Pitching told the story. The only guy who pitched well was a guy this forum dogged the past 2 days.
That is still an explainable situation. Show me something that you can attest that you knew exactly what was going on during a play that went awry.
Who protested? According to Hinch, the Astros didn't and I can't find anything that says the Indians did. "The Astros couldn't protest the call because there was no rules infraction, Hinch said."
Upon further review, Jim Joyce may be the dumbest POS umpiring SOB since Fred Brocklander. Or Eric Gregg, Joe West, Angel Hernandez, CB Bucknor.... <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WdH-YTTv-rc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It changes the entire game when something like that happens. It also causes pitchers to throw more pitches. Who knows what happens if the call is made right. Maybe Brady Rodgers never comes into the game. Tags reported that we did, and if Hinch believes you can't protest, he hasn't watched enough baseball. Just because it won't be upheld, doesn't prevent you from protesting. I wonder if there is some sort of cost involved. Remember the Yankees played under protest against us earlier this year, but ended up not filing it with the league office.
I'll take the direct quote from Hinch over what McTaggart reported. And, while the Yankees protested during the game, they subsequently dropped the protest even though they lost because they realized the rules stated it was a judgement call.
Situations like this, we want to be upset and blame the umps/officials/refs but sportsmanship and honesty are not mentioned. The batter knew the ball went off his bat. Where's the good sportsmanship by the player to turn to the ump and say the ball hit my bat? When a player try's to bypass rules and is caught, we say that's cheating. This player didn't do this on purpose but apparently he's ok with getting away with something that he knows isn't right. I see this a lot in basketball where a player knows they were the one to knock the ball out of bounds but the call goes their way. Then an announcer will make a comment saying he knows he got away with one, just look at the grin he has.
At that point, I'm still not sure Joyce would have been able to do anything... because, baseball. Also, he claimed that had any of the other umpires told him that they thought the ball went off the bat, he would have changed it. Its a failure of all the umpires, not just Joyce (but that's why there's replay now... but only for certain plays which is stupid). Will there actually be a rule change allowing this (and basically any controversial play) to be reviewed in the future? There really should be no "unreviewable plays"... in any sport.... not when the video evidence would directly cause a change of the call on the field.
Umpires have sucked for years, it's just now you would think having replay could have fixed yesterdays stupidity caused by Joyce and his crew. That video is so cringe worthy.
Yeah, its only going to get worse in subsequent years, with HD video angles/evidence of every single mis-cue and human error-related gaffe (in all sports). But the biggest issue with baseball, as compared to other sports, is that the umpires have been largely the SAME guys for decades upon decades... and there's absolutely no job on earth (especially in sports) where you get better as you get much older.
You're probably right about "baseball" but if he said that to Joyce before bringing the umps together and Joyce tells the other umps that the batter is telling me the ball hit his bat I would hope they change the call. The other umps are probably remembering the play differently after hearing this.
I get sportsmanship and all... but there's no way any player is going to do or say anything that costs his team runs. Joyce knew right away that he blew it badly (hence why he called timeout in a panic)... but he needed another ump to confirm that for him and nobody could do it (especially since they knew they couldn't review it, and nobody wanted to be further embarrassed). And just like umpires don't listen to players when they argue against their calls, they won't listen to players when they suggest what the call should be.
I was listening on the radio, once I saw the replays I don't understand how several Astros didn't just lose their ****. Alpha males + testosterone....
When the play happened they were like WTF?!?!? When the umps did the smart (at the time) thing and got together to "get it right"... I'm sure that eased a lot of their angst. When Joyce then eventually called everybody safe... I'm sure the rage brewed, but by that point none of it made sense anymore.... and when they went to replay (to stupidly confirm the wrong thing), I bet some were simply thinking how dumb and completely non-sensical this game can be at times.
Are we just that mentally weak?? How else can you explain all these late inning wild pitches time and time again?
Giles, however many runs he needs to save the game, he gives up one less. Chance to win the series with our... Ace going tomorrow.