Umpire falls asleep, blows call, costs Angels Sweep of Freeway Series
In this day and age of high-tech developments, WHY do we still have to suffer through EASILY-CORRECTABLE screw-ups by fallible humans? On Sunday at Dodger Stadium, a simple Instant Replay could have clearly changed the outcome of the game. With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, with the Dodgers trailing the Angels 2-1, Dee Gordon was gunned down at home plate for the final out of the game. Catcher Jeff Mathis blocked the plate perfectly, preventing Gordon from ever reaching it. But the Home Plate umpire inexplicably called the runner safe, allowing the Dodgers to go on and salvage the third game of the Freeway Series, 3-2.
Angel Manager Mike Scioscia charged the plate and contested the call, but all he SHOULD have had to do is submit a Manager’s Challenge. If Baseball would incorporate Instant Replay like Football has, they would have checked the video, the call would have been reversed, and the Sweep would have been in the books.
Of course Scioscia had too much class to BLAME the Umpire for the loss, saying that the Angel Closer shouldn’t have allowed the baserunner in the first place. But I’m not the Manager, so I don’t have to be politically correct. The fact is that an egregious error by a spaced-out and out-of-position Umpire cost the Angels a victory — That, and an antiquated League policy that prohibits utilizing the totally AVAILABLE slo-mo replay to FIX an inexcusable mistake.
Here are 18 photos from the game, in chronological order, including the one that is conclusive evidence of the blown call (as also shown above).
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- Probable All-Star game Starter Jared Weaver looked deserving of that honor during his 7 innings
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- Before getting tired, the Ump actually got in the right position, and got THIS call right: OUT AT HOME (just like the one in the 9th)
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- With Mathis on 2nd Base with no Outs, Weaver had a chance to help his cause with a bunt, but popped into a double play
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- Aybar’s baserunning gaffe is rewarded as the Dodgers blow the play at 2nd Base
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- … and Aybar scores an earned-but-undeserved run on Kendrick’s subsequent base hit
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- The ball hits the wall, after hitting Vernon Wells right in the glove
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- A shaken Wells barely makes the catch on a routine foul out
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- Pinch-hitting Bobby Abreu can’t check his swing, and becomes one of Kershaw’s ELEVEN Strike Out victims
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- Wells makes up for Striking Out three times and allowing the Dodgers to tie the game on a dropped fly ball, with his 9th inning Home Run
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- Kershaw squats in dejected disbelief as his three-time patsy circles the bases after taking Kershaw deep
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- Wells rounds 3rd Base on his goat-to-(temporary)-hero Home Run trot
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- The Angels congratulate Wells on his apparent redemption
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- If Wells continues to show the power he has exhibited lately, the Angels could actually make a Pennant run
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- Dionner Navarro bails out, and draws a Walk from wild Closer Jordan Walden
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- Compare this to the earlier play at the plate — Where’s the ump?
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- After I emailed the previous photo to Scioscia, he immediately came out to protest (j/k)
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- Scioscia looks back in anger…
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- …but comes back to deliver a parting shot, as the Scioscia Networking fails
dswenson wrote,
You are so right. The Dodger should have been out. Balls and strikes should be called by those machines they show on TV. Baseball needs to be modernized with technology.
| Link | June 27th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Pops wrote,
I also thought Gordon was out, but check out Mathis…he never tagged the runner.
The two walks to start the inning cost the Angels, not the umpire’s call.
[T-H’s Note: I respect your opinion. When I watch the replay, it LOOKS to me like the edge of Mathis’ mitt just barely brushes Gordon’s body, well before he reaches out and touches the plate. But if you saw it the other way, then maybe even a Replay/Challenge would NOT have found it to be indisputable evidence, and would NOT have reversed the call.]
| Link | June 29th, 2011 at 6:13 pm