Re: MLB American League Playoffs
The reason it was called an out and not a Home Run is simple: ….. Joe West!
Seriously, West is basically the only umpire I know by name and it’s because he is always making these controversial calls (usually wrongly) to get himself on ESPN and then throwing players and managers out for arguing with his terrible calls. Sidenote: his strike zone is terrible.
I have no idea how an umpire standing in right field can make the call he did (the rule with the requirements to call the batter out are below) and since the replay was somehow inconclusive the call has to stand. This is not the same as the Yankee kid pulling a homerun into the stands when it was clearly going to hit the wall; the Altuve ball was 2 feet over the wall and over the yellow line when caught.
(3.16) Spectator Interference: When there is spectator interference with any thrown or batted ball, the ball shall be dead at the moment of interference and the umpire shall impose such penalties as in his opinion will nullify the act of interference.
Note the umpire has discretion here. This is why a fair ball touched by the batboy/fan is usually called a double but can be called a triple or single (or a pop-up an out).
APPROVED RULING: If spectator interference clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball, the umpire shall declare the batter out.
The word “clearly” here is important. As I discuss below You can’t say Betts was “clearly” prevented given the difficult of the would be catch.
F
urther, Rule 6.01(e) states: No interference shall be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk. However, should a spectator reach out on the playing field side of such fence, railing or rope, and plainly prevent the fielder from catching the ball, then the batsman should be called out for the spectator's interference.
And here is what should be Houston’s smoking gun! The ball is (IMO) over the yellow line when caught, thus the ball is a homerun unless the fielder can catch it and bring it back into the field of play. If the fielder chooses to reach into the stands (leaving the field of play) he does so at this own risk and is not entitled to any protection from interference. The fan has just as much right as the player to catch the baseball once it leaves the field of play (the yellow line), he could have straight up tackled Altuve, or pulled his glove off and by rule the call would be homerun.
Further, the rule states the batsman can only be called out if the fielder “plainly” prevents the fielder from catching the ball. Mookie Betts is a heck of a player but this was anything but a routine fly ball. He leaps into the air, the wall and throws his glove back, to suggest he “plainly” would have caught the ball without interference is a further stretch.
When West made the (IMO) terrible call I was instantly relieved that replay existed, until I wasn’t. Astros got robbed on the play.
12 team H-2-H 1 year league, daily roster changes, 3 goalie start minimum/week
2xC, 2xRW, 2xLW, 4xD, 3xUtil, 2xG, 5 Bench
G, A, P, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG, SOG, Hits, W, SV%, GAA, SVs
C: C. Keller, C. Mittelstadt, B. Nelson, R. Strome,
LW: K. Connor, B. Tkachuk, J. Gaudreau, J. Marchessault, E. Rodrigues, A. Lafreniere
RW: K. Fiala, J. Bratt, T. Jeannot V. Arvidsson
D: R. Josi, J. Trouba, E. Gustafsson,
G: L. Thompson, F. Gustavsson, V. Vanecek
NO IR