Umpires

The play at second base last night in the NLC series was called correctly (the attempted break-up of a double play). I think it was obvious, at least in the slow-motion replays, that the runner rolled and lifted his arm instead of sliding. The umpire later said that the runner intentionally interfered with the second baseman. Isn't that the runner's job? Maybe a better way to make this call would be to call the runner out at first when the runner at second cannot retain contact with second after his slide. Slide as hard as you like, but, even though you are out, stay on the base. This might stop many of the rolling blocks. Either the fielder would have to tag the runner at second (in effect getting him out twice), or the umpire would have to call it. Either way it would give us something more concrete to go on.

I am reminded of the Eddie Armbrister bumping incident in 1975. Arguably the whole series turned on this. With a runner on first (and maybe third-memory fails me), Arbrister, a right-handed hitter bunted. The ball ended up just in fair territory in front of home plate. Carelton Fisk appeared to hesitate as did Armbrister. First Fisk stepped in front of Armbrister and picked up the ball to throw it to second. Armbrister then started to run to first, and bumping Fisk, caused him to throw the ball past second base. Instead of a sure double play, no outs were recorded. After the game the umpires announced that since this was not intentional, no call was the right call. I am convinced they got together after the game and came up with this excuse to cover themselves. To my knowledge neither rule that covers this situation says anything about it having to be intentional. The conferences that are now common after some close calls are welcome and the reversals I have seen get the call right. Major league umpires are very good at their jobs, calling plays in real time that I sometimes am not sure of after seeing several slow-motion replays and several angles. I commend them.

Perhaps the worst call I ever saw was a in a softball tournament I played in twenty plus years ago. With bases loaded and no outs the batter hit a hard ground ball to me at shortstop. I threw home. Our catcher stepped on home for the force, brought his arm back to throw back to me, now at second base, when the runner from third (intentionally?) knocked the ball from his hand. No call was made (not even the force at home), and what was potentially a triple play with no runs scoring, turned into two runs in, men on second and third, and no outs. We lost this game by one run and later received a letter from the tournament director apologizing for the non-call and commending us for not arguing more than we did (it was my first year with this team or I am sure we would not have gotten a letter, solely on my account).