What Just Happened?

Game 3 of the 2013 World Series will go down as one of the most important games in history. It wasn’t per say a “great” game, as both teams were kind of sloppy, but man was the ending bizarre.

 

 

I’ve umpired for about seven years now, so watching this puzzled me and intrigued me at the same time. First, it was an obstruction call, not an interference call. There’s not too much difference, but just make sure that you don’t go around yelling “Interference! Interference!”

In the bottom of the 9^th inning, Brandon Workman gives up a single with one out to Yadier Molina (more on this controversial part below). Workman is pulled, and Koji Uehara comes in.

And usually there’s no problem with this; when Koji Uehara is in, the inning is usually over. But that wasn’t the case this time. Allen Craig comes in to pinch hit, and he lines a double into left field, and all of a sudden, the Cardinals have men on 2^nd and 3^rd with one out. The winning run is just a base away.

With the infield in, Jon Jay hit a grounder to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who made a remarkable play that will forever go unnoticed because of what happened after, and throws it to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. They get Molina out at home, but Saltalamacchia throws it to third base to try and get Craig.

It was a bad throw, and it goes past third baseman Will Middlebrooks. Remember, a throwing error cost the RedSox the game in Game 2. History repeats itself.

 

This time, however, the ball does not go into the stands, but it instead goes to left field. Craig (watch how I write this because it’s important), trips over Middlebrooks, who is lying on his stomach after the play, then runs home.

Third base umpire Jim Joyce immediately signals obstruction, and even though Craig was dead at home base, plate umpire Dana DeMuth signaled safe then pointed to third, noting the obstruction being called.

All of a sudden, the Cardinals win Game 3.

Now why do they call obstruction? Because Middlebrooks tripped Craig, right? But when you look at it further, you notice that it could go either way. The reason why it could go either way is because the rule is so poorly worded.

Joyce called baseball rule 7.06, which states:

“If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batter-runner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment…The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction.

“When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the umpire shall signal obstruction in the same manner that he calls “Time,” with both hands overhead. The ball is immediately dead when this signal is given…”

So the play should have been dead. Joe Torre, the MLB executive vice president for baseball operations, gave his insight based on Rule 2:

“An infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him, and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner.

"Intentional or not intentional. He just has to clear the path. I know sometimes it's unfair because he's laying on the ground, but that's the way the rule is," Torre added.

What Torre said is exactly what I want to talk about. This rule is the rule, so the umpires did get the call correct, but this shouldn’t be the rule. Rule 2 also states that it is obstruction if the fielder is not making a play on the ball. Basically, Middlebrooks went for the ball, but after the ball went passed him, he has to get completely out of the way to avoid obstruction, even though he’s lying on the ground.

 

This is where the rule is flawed. It’s misworded in this interpretation: How is Middlebrooks still not going for the ball when he’s on the ground? And this is why it’ll be the most controversial call of the century. Middlebrooks should still be in the act of going for the ball when he is on the ground. If this is the case, the umpires should not rule obstruction, and the players should play as they did.

This is the World Series. A game cannot end like this. If the rule is interpreted in this way, which it should be, then Middlebrooks should not be called for obstruction. What is he supposed to do, flail out of the way? In an interview after the game, Middlebrooks asked the press: “How am I supposed to get out of the way to avoid obstruction when [Allen Craig] is pushing my back?”

And it’s true. I have always been shaky on putting in instant replay in baseball, but after this play, it needs to come in effect. Looking at it closely, Craig is pushing down. Middlebrooks also threw his legs up, probably an involuntary reaction, but CRAIG DID NOT TRIP ON HIS LEGS. He tripped on Will’s back!

That’s probably what Joyce saw too, the legs going up. I understand why he would think that, and it was good for him to notice it. But replay needs to correct this.

Now I’m not saying that the Red Sox should have won this game. In fact, Boston played sloppy. Jake Peavy went only four innings before being pulled, and it seemed like the only hero for Boston was their rookie, Xander Bogaerts.

Here’s another big mistake by the Red Sox that will forever be plagued by John Farrell. In the top of the 9^th, he had reliever Brandon Workman, who pitched part of the 8^th inning, bat. I’m not kidding. He’s the first reliever to bat in the 9^th inning in the World Series since the Great Depression.

What’s worse: Workman would only get one out in the bottom of the 9^th. They also had Mike Napoli and David Ross on the bench who could have easily batted. Farrell needed a double switch, and I don’t know why he didn’t. He has the best reliever in the game right now in Uehara, and if the game does go to extra innings, He has TWO starters in the ‘pen- Ryan Dempster and Felix Dubront.

There are a lot of people to blame for these past two games for Boston. I put a lot of it on Saltalamacchia. Why would he throw it to third base when it looked like Craig would have been safe anyways? He also ruined Game 2 with a costly bobble on a double steal, and missing the ball on what looked like a play at the plate. They also have Ross to catch too, so it’s not like he’s the only possible solution.

It was a stunning loss, and hopefully the Red Sox can gain some ground in Game 4. They have Clay Buchholz starting, who has been dealing with injuries, but he should be good. He’ll be going against Lance Lynn.

They need to look at this rule. You can’t change anything now, but you can prevent this from not happening again. Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any questions/comments/concerns.

-Evan Boyd