For Captain

[MSBNYY]

I still say Knuckles was out. And I think this sequence of events shows it.

[thecaptain15]

Thank you Balls for proving what I already knew and saw that day as I was standing about 10 feet away from 1B when the play happened!

[jwmcc]

Best part about the clip wasn't the play itself but Tom in the background yelling at anyone who would listen about how out of position the first base umpire was for that call.

[$heriff Tom]

Whats sad is the umpire was out of position on purpose, cause I think once bat hit ball he made his decision, and the fix was in. Knuckles could have been out by 3 feet instead of 1, and the call was going to be SAFE. While I was accosting him, he was shrugging as if to say, "looked safe from here." What a bunk call. I saw a vendor by the museum on the way out who said from his viewpoint, Knuckles was way out.

[MSBNYY]

Honestly, I think the best part of that clip was the announcing by Tom and Grover. The excitement as the throw was made was only trumped by their outrage at the call.

In all honesty, the play was so bang bang that in position or not, you can't blame the ump, but it's nice we recorded it to end the speculation.

Look at the reaction of Domi, Koz and myself, all of whom saw that he was out. Since I threw it, my reaction was predictable. But the other two were beside themselves.

[withspades]

Aug 24, 2009 7:44:08 GMT -5 MSBNYY said:

I still say Knuckles was out. And I think this sequence of events shows it.

I disagree that "this sequence of events shows it".
While I was halfway up the 1st base line at the time and at the time called Knuckles safe, I can admit to not having an even parallax and therefore my call is an inferior one due to that bad angle, & officially nullified.
Still, after reading MSBs visual 'evidence', I must protest that the pictures do NOT clarify the resulting outcome, and should not be looked upon as "definitive".

Accept that we are looking at Suzy's back. We have NO WAY to tell that the ball is indeed in the glove, or that she had possession at the time of the last pic when Knuckles' foot is still in the air. It *could* be post bounce and not yet arrived inside that glove for the last frame. You cant see it! The view is BLOCKED. There is no evidence to support nor deny either position in the matter.

Even if more people disagree with the call *now*, and even if they disagree LOUDER, it still does not make it right, nor will it change the call. It doesnt make it wrong either, its just that until some absolutely clear replay from the 3rd base side can avail itself, your posted exhibit to the case holds no value.

[MSBNYY]

It was strategic pausing of the video. You kind of have to have a quick hand and pause at the right spot. It was impossible to get a shot of the ball hitting the ground because of the vantage point of the camera. But you can clearly see the dust kick up when it does hit the ground and at that point, Knuckles was barely in the picture.

You have to use your ears and good timing. We're talking less than 1/4 of a second here, but he was out. In position or not, you can't blame the ump because it was not as clear cut as we thought. But he was out.

Of course the real travesty was my throw. In my need to move fast, I bounced it, when I should have taken a split second more and threw it a little higher. But I guess it could have been worse. I could have launched it and Knuckles would have been on third.

Thankfully the bounce was on target and Suzy made a good play on it.

[MSBNYY]

Let's say for example, as has been claimed, that it was a tie.

It wasn't, but for the purpose of this argument, let's say that it was.

sports-law.blogspot.com/2009/05/tie-goes-to-runner-and-other-myths.html

For now, I wanted to mention one thing that caught my eye. As far back as Little League, we learned (and constantly repeated whenever there was a close play) that "the tie goes to the runner." Apparently, this is false. Rule 7.01 states that "A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out." Thus, the runner is out unless he beats the throw and/or tag to the base.
This is an interesting example of default rules and burdens of persuasion in action. The default is that the runner is out unless he affirmatively beats the throw. In a sense, the runner has the burden of proof that he is safe and his failure to meet his burden (his failure to beat the throw) means he is out. Weber does not get into the origins or rationale for the rule or the origins of the myth. But it is one more thing that umpires do that we do not understand.

Tie does NOT go to the runner. Tie goes to the fielder.

OUT!!!!

[9]

I think you guys are overlooking the most impressive thing: Suzy holding on to the ball despite the Richter scale rising by the millisecond.

[MSBNYY]

True. Why do you think I bounced the throw? The ground was shaking.

[cactusjames]

Where are these videos of which you speak? I never saw any clips or links for vids.......nothing. Where do I go and what do I search for to find this video and said outrage?

[MSBNYY]

[Lindsey]

Southern girls love nothing more in this entire world than tristate accents. mmmm *wanders off*