That may have been their reasoning, but two things…the first baseman’s glove clearly hit Meyers’ helmet, preventing him from having a chance at the catch, and two, it looked like the 1B ump was ready to call Meyers out, were it not for the ball rolling into RF. I think it was a bad non-call, though I’m happy the Astros won.
I wish MLB could come up with something to take some of the ambiguity out of that call. I can totally understand Martinez being irate, especially compared to the play with Turner, who was definitely in a more direct line legally to first base in my opinion by comparison. I know they have discussed having the double base at first but I’m not sure I like that.
The easiest, smartest, and safest fix for this is the same thing that softball has been doing for a long time now. An in play bag and an orange bag in foul territory that is literally there for the runner to run to while in the running lane.
As a first baseman that’s had his ankle clipped/stepped on countless times by fuckheads who run to the fair side of the bag, it would also prevent a fair amount of injuries and make it REALLY obvious who is being a piece of shit in collisions at first base.
The current rule/set up is fucking asinine.
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That would mean admitting the “women’s sport” has a better idea, so they just won’t do it.
The safety base would give the runner something to touch while in the runner’s lane, but the problem on this, and pretty much every other play like it, is that runners simply never get into the runner’s lane in the first place. Runners simply take the shortest direct line, which is even more problematic for right-handed hitters.
This would be an extreme alternative, and probably not popular, but if you automatically called runners out if they were not in the painted lane that starts halfway to first AND you had the second base as Mark puts it, then any throw that hits a runner is tough shit on the defense. Calling runners out for not being in the lane would be EXTREME, but if you did so, folks would quit running in the grass once they got halfway…much like they are, and have, gotten used to the pitch clock.
This play probably doesn’t happen often enough to get that extreme, but when it does happen, it always seems like it plays a vital part in the outcome of a game.
Make the first baseman have to tag the orange bag and make the runner tag the white bag. And replace the warning track with a moat.
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Not to mention that, with a safety base, there’s literally zero excuses to not be in the runner’s lane when it starts. The only viable (to me) reason that you wouldn’t run in the lane is because, at the end of the lane, the base is back on the other side of the line that starts the lane.
Which, frankly, is fucking stupid.
I don’t think punishing players for “what they could have done” is a good idea. It’s only interference if you actually commit interference. It would be like calling a holding penalty, not because you held, but because you were in a bad spot and could have. The remedy for this is simply making it a reviewable play.
The Beisbol Gods mete out many things over the course of a season that drive us nucking futs.
This was one instance that went against the transplanted Montreal Expos and benefited the Astros, and I’m not exactly upset about that because A) I’m still not over the '19 WS and 2) I’m sure there will be a play this season that goes against the Astros and will probably balance this out.
And yes, this seems something that could be a reviewable play going forward.
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On another note, can someone explain to me how your shortstop can’t have a foot on the other side of second base but it’s perfectly fine to have a 5th infielder?
That seems like the very definition of an illegal shift.
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Rule is a minimum of four players on the infield, at least two on either side of second.
It was more of a rhetorical question pointing out how fucking stupid shift regulations are, but I appreciate the response!
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It’s an interrogative statement, used to test knowledge. But that’s not important right now.
I’m just glad the rule allows 5-man infields. Those plays are always so much fun.
Apparently there was a shift violation somewhere yesterday.
I’ll see if I can find it.
Here it is. 2B holding a runner on base.
https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1669171503466790912?t=ZDylYmhr_cwNYhZmZWyWUg&s=19
That’s what made me think about having 5 infielders vs. shifting, actually.
Orange bag at first has been in use in senior softball for many years. If there is a play at first, the runner must go to the orange bag. The runner is out if he touches the white bag regardless of what happens with the throw. MLB might as well go ahead and implement another senior softball rule.
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