The Worst Call of the Year

by
May 2, 2012

In today’s Rockies-Dodgers game, Jerry Hairston hit a groundball to third base. The throw pulled Todd Helton off the bag. Strike that – the throw pulled Todd Helton out of the vicinity of the bag. Tim Welke still called Hairston out.

Here’s a screengrab of where Helton was when he caught it.

Seriously, MLB, expanded use of replay. For the love of God, expanded use of replay.





 

Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.

227 Comments
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Kyle
11 years ago

Is this real life?

27
Albert Lyu
11 years ago
Reply to  Kyle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs?

-57
Brandon Warne
11 years ago
Reply to  Albert Lyu

My favorite part is where David goes “RAWR” and then passes out, more or less.

-12
Max
11 years ago
Reply to  Kyle

Nah, it’s just fantasy. Thank God.

0
jorgath
11 years ago
Reply to  Max

Are they caught in a landslide?

3
Nevin
11 years ago
Reply to  Max

No escape from reality.
Open your eyes!

1
David
11 years ago
Reply to  Kyle

Bad calls are a part of baseball. It’s the way the game is. Whatever. A call is a call. An umpire misses a strike, a close play is called out. This game isn’t based on technical input. It’s based on an umpires mind and what he thinks. If everything is under replay in the MLB, the games would probably last close to 7 hours. How many double plays are actually double plays? And ps, every first basemen pulls.

-69
chuckbmember
11 years ago
Reply to  David

You honestly think this call should stand?

At the very least, the 1B umpire should have asked the home plate ump for help.

4
Brandon H
11 years ago
Reply to  David

I agree with David here, while this call is blatant what do we do about the closer ones? The other night in the Nats-D’Backs game there was a really close one that the ump missed (http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/WashingtonPost/Content/Blogs/dc-sports-bog/StandingArt/harperthrow0512a.jpg?uuid=wP4jopRYEeGBW6iVzwEIbg) should that have been reviewed? What about all the times a game at first or second where there are close plays with either the defender missing the bag or the runner beating the ball?

Calls are missed, it’s part of the game. It’s part of any competition. Balls and strikes are a much bigger deal and have a much higher frequency of misses, imagine going to instant replay 45 times a game?

-20
Garrett
11 years ago
Reply to  David

Technology for the players have gotten better, broadcast technology has gotten better, the games have changed. There is nothing wrong with integrating a system where bad calls like this can be changed. Mabye we start with each manager getting one play call that they can have replayed. We see how long this takes to a game (on a play like this, if you have a replay official and his own hookup – maybe a handfull of minutes.) Do that for a season – and see if we really affect the pacing of baseball (a game that allows two different pitchers to work at two different paces and affects game speed in inordinate ways). If it that is as far as it goes – something like this would have preserved the no hitter last year – fixed this very aggregious call – AND think about the time this REMOVES from a manager running in and arguing with an umpire. They just hit their review button, let the play get reviewed, and then they stay in the dugout – and don’t have to worry about the argument or getting tossed. There is just in my opinion nothing wrong with putting in a system that allows for bad calls to be fixed.

5
Brian
11 years ago
Reply to  David

Then where do baby first basemen come from?

6
AA
11 years ago
Reply to  David

Dude, that call wasn’t even close

0