10/12 Angels @ White Sox ALCS Game 2

[Bosox21]

He made the fist pump on all strikes. The fist pump couldnt have confused Paul either since he never looked back at the ump. You would think when theump didnt say Your out, Paul would have known what was going on. I think had there been a starting catcher in there that wouldnt of happened last night. Instead he saw the other guys running oof the field and aussumed the inning was over, but if you dont hear your out from the ump the inning isnt over.

[MarinersFan87]

I don't get it. The batter swings. Paul catches the ball. Infield sees that the strike 3 is called. Why wouldn't everyone run off the field? Why should Paul fire the ball down to first? And when did the ump decided that Paul dropped the ball? Sure seems like he decided it when AJ got to first.

[Hmark6]

I guess I agree with that. No one here can comment on what the umpire did or did not say, so I wouldnt go there.

Put it on the umpire, put it on Paul, or give AJ credit for pulling a fast one. But don't tell me the ball bounced and it was a clean play. I TiVo'ed the play for about 20 minutes (nothing better to do last night) I saw every angle and the only people that saw the ball bounce are the people that wanted to see it bounce. Even Helen Keller doesn't think the ball bounced.

[DirtyKash]

[Bosox21]

All Im saying is Paul shouldnt rely on his team running off the field to tell him the batter was out, he should have listened for the ump to say your out, before tossing the ball. As the saying goes, when in doubt tag him out.

[DirtyKash]

I'm about ready for QuesTec. Put in a machine and have an umpire enforce whatever the machine calls.

[Hmark6]

[love_that_reefer]

Paul clearly caught the ball or else he would have tagged him. Paul is a pro and knows what to do when the ball bounces into the glove. Also the ump did the pump fist and he was out and then reversed the call. Baseball tonight did a replay of an earlier play where Pierzynski got a third strike on a bounced and tagged the runner and it was the same motion. If he were just calling a strike then he would have had two fist pumps to call the strike and then the tag but he didn't. The ump blew the call and he himslef said he never saw it. Catchers don't just throw the ball out to the mound if it bounced. It just doesn't happen.

[Hmark6]

That's true, but I don't think you can let Paul off the hook entirely. I think those responsible for this situation are:

First and foremost:

Home plate umpire, Doug Eddings.

Second and to a lesser degree:

The rest of the umpiring crew. There's 5 other umps out there, someone else had to see this play and either reinforce Eddings call, or overrule it. They did neither during or after the game, and I thought after the game their silence was deafening.

Third and marginally:

Josh Paul. Tie game. Ninth inning. ALCS. Close call. Just plop a tag on AJ and your out of the inning.

Fourth and finally:

AJ Pierzynski for pulling a fast one on the Angels.

[love_that_reefer]

See I can't put any blame on Paul. In his mind it was a no brainer. He caught the ball and he was ready to get his team in the dugout for the 10th. Now looking back he wishes he would have tagged him but MLB catchers just don't do what Paul did if he knew he didn't catch it. It was a Major League **** up. The ump said himself he didn't see it so why overturn your call? You have to go with the catcher and react to what he did. The guy had beenumping for a while and he knows now that he ****ed up and eventually cost the Sox the game.

[love_that_reefer]

Skip Bayless said the ball bounced so now I know that it didn't and it is clear that it didn't. Thanks Skip for being wrong.....AGAIN!!!

[Bosox21]

It doesnt matter if you think you caught the ball, you put the tag on. Just cause your a pro doesnt mean you dont make mistakes. Baseball tonight said the fist usually means out but last night it was his STRIKE call. Look back when he called Konerko out on strikes, and Pualy got pissed cause he thought the ump was showing im up with his gesture, that is a strike out call.

[love_that_reefer]

But again they showed a replay on a ball dropped and Pierzynski put the tag on and he did the same gesture. It was his OUT call. If it was just his strike three call, he would have done the fist pump twice. He ****ed up and not Paul. Why should a ML catcher tag someone when he CAUGHT the ball? MLB catchers don't make mistakes like that especially in a playoff game in the 9th inning. Here is a great quote from Molina:

"No. You're not going to tag the batter or throw to first if you know you caught the ball. No catcher would do that.''

[MarinersFan87]

It doesnt matter if you think you caught the ball, you put the tag on. Just cause your a pro doesnt mean you dont make mistakes. Baseball tonight said the fist usually means out but last night it was his STRIKE call. Look back when he called Konerko out on strikes, and Pualy got pissed cause he thought the ump was showing im up with his gesture, that is a strike out call.

So you're saying on every strike out, when 1st base is open, the catcher should put the tag on the player?

Just making sure cuz I plan on coaching little league one day and I want to make sure I know all the basics of baseball.

[love_that_reefer]

It doesnt matter if you think you caught the ball, you put the tag on.

He didn't think he caught it, he knew it.