I’m blaming this on the Molinas. If they weren’t so slow, and if Bengie had never learned to hit, the Angels might just be up 2-0 and the series, would, in essence, be over.
But Bengie learned how to hit well enough that he’s the Angels’ righthanded DH. Jose is just as slow as his brother so when he singled in the eighth a pinch runner ended his night. That meant that Mike Scioscia had a choice to make. He could move Bengie back behind the plate and lose the DH or just use former Sock and Cub, Josh Paul to catch. Since he convinced his GM to give him three catchers on the postseason roster and since the game seemed destined to go on for hours and hours he used Paul.
By now, everyone, even casual baseball fans who went to bed after another mind-numblingly poorly written episode of Invasion have seen how the game ended.
Kelvim Escobar finished off his third scoreless inning of work with a strikeout of AJ Eyechart. Home plate umpire Doug Eddings called AJ out. Then AJ ran to first and Eddings let him stay there.
The pitch was pretty obviously caught by Josh Paul, who didn’t feel the need to tag AJ since Paul figured, “Hey, I caught it, the ump called him out, I need to get in the dugout to prepare for my 10th inning pop-out.”
AJ Eyechart might be the most overrated player in Chicago baseball history, and that’s saying something. He’s a poor defensive catcher (watch how he gives a target then drops his glove on every pitch as the ball is in the air, it’s awful), has no speed, can’t get on base and doesn’t have any power. But one thing he is good at is being aggravating. It’s his thing. It’s why there are photos of him all over the Internet hitting on women who look like they’d just as soon lick Jose Contreras on the neck.
AJ tried to pull a fast one last night, and it worked.
The replays showed Eddings not only signal that AJ’s swing had missed but he clearly called AJ out. He gave a fist pump pointed at AJ.
Eyechart said in the postgame that he figured he’d give it a shot because last year in a game he thought he’d caught a third strike and walked to the mound in San Francisco to talk to Jason Schmidt only to look over and see the runner cruising, safely, into first. That was a hell of a play last night by AJ, and you certainly can’t blame a guy for trying it. The guy you can blame is Eddings.
Should Paul have tagged AJ just to be sure? Sure he could have. But does Derrek Lee tag out every runner at first after he’s caught the ball for a force out? If I’m Bengie Molina tomorrow night, I tag out every Sox batter on every strike three all night.
The reason this is Eddings’ fault is that he had a second chance to make the right call after he’s made the right call, then changed it to wrong. In the replay Fox showed from the camera behind home plate you can see Eddings call AJ out, and you can see both Escobar and first baseman Darin Erstad both wait to see him call AJ out before they run off the field. Eddings had to know that when Pierzynski took off for first that the only reason he’d be safe is because the Angels knew that Eddings had already called him out and were leaving the field.
The umpires’ defense is that Eddings always calls strikes the same way, so that all he was indicating was strike three, not necessarily the out. But then ESPN showed a replay of the other dropped third strike call Eddings had last night, it involved, curiously enough, Bengie Molina. Molina strikes out and Eddings does nothing. Pierzynski tags him and then he calls Molina out. That’s not what he did in the ninth inning last night. If his “mechanic” was the same for every strike he screwed up on one of the two calls because he didn’t make a strike or out call on one, and he did on another. Besides, who needs to make a strike call on a missed full swing?
Lost in the hubub (yes, hubub) was the reality that while the Sox got a gift win (their first run scored when Jarrod Washburn threw an easy comebacker way over Darrin Erstad’s head in the first inning), the home team has a huge advantage in extra inning games (though the Sox struggled in extra inning games at the Cell this year, most home teams win 60 percent of extra inning affairs.) So when the Angels were unable to scratch a second run before the end of their half of the ninth, chances were they were doomed anyway. They needed to split the games at the Cell to get an edge in the series and they did that. A 2-0 lead would have been commanding, especially going back to the land of the thundersticks and the rally monkey for three games, but you get the feeling the Angels are leading the series 1-1 anyway, considering the Sox threw their two best pitchers and the Angels used a guy who throws 48 miles an hour and another guy fresh off a bout with the bubonic plague. You have to like 2002 World Series MVP John Lackey and ‘there’s no place like home’ rookie pitcher Ervin Santana in the next two.
But isn’t it curious that the Sox have won a pair of home playoff games this year thanks to mistakes by their former players? Tony Graffanino botched the double play that killed the Red Sox in game two, and then Josh Paul last night?
Something tells me, though, that the Angels will even the score at least once off of former Halo pitcher Bobby Jenks.
Wait a minute…..I’m the most over-rated player in Chicago history
Kerry was saying he’s overrated and I was saying he’s underrated, but then everybody says he’s overrated, so he can’t be overrated anymore, he’s underrated now.
As I mentioned on the message board last night, Eddings made the proper signal for a dropped third strike initially (as shown at the top of this page), but then he made an out signal. Obviously, you don’t make the out signal unless you’re calling the guy out. Had he just left his right arm out and moved out and up toward first, it wouldn’t have been nearly as controversial. Also, good umpires give the catcher the benefit of the doubt on that type of play and unless they have CLEAR evidence (hearing and/or seeing the ball hit the dirt), it’s a clean catch. There’s no way with 40,000 people hollering that you can hear that. And a major league catcher, even a journeyman like Josh Paul, knows when they’ve caught it clean. It was a botched call that shouldn’t have happened. Eddings created his own trouble.
Um…did someone say over-rated?
Are we starting the over rated talk again? You guys woke me up
I rarely talk, Ryno, but that title’s mine.
Really #3, last night I said that was the correct sign for “no contact”. Wow, you really know your stuff, you must be a high school umpire.
We don’t hold our people accountable, just like any other union. We’re not sure why everybody is making a big deal about this, you people don’t matter to us.
If Paul would have tagged AJ, like he should have, this would be pointless. How many times have you seen an infielder catch a ball close to the ground but throw to first base anyway? I’ve also seen plenty of catchers tag the runner in a similiar situation just to play it safe. Im not arguing that the ump had nothing to do with this, its just that the catcher caught the ball with his glove on the ground. Its not like it was a high pitch. He should have tagged the runner.
Yes #4, someone did say over-rated. Now where’s my gold glove?…I totally desreve one, and if you believe that, Korey wants his silver slugger award.
That’s right…Josh Friggin Paul…enough said.
Don’t worry, baseball fans. Lt. Drebin will take care of Eddings.
What about my baserunning??? Have you ever seen anyone make the FIRST out of an inning at home plate?? I went to the Cubs school of baserunning!!
Guys, I’m at the top of the over rated list and I’ve very proud to be at the top with all the greats:
Kerry Wood
Mark Prior
Gary Scott
Mark Grace
Calvin Sciraldi
Aramis Ramirez
Ryno…..and the list keeps on growing.
Joey Cora channeling the spirit of Wavin’ Wendell last night on that Rowand play
We need Rowand. Did you see the way he kept the bases unclogged? I’ve got to teach taht to my guys at spring traing next year!!!
Does anyone else think that if the Sox win it all, that maybe the Cubs (aka Tribune Co.) might be motivated to win something soon. I cant imagine Cubs fans putting up with a succesful run on the south side. I mean nobody goes to Sox park, they dont rank in team merchandise, they arent the lovable losers the Cubs are. The Cubs probably make twice as much money as the Sox. If this Chicago outcast team could win it all, what then would be the Cubs excuse?
Didn’t Mr. Eyechart leave me before he ran to first?
Hmm, so Eddings, a no-contact swing call is not a strike, when? And that fist-pump a full three seconds after Pierzynski swung and missed was just the strike call?
I would have tagged AJ.
Barrett would not have.
What’s that tell you?
Everyone in Chicago wearing World Champion Sox merchandise, a baseball celebration in Grant Park, next year the Sox games are sold out as the city adopts them as their team. Meanwhile, after the Cubs have signed every washed up 40 year old ex all-star and have started six games under .500 after 14 games, 6,000 Cubs fans watch at Wrigley Field.
#21 is me. Except for the part about the Cubs signing every washed up 40 year old ex all-star – that could happen. Dusty would be happy then.
I am the only person in the complete world that would say a HALL OF FUCKING FAMER is overrated.
Actually 21, if the sox make it to the series, and with breaks like last night they might, they have no chance to beat us.
White Sox vs Cardinals………who would we root for?
No problem, kiddies. We’re just going to be the first team to pull off a FIVE game sweep in a best of seven series.
And since we’re in Anaheim now, I think we’ll stay there and play our next five games there, win all five, fly to Houston and take 2 more from Phil Garner’s mustache at the juicebox.
I’m how long AJ Pierzynski has been in Chicago. Calling him “the most overrated player in Chicago baseball history” is reactionary crybabying nonsense. This is a good idea if Molina wants to look like a whimpering crybaby for a national audience:
“If I’m Bengie Molina tomorrow night, I tag out every Sox batter on every strike three all night.”
I’m siding with the Angels, so Bengie Molina won’t be crying, he’ll be protesting a shitty call, at least in our view.
Besides, the Angels will win the series. No way does this umpiring crew want the notoriety.
Sure, it’s not like I said things like:
“For my money, AJ’s the best catcher in the game.”
Or,
“The reason the Sox pitching is so good is that, and DJ, I said this about him when he was in Minnesota, that AJ is the best game caller I’ve ever seen.”
Nah. I never said that. Of course, I also said Joe Crede is the best third sacker in the land.
Yeah, Doug, and I call college games, too. And I’ve never made a screwed-up call like you did and then start covering your ass from the time AJ hit first base. The only reason you’re working an ALCS after just six years in the bigs is due to rotation, not performance. That’s what a good union does: looks out for the incompetent worker.
The New Madras Fault.
What sucks about this is: Here Comes Instant Replay.
The future: all of us on here in eight months, bitching about the fact that Dusty never throws the red flag out, even on obvious missed calls, and when he does throw it out, it’s usually to argue that Neifi Perez beat the throw at first, even though he is out, on average, by a step and a half each time. Dude.
I could be useful in baseball. Not the way the NFL does it, with coachs’ requests, but by another official, off the field, on any close play. Not some mandatory 90 second time frame, but just an informal review of a close play and then a quick signal or page or carrier pigeon to the head of the crew to correct the call.
We plan on starting to actually hit on Friday. You’ve been warned.
Doug Eddings 88
MAJOR LEAGUE SERVICE TIME: 6 Years
CAREER: Joined the Major League staff in 1999…has worked the Division Series (2000, 02) and the 2004 All-Star Game…attended Wendelstedt’s Umpire School (1989)…was the home plate umpire for Cal Ripken Jr.’s last Major League game (10/6/01)…previously umpired in the Arizona League (1989), Florida State League (1990-91), Eastern League (1992-93), Texas League (1994), International League (1995-96), Pacific Coast League (1997-98), Dominican League (1994 and 1995) and Venezuelan League (1995). PERSONAL: Douglas Eddings…born on September 14, 1968 in Las Cruces, NM…currently resides in Las Cruces, NM…single…attended New Mexico State University… began umpiring Little League games at the age of 14…enjoys golf, working out and riding his Harley-Davidson…would want to be a Secret Service agent if he was not an umpire.
“Riding his Harley”? Now we know why he’d favor the Sox.
I wish more people would remember my 3 games with the Cubs amidst the magic of the 2003 season.
Dave, you aren’t one of the cheating homers that Augustana gets to ump their home games are you?
Hey, my fan club page has finally been updated!
http://www.hankwhitefanclub.com
How bout whatever Molina is catching tags out every Sox batter after a K the rest of the series. I wonder if umps would actually start to care or make right calls if players and managers found little things like that to make statements and hold them accountable before a national TV audience.
The reality is that what I hope is a squeamish Doug Eddings stomach should be put on a tilt-o-whirl at Mach 10 by the Angels every game the rest of the series. I’d love to see him have to leave the field of play and puke in a dugout because he can’t take being *rightfully* shown up. Maybe Anaheim can cue up a graphic of the rally monkey infecting him with ebola and then show a scene from Outbreak.
It’s just like if I ever saw a ref from the Illinois/Arizona regional game walking around, carrying something, I’d hammer them on the forearm as hard as I could, watch as they dropped it and then ask them if that was a foul.
But I digress. I hope Eddings gets a foul line assignment and that there are a good number of intoxicated, foul-mouthed Anaheim fans who will do anything short of running on the field. Blow a call like that – you get anything short of being physically attacked that’s coming. Unless it’s to protest basketball refs not calling hacks – then you get one good shot to/grabbing of the forearm. :-)
#38, you are one wacky, angry chick.
New Madrid Fault, although personally I would prefer a tornado.
A nameless centerfield purposely lets the twister get a step on him (half-edmunds), just to make it dramatic. He mis-times and is sucked up into the vortex (he actually might like that) and thrown into the river.
http://stlouis.about.com/cs/maps/a/newmadrid.htm
Cubs Fan in PA: You seem to have some issues. I am the world’s first analrapist and could help you.
Did the Tribune publish Eddings’ home/work addresses and phone numbers today?
Chris Bootcheck? Bootch? Come here, and take off that Notre Dame hat when you work out in the Auburn weight room, boy! Yeah, let me grab that hat. Oh shit, those free weights fell on your right hand. It’s broken? Uh, tough break kid.
Don’t worry. I’ll have some speaks with the umpire!
MLB Rules
APPROVED RULING OF 7.08 (a). APPROVED RULING: When a batter becomes a runner on third strike not caught, and starts for his bench or position, he may advance to first base at any time before he enters the bench. To put him out, the defense must tag him or first base before he touches first base.
To Bitter ex-college Coach, I haven’t worked an Augie home game. I think I may have had them on the road. The assigning of umpires in this area is done by a centralized assigner now, so the ADs don’t hire all their own guys anymore. It definitely makes their job easier.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Eddings gets pulled from the rest of the ALCS. First, for his own protection (he would be on the LF line for Game 3 and in RF for Game 4) and any call he makes against the Sox now would look like retaliation. I’m not saying I agree, I’m just saying it might happen.
You should see what happens when I really get angry. I turn all green and muscular. Like Lou Feregno did in that one movie. You know, that Hulk one or something.
I was going for over the top. I guess I went too far over… but I do like the idea of tagging every Choke Sux out on a 3rd strike, dropped or not, for the rest of the series.
Thanks from #18…
“I am the only person in the complete world that would say a HALL OF FUCKING FAMER is overrated.”
Well, you could talk about me and be right.
Me too, Phil.
Don’t forget me.
There are no overrated players in the Hall of Fame. Period. Except maybe all the other second basemen besides myself.
Lets let Prior get 5 years under his belt before we call him overrated….
And Ryno? I’d take him at 2B every day of the week….morans…..ARAM?
Wow….someone has been taking their cynical pills…
Looks like the ALCS has been cancelled.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/41612
Gee, if I’d have started Sutcliffe in Game 4, none of this hell would’ve befallen us. Up yours, Scott Sanderson, you big pussy!!
And if Dusty was smart enough to get me up in the bullpen around, oh the third or fourth inning of Game 7, maybe we’d have a World Series title under our belt. I tell Dusty, “I must keel the Marlins,” but he tells me , “No. Mark Guthrie, dude, he’ll kill the Marlins. He has more experience.” I keel Dusty for you now.