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Man, my head hurts after reading this explanation:


CHICAGO -- Umpire Bill Miller provided an explanation Monday for a wild sequence during St. Louis' 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs that added another layer of drama to the Cardinals' 16th straight win.

A request was made for an explanation after Sunday's game, but a spokesman for the Cubs said it was declined. Miller said there was a miscommunication with the attendant and the request was never relayed to the umpires.

The play occurred after St. Louis reliever Giovanny Gallegos walked pinch hitter Austin Romine and Rafael Ortega with one out in the ninth.

Frank Schwindel then popped up, and third-base umpire Gabe Morales called him out because of the infield fly rule. But third baseman Nolan Arenado slipped while trying to catch the ball, and the runners took off when it landed in the infield grass.

Arenado threw to shortstop Paul DeJong covering third, and DeJong threw to second for what the Cardinals thought was a game-ending double play. But there is no forceout when the infield fly rule is called.

Ortega walked off second and was tagged by second baseman Tommy Edman, but he was put back on the base.

"They throw the ball to second base and this is where the confusing part comes in," said Miller, the crew chief who worked the plate on Sunday. "The second-base umpire, Doug Eddings, did not realize an infield fly was called, and so they throw the ball to second base, he called that guy out, Ortega. From first base, he called him out on a force play.

"Ortega thinks he's out, game's over, whatever it is, walks off the base. And so now (Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is) yelling at whoever to tag the runner, and so before that runner was tagged, Doug says 'Timeout, timeout,' because he knows the runner left the base because he called him out."

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt then came out on the field to argue and was ejected by Miller.

"Then the argument on Shildt's part was, he didn't understand that Doug had called him out on a force play, so he thought Doug called time prematurely so he couldn't be tagged," Miller said. "He didn't realize that he left the base because Doug had called him out."

Speaking after the win, Shildt called it a matter of timing.

"Timing wasn't on our side," Shildt said. "Clearly took exception with it. They were OK with that, for the most part."

The ruling left the Cubs with runners on second and third with two out. But Gallegos struck out Ian Happ swinging to close out the win.


DAMN Infield Fly Rule's gonna kill us all!


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Another odd play happened in yesterday's BOS-NYY game. Christian Vazquez caught an Aaron Judge foul tip for strike 3, which then dropped out of his glove when he tried to transfer the ball to his other hand.

I was ruled a dropped third strike (un "unreviewable play"), and naturally, Judge hit a two-run double later in the at-bat.

That was just wrong: If an infielder drops the ball in transferring it from glove to hand, the out is counted...should be the same for a catcher.


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I don't disagree but apparently there is a difference between a batted ball and one that is thrown, in the infield anyway. So if a middle infielder receives a throw and then maybe drops it before transferring it to his throwing hand the play can be reviewed, but if a line drive is hit to an infielder who, in his haste to double up a baserunner drops or maybe drops it while going to his throwing hand, the ump's call of catch or no catch cannot be reviewed. I'm not saying I agree with that rule nor do I claim 100% certainty that I stated it correctly, but that is really the only distinction I can see. If so, I guess the fact that the bat hit the ball makes it a catch/no catch decision that cannot be reviewed.

As for the infield fly rule, that was just an umpire snafu, and I would expect Eddings to be quietly punished. That play was about as obvious an example of when the infield fly should be called as you will ever see. There is no reasonable explanation for Eddings not being aware that the rule was in play, and all umpires are supposed to raise their arm to signal it once it has been called.

What is surprising to me is how ignorant the baserunners acted, and in that sense, Eddings' blunder should not excuse their idiocy. Even the runner going to third thought he was out, as did the runner from first. Neither understood that they had no obligation to run and that they should stay put or easily be tagged out. Come to think of it, the fielders were really no smarter, except for Goldschmidt. The SS who took the throw at third base should have tagged the incoming runner rather than act as if he had accomplished a forceout, and the 2B too acted as if he need not tag the runner until Goldschmidt screamed at him to do so. Baseball 101.