Unbiased opinion. As I have no rooting interest in either team. Well, I'm not too big on the Sox, but indifferent enough, that I just wanna see some good ball from both teams here.
Personally, I think the interferece call, was probably wrong. Not as a result of the umpire, but a result of the rule being completely overwritten, to the point where interpretation can come into play.. The runner having been called safe, as a result of the interference call, was definitely correct though. I only say that it shouldn't have been called, because looking at it, as a result of the play at third, I really don't think there was anything either of them could've done to avoid that contact. If anything, Craig could've avoided getting tangled up there. As far as Middlebrooks legs coming up, I really don't think he threw them up. It appeared that he tried to bounce up after the dive, and slipped.. But I'll also agree, that the contact was more in the ass area, than legs, so where the legs went should be irrelevant. I'd chalk it up as "incidental contact". And from the specifications of the rule, it appears that they were trying to say that contact as a direct result of a clean play, should not constitute interference, but it looks a bunch of idiots wrote it.
Now, given that it's written the way it's written. I'd have probably been ok whether it was called or not, because honestly, I think both would've been correct. The whole situation is pretty crappy, and shouldn't have happened.. And I fault the morons that wrote the rule the way they did. Had the thing been cut and dry, with no possible interpretations, we would've gotten the absolute correct call, with no arguments from anyone. Because I think both sides have a legit argument here.
Having said that, it's still the World Series, fellas. It was an interesting game, and they gave us something we really hadn't seen before. Let's just enjoy the series. And from a guy with no rooting interest. Go Baseball!!!
|