Umpire Odds & Ends: Umpire Injury

[cascreamindude]

Crew Chief Jerry Layne (24) was injured in the Top of the 2nd inning with one on and no outs of the Cubs-Rockies game. Layne was the 1B umpire for the opener of the series when a Carlos Pena line drive struck him in the lower leg. He stayed on the ground for a few minutes while being assisted by Rockies' trainers. Eventually, Layne was able to walk

Comments

Crazy play

[anonymous]

Off topic, but this needs to get posted in the "Odds and Ends" category

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13867701

Re: Crazy play

[jontlaw]

The final answer in the game replay was a balk.

It could be that they got him for throwing to an unoccupied base. It could also be that they got him for delaying the game. DeJesus had to go back because, while it looks and sounds like the throw got his shoe, it can't be called a pitch because Verlander disengaged the pitching plate.

I sure would love to hear Verlander's explanation for that silliness. Did you see he way the catcher was looking at him? Priceless!

Re: Crazy play

[anonymous]

There is no way that Verlander could be balked for throwing to an unoccupied base... he was already off the rubber. I would suggest that maybe, they said he made a motion naturally associated with his pitch while off the rubber. To me though, that looked like a legal (albeit) entirely bizarre) play, given that Verlander had disengaged.

Re: Crazy play

[jontlaw]

My assignor said that he was balked for moving part of his body to first before going home. Nothing about that video looked like his normal pitching motion.

Re: Crazy play

[anonymous]

Any pitcher that simulates the pitching motion while not in contact with the pitcher's plate is considered a balk.

Re: Crazy play

[jontlaw]

Throwing home does not, in and of itself, simulate the pitching motion. If there had been a runner coming in from third, disengaging and throwing would have been the correct move,

Re: Crazy play

[anonymous]

But that is not what happened.