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Forum: Talk Rays
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Joe Maddon made his point about the controversial out call on B.J. Upton in the sixth inning and left it at that. But what a point it was.
Here was Maddon’s monologue on Jerry Meals calling Upton out for an alleged turn toward second base after beating out an infield hit:
“It’s unconscionable. That can’t happen. It’s wrong. On every level, it’s wrong. And furthermore, to have the crew chief [Gary Darling] come over and tell me it was the right call really got me upset. There’s no room for that. That call can’t happen. That is a fabricated call. I don’t know what he saw. The rulebook is very plain on it and it was nowhere near the rulebook interpretation of that being an attempt to go to second base. It’s in a crucial part of the game, you’ve got a pennant in the balance, and to make that call at that point, a fabricated call, to me, cannot happen. I understand where people miss calls – close calls get missed, balls and strikes, whatever. But to make something up is wrong and then to be validated by the crew chief really got me upset.”
At that point, someone tried to ask a follow-up question but was cut off by Maddon.
“I’m not going to say anything more about it. I can’t explain it any more clearly than that. That’s exactly what happened, it was the wrong call, I made my point and then the crew chief attempted to validate the call and I totally disagree with that on every level. Period.”
Updating with crew chief Gary Darling’s response to a pool reporter:
“He made an attempt to run to second base. Little jab step and a shoulder I’ve called guys out for less.”
When told about Maddon’s pointed comments on the matter, Darling declined to reads the comments or make any general reply.
Posted by Andy of Dunedin, Dunedin, FL on 08/20 at 12:10 PM
Gary Darling : “He <Upton> made an attempt to run to second base. Little jab step and a shoulder I’ve called guys out for less.”
So, the way I read the crew chief’s response : “Hey, the ump who made the call is not as crummy at his job as I am!”
Not much of a defense if you ask me.
Someone should have tossed Jerry Meals out of the game, too.
Posted by Steve, Kentucky on 08/20 at 10:32 AM
I’m pretty sure that they are.
Posted by Steve, Orlando,Fl on 08/20 at 04:23 AM
MLB’s umpires are getting worse and worse every year.Shouldn’t they be reviewed in their job performance just like we all are in our jobs?
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Posted by Bert Cole, Lutz, FL on 08/20 at 04:26 PM
Gary Darling is a liar, and incompetent to boot. I can’t put it any plainer than that. Joe Maddon was absolutely right when he called it a fabrication.
When is MLB going to do something about this? In 40 years of watching baseball this is undoubtedly the worst call I’ve ever seen. There’s simply no excuse for it.