VIDEO: Beyond Embarrassing: Minnesota Twins SCREWED by Overturned Call

[Tom Froemming]

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was livid over a ridiculous overturned call on a play at the plate in extra innings of today's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Here are some of Baldelli's comments as well as several highlights of the play, a reaction from a Twins fan on the call and discussion on the home plate collision rules.

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[Whitey333]

Questionable call?  Yes it was.  It was a very surprising in call due to the lack of evidence and almost never is the catcher called for illegal blocking even in obvious cases.  Rocco was right to argue and his comments after the game, partly fueled by growing frustrations, I'm sure will cost him a substantial fine.  But it's a little stretch to blame the loss on that.  Twins did a great job coming back in a game that at the start was going to be a blow out win for the Jays.  They just, again, couldn't get clutch hits in key situations.  It's a little convenient to blame the loss on that one play at home.  A call that was amateurish at best.  But that is major league umpiring as a whole:  amateur

[MGM4706]

Rocco arguing was amusing. The guy he argued with agreed with him and called him safe. He can't change the Replay Booth. Why argue with him?

[Sparky55]

If you get a chance watch a similar play in the pirates/orioles game where the catcher blocked the plate more than Sanchez did and they did not call him for interference. Aren't the same people in NY making the calls?

[Otto von Ballpark]

56 minutes ago, Sparky55 said:

If you get a chance watch a similar play in the pirates/orioles game where the catcher blocked the plate more than Sanchez did and they did not call him for interference. Aren't the same people in NY making the calls?

The Pirates/Orioles yesterday had an out call overturned, just like the Twins call:

Video: Greg Allen safe after challenge

Unless you are referring to a different play?

[Thebigalguy]

The bigwigs don't want the Twins to win the division. We'll see more calls like this down the line when the referees can get away with it. Not that it matters: they should have won the game in the bottom of the ninth. But not to worry: this is the week the Twins either prove themselves against the best team in MLB or find themselves in second place come next weekend. 

[Platoon]

Fortunately nothing else happened in the three plus preceding hours that changed the outcome of the game! ???

[killebrewlover]

C'mon already.  If the Twins were a better team, they wouldn't find themselves in these situations as often, AND, wouldn't be arguing about calls after the game was over.  Grow up.  They're an average team in a bad division and are hanging on for dear life.

[RpR]

The MLB wizards did crap on the Twins but that does not mean the Twins may have still lost the game.

[MinnInPa]

according to the rules both runners should be safe in the Twins and Pirates games..both catchers were straddling the plate prior to the ball getting there..just what the rule is for

[USAFChief]

1 hour ago, MinnInPa said:

according to the rules both runners should be safe in the Twins and Pirates games..both catchers were straddling the plate prior to the ball getting there..just what the rule is for

"I'm not sure I agree with ya 100 percent on your police work there, Lou."

[Platoon]

This play is simply indicative of what has happened to MLB the past 10 years or so.  A lot of it is caused by the administrators of the game. But some of what they decree is also caused by us the fans. We are the ones who expect perfection from human beings. We think umpires (or referees as someone posted) should be flawless. We want instant replay for everything with the exception of the players scratching themselves in the dugout. When it takes ten minutes and 14 looks at a play and it STILL can’t be clearly determined, then that’s what the umpire is for. An arbiter.  BTW, it’s not easy making your living deciding whether a 92mph slider nipped the lower outside 3/8” of the plate. 
 

The two  plays shown, here and Pittsburg were similar. Obviously one was called wrong. Which one? Who knows. The rule is so stupid that’s it’s almost impossible to consistently enforce. Frankly I agree that the play was correctly called by the plate ump. The catcher had to be in position to catch the ball, which he was, and he made the tag. Same thing in Pittsburg. But it’s not the call that was bad, it’s the rule that is stupid. 
.

Make it so a slide into a catcher with intent to knock him over to jar the ball loose is an automatic out. It won’t be any more confusing than this, and it allows the catcher to be a catcher. 
 

One last thing, enough with the umpires and big wigs in NY hate the Twins. Sheesh! While I am pretty sure most umpires could give a rats behind who wins, I can guarantee the wheels in NY love the Twins. Think about it!