SPORTS "Controversial" Call Gives Sox Game 2
If you haven't seen it yet, you will. In the bottom of the ninth inning of the Sox/Angels game tonight, A.J. Pierzynski struck out swinging for the third out. But the Umpire didn't call A.J. out because the pitch possibly hit the dirt before being caught. On plays like that, the batter can run to first and won't be out. A.J. ran to first while the Angels started walking off the field: A.J. being safe at first. The controversy arises in the fact that the replays make it look like Angels catcher Josh Paul caught the ball out of the air. So Pierzynski should have been out. Here's where I stand: A.J. took advantage of the fact that the umpires are human and that humans make mistakes. The umpire made a mistake, but I can most certainly understand why he thought the ball was trapped. It's a very close call to begin with, and Paul caught the ball with his glove downside-up... making it difficult to tell if the ball hits the glove then the ground or the other way round. If baseball doesn't want human beings to factor into the game, they should work some kind of replay into the game. If they're not going to look into replay, they can't claim that any call made by an umpire is "unfair." Umpires, like all referees in all sports, make mistakes. Tonight's umpire mistake is completely understandable... and it's the Angels fault for not following through a routine play by tagging the runner on what might have been a trapped pitch. It happens all the time... even when the ball seems to be caught, the catcher tags the batter just to make sure. Paul should have tagged Pierzynski... he didn't follow through. Now, I fear that like Buckner (NOT the last game of the series [Game 6]) or Bartman (NOT the last game of the series [Game 6]), this call will be blamed if the Angels lose this series. That's a shame, as the Angels have up to five more games to overcome this "controversy." If the Angels lose this series, they only have themselves to blame. Regardless, Buehrle pitched an AMAZING complete game... and deserved the win. Let's hope the Sox can get three more. Go Sox!