Last night home-plate umpire Jerry Meals made a controversial ruling that in the 19-inning Pirates catcher Michael McKenry missed Julio Lugo as he slid toward the plate. It gave the Braves a 4-3 win. Many say it was a blown call.
After the game Meals would only go so far as to say he “might” have missed the call. This was his explanation of what he saw.
“I saw the tag, but he looked like he oléd him and I called him safe for that,” Meals said. “I looked at the replays and it appeared he might have got him on the shin area. I’m guessing he might have got him, but when I was out there when it happened, I didn’t see a tag.
“I just saw the glove sweep up. I didn’t see the glove hit his leg.”
What do you think? Was he safe or out?
5 comments
TRS86
7/27/2011-4:00pm at 4:00 pm (UTC -4)
There is about as much chance that he was safe as the Mets keeping Beltran.
Mr North Jersey
7/27/2011-4:09pm at 4:09 pm (UTC -4)
I’m going to go against the popular opinion and give the benefit of the doubt to the ump. I don’t see clear evidence that he missed the tag but if he did tag his leg he just grazed it with his glove cause I can’t tell by replay that there was clear contact. The angle suggests he did but that is about the best i can say.
MetsFan4Decades
7/27/2011-5:35pm at 5:35 pm (UTC -4)
Thing is though, since the ball beat the runner by a mile, unless the ump was 100% sure no tag was made, you have to give the benefit to the catcher there and call him out.
SaltyGary
7/27/2011-4:17pm at 4:17 pm (UTC -4)
Worst call in at least 10 years.
MetsFan4Decades
7/27/2011-5:34pm at 5:34 pm (UTC -4)
The correct call was out.
I’ve looked at this from several different angles and most clearly show the tag being made.
I realize this was bang/bang but come on, the ump was standing right on top of the play. Have no idea how he missed that. And he just about admitted it after reviewing the play. He said something like, ‘well the tag was made, but that’s not the way I saw it at the time’.