October 5, 2012 – What Just Happened

There is nothing like a little bit of controversy to add more anxiety to an already stressful elimination game.

With two outs in a scoreless, second inning, Atlanta catcher, David Ross,  asked for time while batting. We don’t know exactly when he did so, but the home plate umpire granted that well after Kyle Lohse was into his delivery.  Lohse made the pitch and Ross swung and missed.  That would have ended the inning, but it didn’t count.  Lohse’s next pitch was hit deep into the outfield seats for a 2-0 Braves lead.  That did not thrill Cardinals fans watching the game.

At the time, that call appeared to be significant, but a three run rally in the fourth put the Cardinals in front, and the Kellogg call a distant memory.

As it turns out, the real controversy would come in the eighth inning.  With one out, and trailing 6-3, the Braves had runners on first and second base.  Shortstop Andrelton Simmons hits a fly ball to left field.  What happens next is very important, so let’s take this slowly.

At first, Cardinals left fielder, Matt Holliday, comes in to make the catch.   The left field umpire, Sam Holbrook is watching Holliday (correction: he’s actually watching the trajectory of the ball and turns to the fielders once it has started coming down).   So far so good, this looks like a routine fly out.

Then, Cardinals shortstop, Pete Kozma, calls off Holliday, thinking he has a better line on the fly ball.   Holbrook looks at Kozma and makes the judgement that either he or Holliday would reasonably catch the ball and raises his arm, indicating an Infield Fly Rule is in effect.  Kozma then stops and the ball drops harmlessly in between the two.

Let’s now take a look at the official rules of baseball, specifically Rule 2.00 – Definition of Terms.   You can find a copy for your own reading here.

An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted
bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.

When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall
immediately declare “Infield Fly” for the benefit of the runners. If the ball is near the
baselines, the umpire shall declare “Infield Fly, if Fair.”

The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or
retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. If the hit
becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul.

If a declared Infield Fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground, and bounces
foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball. If a declared Infield Fly falls
untouched to the ground outside the baseline, and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an Infield Fly.

In addition to the rule, there is also a comment to help guide the umpires, should an unusual set of circumstances arise.

On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infielder—not by some arbitrary limitation such as the
grass, or the base lines. The umpire must rule also that a ball is an infield fly, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire’s judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielder.

The infield fly is in no sense to be considered an appeal play. The umpire’s judgment must govern, and the decision should be made immediately.

When an infield fly rule is called, runners may advance at their own risk. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of Rule 6.05(l). The infield fly rule takes precedence.

So let’s apply some of this and see where we get.   I hope that you will see the umpires got this one right.

The obvious stuff – there were runners at first and second and less than two outs.   The ball in question was a fly ball, in fair territory, and not a line drive or a bunted ball.  So far, so good ?

Here’s where it gets tricky.   The infield fly was not called initially, because Pete Kozma was not initially in the play.   The instant he called off Matt Holliday, and positioned himself under the baseball during the downward portion of its trajectory, it tripped this part of the rule guidance.

On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infielder—not by some arbitrary limitation such as the
grass, or the base lines.

What some of the Braves fans in at the game did not understand, and apparently some more on Twitter, it is not where the catch is made, but who makes the catch.  But not so fast, because this unusual play also triggers this next part

The umpire must rule also that a ball is an infield fly, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire’s judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielder.

This is really the case where an outfielder is playing shallow, and comes up on an infielder.  But ….. the earlier guidance broadens this to any place on the field where an infielder is judged to have been able to reasonably made the play.  That is a huge area.

Applying that to our play in question, it is perfectly reasonable for Sam Holbrook to have thought either Kozma or Holliday makes that catch.  Holliday actually had the better position, but that doesn’t matter.  Once Kozma placed himself under the ball in a position to make the catch, the infield fly call should be made.   Contrary to popular belief, it does not matter where the catch is made, or wasn’t in this case.

As for the question of the lateness of the call, it didn’t become an infield fly rule until Pete Kozma put himself into the play.  If you watch the replay closely, once Kozma yells and waves his arms, Holbrook immediately made the call.  That satisfies

When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall
immediately declare “Infield Fly” for the benefit of the runners.

And here is the final piece that should end all discussion:

The infield fly is in no sense to be considered an appeal play. The umpire’s judgment must govern, and the decision should be made immediately.

As with every call an umpire makes, you can choose to question the umpire’s judgement.   What you can’t do is question the sequence of events that took place after the call.  That was all by the book.  Somebody should have supplied a copy of the MLB rules to the TBS broadcasters who missed many key points of this fascinating rule.

btw: camped out is nowhere to be found anywhere in the rules.

The original intent of the rule was to prevent infielder deception on a play, thus manipulating either the number of outs in the inning or the position or makeup of the remaining base runners.  That is consistent with some of the other rules, but the umpire is not required to make that type of judgement in this case.  All that matters is the runner positioning, the number of outs, the trajectory of the batted ball and the umpires judgement that either an infielder is in position to made that catch.   Jokes about Matt Holliday and routine catches are funny, but not applicable here.

I hope this clarifies this particular play.   I know that many of us have been critical of the umpires this season, and often it was for good reason.  This time they appear to have gotten it right.

Here is a link to the Harold Reynolds explanation of the play.

To close the book on this play, Fredi Gonzalez did file a protest with the umpires.  The league office ruled immediately and denied the protest.  The game score stands.  The Cardinals won the Wild Card elimination game, 6-3.