Ok, you have probably seen the play in Monday's Yankees/Blue Jays game. Derek Jeter steals third base and clearly avoids a tag by Blue Jay third baseman, Scott Rolen. Third base umpire, Marty Foster then "pretty emphatically" calls Jeter out.
Per the New Jersey Star Ledger, Jeter argues with Foster and says "He didn't tag me." Foster responds, according to Jeter, "He didn't have to. The ball beat you."
Joe Girardi comes on the field and on ESPN, you can clearly see Jeter tell him "He says the ball beat me." Girardi argues a bit and Foster tosses him. Between you and I, Foster knows at this point, that he has got some "splaining" to do after the game and was probably thinking the whole rest of the game of some creative way to get out of this mess.
After the game, Crew Chief, John Hirschbeck does not allow Foster to speak to the media (which should tell you something) and actually makes the situation a little worse by saying, "It would make (Jeter's) actions seem appropriate if that's what he was told. It used to be if the ball beat you, you were out, but it isn't that way anymore."
Hey Marty Foster and John Hirschbeck! Listen up! That play at third base is not and never was a force play. I know it requires a little effort to make sure a tag is applied but sorry, you have to do it. If you don't do this, it kind of makes you look well.....lazy. You also need to curb the arrogance more than a little bit as you simply cannot treat the rule book as an afterthought. This is not "Rules By Marty and John" tonight, you know. Frankly, I think Joe Girardi let you guys off easy by not protesting the game as the third base umpire decided on his own, in contradiction to the long-standing rules of baseball, that he would not allow Jeter to have any opportunity to score that inning and apparently admitted it. I know the protest rules are a bit complicated but this situation would seem to be one that cries out for a protest.
I wonder what other rules Marty Foster does not enforce because, I guess, well it is just too difficult.
*Does he bother worrying about balks? That is kind of difficult.
*If a hitter's bat shatters and a bunch of marbles fly out, does he just quickly scoop them up and hand them to the batboy? I mean that can really delay a game to deal with an illegal bat and probably triggers a report of some kind. That has got to suck.
*Does he go over ground rules with the managers before the game or does he just say "Hey, let's just see how this park plays. We will figure it out as we go along"?
*Has he redlined out portions of his own personal MLB rule book?
I guess Hirschbeck will escape suspension as while he did misstate a basic rule, in the end he did agree with Jeter, though in a weasel-like manner. I am all for giving suspensions to weasels but it just wouldn't work here.
Foster, on the other hand, does need a rest. I don't see an alternative. I don't know, 7 games?
For what it is worth, I do know that Marty Foster is going to watch tags at the bases closer from now on and obviously that is a good thing. Might as well earn your pay while you are out there. Why not?
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