John & Suzyn's Game One Rant Over the Pop-Out Double Play: HE CAUGHT THE BALL
In Game One, Hideki Matsui was doubled off first base after Jimmy Rollins caught an infield pop-up. It didn't go down well in the Loews Broadcast Booth, and over the next five minutes, our heroes repeatedly drove home one basic point.
Wow! 14 mentions of "caught the ball" by John and Suzyn. Of course, John has the play completely wrong (other than being right that Rollins "caught the ball"). If he trapped it, then Cabrera is safe on first because Rollins' throw pulled Howard off the bag. If Rollins "caught the ball", then the call as originally made was correct. Matsui is out for leaving first base and being tagged. The umps ruled the play the second way, and got it right from the beginning.
An interesting feature of the play for me was how gentlemanly Matsui was in presenting himself to Howard to be tagged. Pure class! Either that or it hurts too much to run.
It may be that John's analysis is affected by his revulsion with devil Rollins' attempted trick play. He was trying to get a double play out of a ball that God clearly meant to retire only one Yankee.
Perhaps John hoped that such evil would be punished by the umps calling time and crafting a Solomaic compromise that would put Matsui (or better yet Cabrera) on first.
Think for a second about what John's reaction would have been had Jeter tried and successfully completed the same play. Flabbergasting!
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Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteWow! 14 mentions of "caught the ball" by John and Suzyn. Of course, John has the play completely wrong (other than being right that Rollins "caught the ball"). If he trapped it, then Cabrera is safe on first because Rollins' throw pulled Howard off the bag. If Rollins "caught the ball", then the call as originally made was correct. Matsui is out for leaving first base and being tagged. The umps ruled the play the second way, and got it right from the beginning.
An interesting feature of the play for me was how gentlemanly Matsui was in presenting himself to Howard to be tagged. Pure class! Either that or it hurts too much to run.
Dadlak is right haha. John has the play completely wrong, because they caught it, it is a double play.
ReplyDeleteIt may be that John's analysis is affected by his revulsion with devil Rollins' attempted trick play. He was trying to get a double play out of a ball that God clearly meant to retire only one Yankee.
ReplyDeletePerhaps John hoped that such evil would be punished by the umps calling time and crafting a Solomaic compromise that would put Matsui (or better yet Cabrera) on first.
Think for a second about what John's reaction would have been had Jeter tried and successfully completed the same play. Flabbergasting!
Wait. Did he catch the ball?
ReplyDeleteI'm still confused.
ReplyDeleteDid he catch the ball or not?
I sense some deep seated issues here.