Pirates Controversial Loss

[spangar]

The Pittsburgh Pirates have filed a formal complaint over the controversial call that resulted in their 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves in 19 innings early Wednesday morning.

Pirates catcher Michael McKenry appeared to tag Braves runner Julio Lugo well before Lugo reached the plate. But home plate umpire Jerry Meals called Lugo safe, thus ending the longest game in Turner Field history at 6 hours, 39 minutes.

After the game, Meals admitted he might have made a mistake.

“I looked at the replays and it appeared he might have got him on the shin area,” Meals said. “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.”

The loss dropped the surprising Pirates one game behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central race.

Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement Wednesday that the team realizes "that Mr. Meals' intention was to get the call right. Jerry Meals has been umpiring Major League games for 14 years and has always done so with integrity and professionalism. He got this one wrong.”

I'm sure most of you guys have heard about this by now but that was a crazy ending. I think it is another issue that is going to be brought up when talking about replay in baseball. If that was a post season game or a game that could have put the Pirates in the playoffs nobody would be just letting this go. I think replay in baseball is a serious issue that needs to be brought up..maybe not for balls/strikes or being out or safe on basses, but if it is a close call at home plate that decides the game it should defiantly be thought about.

 

[spangar]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/07/pirates-braves-19-innings-umpire-video.html

theres the story/video if anyone hasnt seen it yet

 

[ZigZag]

I'm sure most of you guys have heard about this by now but that was a crazy ending. I think it is another issue that is going to be brought up when talking about replay in baseball. If that was a post season game or a game that could have put the Pirates in the playoffs nobody would be just letting this go. I think replay in baseball is a serious issue that needs to be brought up..maybe not for balls/strikes or being out or safe on basses, but if it is a close call at home plate that decides the game it should defiantly be thought about.

Eventually people might argue "well if we can review out/safe at home we should be able to do it at every base". Not saying it will happen, just playing devil's advocate

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

Such a horrible call.

Put a challenge system in like the NFL has.

 

[footballplaya52]

i honestly can see it from both sides, it was a hard ass call.

 

[Lake Louise]

Umps get a the blunt of the criticism for things like this. Understandably so. They are supposed to make the correct calls, and it does look obvious, and he was out, you need to put it into his prospective. The tag happened on his pant leg and his pant leg moved from it. That's bang bang and you have to make the call that you feel is right. It wasn't like he ran right into it and got tagged in the stomach or something. I'm not saying he was right. He did miss it and the game should of continued until who knows when it would've ended. Even watching the replays I can't believe he got it wrong like that, and people will be watching the Pirates until the end of the season even more now, which I hope they don't lose the division by a game. That would make matters worse. It happened, he admitted to it, Pirates have moved on to the next game, whether the fans have or not. It'll always be burned into their memories. Every time you hear Jerry Meals, you'll always remember what happened.

 

[spangar]

Umps get a the blunt of the criticism for things like this. Understandably so. They are supposed to make the correct calls, and it does look obvious, and he was out, you need to put it into his prospective. The tag happened on his pant leg and his pant leg moved from it. That's bang bang and you have to make the call that you feel is right. It wasn't like he ran right into it and got tagged in the stomach or something. I'm not saying he was right. He did miss it and the game should of continued until who knows when it would've ended. Even watching the replays I can't believe he got it wrong like that, and people will be watching the Pirates until the end of the season even more now, which I hope they don't lose the division by a game. That would make matters worse. It happened, he admitted to it, Pirates have moved on to the next game, whether the fans have or not. It'll always be burned into their memories. Every time you hear Jerry Meals, you'll always remember what happened.

exactly..they are humans and they are gonna make mistakes..kinda the same thing with Jim Joyce..when you hear his name the first thing you think about is Gallaraga's blown game.