White Sox Win With Disputed Call

If you haven't seen it, go watch how the White Sox/Angels game ended at the MLS website.  Watch the "Pierzynski's K in ninth" video and the "Crede's game-winner" video.  Some finish.

Comments

[Tim]

An absolute boner of a call.

[Steve McCoy]

Tim, I was hoping you would hop in on this. Other than missing the call which can happen and is a part of the game, did the umpire do something else that is obviously wrong? I know there is a claim not just of strike 3 but of a "out" call on him, which should have settled it. Did he or didn't he?

[Tim]

Well, the way I see it, the umpire clearly called Pierzynski out. He raised his hand and made his little fist-thing, which is the universal call for "out."

Also, standard practice on a dropped third strike is for the umpire to indicate that it wasn't a catch -- saying something like "no catch, no catch," so that everyone involved knows the play is not over.

So not only did the umpire not indicate that it wasn't a catch, he did clearly indicate that the strikeout was an out. Something else to consider -- if Josh Paul had any doubt that he didn't catch the ball cleanly, he would have simply tagged Pierzynski. He didn't do so because he knew he caught the ball.

The Angels have every right to be upset. If that happened to the Cardinals, I'd be livid. It's one of the worst calls in years, and maybe the worst since Don Denkinger's blunder in the 1985 World Series.

[Sled Dog]

It was worse than the Denkenger call. But if the Chisox go on to win, and the Angels blame it all on that one call, than I won't think much of them. True champions rise from the rubble.

[Steve McCoy]

Sox are headed to the World Series. Very cool.