Catchers Interference

[nsvltndog]

I had the opportunity to sit next to one of the umpires on my flight home from GTR this morning. When he shared that he was an umpire I couldn't resist asking him what the decision was on the catchers interference play. Much to my surprise he chimed in that this was his call and that he was behind the plate that night. Nice guy and Kudos to him for owning it.

We had a very cordial conversation about it, but he was adamant that it was a foul ball and that he had watched the replay many times. I asked what about the glove that was 20 feet down the 3B line and the catcher that was crumpled over trying to recover from almost having his hand knocked off. Foul ball happened first was the explanation. I didn't debate or argue further with him, but I suspect my face showed that I wasn't buying it. I'm pretty sure I heard a mumble as he looked away that "maybe I missed that one."

This was a very short conversation as I figured he was probably wondering why in the world he told me that he was the umpire so I gracefully let it go, but thought you might enjoy the story.

[jbjones]

Very cool. Thanks for the story. Dude is human. Like the rest of us.

[CadaverDawg]

If he looked at multiple replays and STILL thinks he got it right...he should be fired. I'm not kidding one bit. The only thing worse than that call, is what you just said his response was. I'm somewhat shocked to hear that.

[Mjoelner34]

I sit out in center field with a viewing angle even better than the centerfield camera. I can't speak to the interference since it was so far away but that aside, I can tell you that this ass clown was the worst ball/strike ump I've ever witnessed from out there and I've been out there about 15 years. There are calls I don't agree with every game and I accept that it's part of the game but this guy was so incompetent, it seemed borderline intentional to me.

[Todd4State]

To me, on his part that's too much overthinking on probably the most text book catcher's interference call I have ever seen in my life.

[Todd4State]

I sit out in center field with a viewing angle even better than the centerfield camera. I can't speak to the interference since it was so far away but that aside, I can tell you that this ass clown was the worst ball/strike ump I've ever witnessed from out there and I've been out there about 15 years. There are calls I don't agree with every game and I accept that it's part of the game but this guy was so incompetent, it seemed borderline intentional to me.

I agree. And I don't complain about umpires very often. All you can ask for as a player is consistency, and he was not consistent at all.

Sadly, he's probably an umpire because of who he knows rather than how good he actually is.

[Commercecomet24]

No way the foul ball could've happened first unless he was swinging in reverse lol. I mean how do you hit the ball first and then the mitt when the ball is in FRONT of the mitt! That answer defies logic!

[Percho]

I had the opportunity to sit next to one of the umpires on my flight home from GTR this morning. When he shared that he was an umpire I couldn't resist asking him what the decision was on the catchers interference play. Much to my surprise he chimed in that this was his call and that he was behind the plate that night. Nice guy and Kudos to him for owning it.

We had a very cordial conversation about it, but he was adamant that it was a foul ball and that he had watched the replay many times. I asked what about the glove that was 20 feet down the 3B line and the catcher that was crumpled over trying to recover from almost having his hand knocked off. Foul ball happened first was the explanation. I didn't debate or argue further with him, but I suspect my face showed that I wasn't buying it. I'm pretty sure I heard a mumble as he looked away that "maybe I missed that one."

This was a very short conversation as I figured he was probably wondering why in the world he told me that he was the umpire so I gracefully let it go, but thought you might enjoy the story.

Can i repost this on genespage?

[Todd4State]

If he looked at multiple replays and STILL thinks he got it right...he should be fired. I'm not kidding one bit. The only thing worse than that call, is what you just said his response was. I'm somewhat shocked to hear that.

Umpires are taught to never go against their call no matter how ridiculously bad it is. It's rare that you see a Jim Joyce or a Don Denkinger confession like you see in MLB.

[smootness]

No way the foul ball could've happened first unless he was swinging in reverse lol. I mean how do you hit the ball first and then the mitt when the ball is in FRONT of the mitt! That answer defies logic!

Exactly this. You can't hit the ball and then the catcher's mitt unless somehow the catcher reaches his hand out past the front of the plate and completely misses the ball...which is kind of ridiculous.

[shoeless joe]

CSF coach sat with us in the lounge Sunday nite. He said the ump said that holland was out of the box when he hit the mit. Of course the replay clearly shows he was in fact in the box with both feet...either way it just re emphasizes the awfulness of college umps.

[Todd4State]

No way the foul ball could've happened first unless he was swinging in reverse lol. I mean how do you hit the ball first and then the mitt when the ball is in FRONT of the mitt! That answer defies logic!

Well, that's a darn good question.

[Percho]

I would venture to say it is impossible to foul a ball and have the catcher then get hit and the mitt go forward.

[Commercecomet24]

Also something that's not being brought up is the catchers mitt was in the strike zone and the catcher was out of the catchers box which is a catchers balk. I've seen that called once in my life. The ump blew that call on 2 counts.

[confucius say]

No way the foul ball could've happened first unless he was swinging in reverse lol. I mean how do you hit the ball first and then the mitt when the ball is in FRONT of the mitt! That answer defies logic!

Hence why you could read Cohen's lips when talking to the ump when he said "that's impossible"

[Todd4State]

CSF coach sat with us in the lounge Sunday nite. He said the ump said that holland was out of the box when he hit the mit. Of course the replay clearly shows he was in fact in the box with both feet...either way it just re emphasizes the awfulness of college umps.

That's incredibly ticky tack. However, during the rain delay John Holland was standing around the clubhouse and I overheard someone asking him about the play. Holland said that he called it a foul ball. FWIW.

[Todd4State]

Hence why you could read Cohen's lips when talking to the ump when he said "that's impossible"

Cohen apparently has a better temper than me.

[Commercecomet24]

I would venture to say it is impossible to foul a ball and have the catcher then get hit and the mitt go forward.

Exactly! Everyone knows he missed and by using that excuse not only did he blow it but now he sounds like a complete idiot. Just say I may have missed that one. In my experience arguing with umpires if he tells me he may have missed it then you just say I got you just don't miss it next time. If however they try to stand by some stupid logic that's when the argument gets intense!

[Todd4State]

Also something that's not being brought up is the catchers mitt was in the strike zone and the catcher was out of the catchers box which is a catchers balk. I've seen that called once in my life. The ump blew that call on 2 counts.

I've never seen that. Probably in large part because catchers are afraid that if they did that they would end up like poor CSF's catcher after Holland whacked him.

Usually when I see catcher's interference it's when someone swings and they hit the catcher's glove on a pitch. I've never seen it where a catcher was that far out in front of home plate like the CSF catcher was.

[mstatefan91]

Cohen apparently has a better temper than me.
Cohen has certainly mellowed over the past two seasons. Not that he was ever at Polk levels as far as temper tantrums.

[BeardoMSU]

If he looked at multiple replays and STILL thinks he got it right...he should be fired. I'm not kidding one bit. The only thing worse than that call, is what you just said his response was. I'm somewhat shocked to hear that.

Yep, it was obvious. No ambiguity whatsoever.

[BeardoMSU]

Cohen has certainly mellowed over the past two seasons. Not that he was ever at Polk levels as far as temper tantrums.

I told my buds I was with that I expected Cohen to get tossed on that play; was surprised, and a bit disappointed, when it didn't happen. I was livid.

[Commercecomet24]

I've never seen that. Probably in large part because catchers are afraid that if they did that they would end up like poor CSF's catcher after Holland whacked him.

Usually when I see catcher's interference it's when someone swings and they hit the catcher's glove on a pitch. I've never seen it where a catcher was that far out in front of home plate like the CSF catcher was.

Exactly! They normally stay back because they don't want to get hit. I've seen that call one time on a similar play in a game I was coaching. Runner stealing, pitch out, catcher takes the pitch way out of the box throws runner out but home plate umpire calls catchers balk.

[SaintDawg]

My father was an umpire way, way, waaaay back in the day. He would explain to me that plays would happen so fast that he would have to make split-second decisions on what he "saw" rather than what "actually happened". The ump bases his call on what he sees. What he sees. That's what's so infuriating to us as fans and spectators. We have the luxury of replay sometimes when the umps don't. I agree 110% it was catcher interference, but I understand the call too. Feel free to argue the point.

[Mjoelner34]

I still haven't seen the replay and, as I said in an earlier post in this thread, I was too far away to see it live but I did hear something. What I heard didn't sound like an aluminum bat on a ball. I thought he swung and missed and the ball hit the catcher's shin guard. It sounded more like a loud click than the ring of a bat on a ball. Could I have heard him hitting the ball from the backside of the catcher's mitt when it was in the pocket of the mitt?

[Commercecomet24]

My father was an umpire way, way, waaaay back in the day. He would explain to me that plays would happen so fast that he would have to make split-second decisions on what he "saw" rather than what "actually happened". The ump bases his call on what he sees. What he sees. That's what's so infuriating to us as fans and spectators. We have the luxury of replay sometimes when the umps don't. I agree 110% it was catcher interference, but I understand the call too. Feel free to argue the point.

Oh I agree with you in that, that's why I don't mind s guy saying I may have missed that one, but this guy saying he's watched replays and still doesn't think he missed, well that's just moronic. And to say foul ball happened first is just completely idiotic, goes against common sense and the laws of physics

[SaintDawg]

Now that I read he had opportunity to review the replay and still said that he got the call right...And won't admit that it was the wrong call... That's poor officiating. You must admit when you're wrong.

[Todd4State]

I told my buds I was with that I expected Cohen to get tossed on that play; was surprised, and a bit disappointed, when it didn't happen. I was livid.

The problem with getting run nowadays is the coach has to sit out the next game no matter what. It's ridiculous. But that's why you don't see coaches getting tossed out very often in college anymore. Now umpires can make absurd calls like this guy did and there is no recourse of getting chewed out.

And I think the school gets fined too- which again is stupid if it's a legit reason.

[Todd4State]

My father was an umpire way, way, waaaay back in the day. He would explain to me that plays would happen so fast that he would have to make split-second decisions on what he "saw" rather than what "actually happened". The ump bases his call on what he sees. What he sees. That's what's so infuriating to us as fans and spectators. We have the luxury of replay sometimes when the umps don't. I agree 110% it was catcher interference, but I understand the call too. Feel free to argue the point.

We also apparently have the luxury of common sense in this case. All that physics that MSU teaches us...

[Commercecomet24]

The problem with getting run nowadays is the coach has to sit out the next game no matter what. It's ridiculous. But that's why you don't see coaches getting tossed out very often in college anymore. Now umpires can make absurd calls like this guy did and there is no recourse of getting chewed out.

And I think the school gets fined too- which again is stupid if it's a legit reason.

I'll never understand that rule. Why should a coach get an automatic suspension just for getting tossed in another game. It's stupid and you're right it lets umps get away with bullcrap calls like that one

[preachermatt83]

Cohen has certainly mellowed over the past two seasons. Not that he was ever at Polk levels as far as temper tantrums.

Wonder if there are any Polk tantrums on video out there anywhere. They were epic.

[confucius say]

The problem with getting run nowadays is the coach has to sit out the next game no matter what. It's ridiculous. But that's why you don't see coaches getting tossed out very often in college anymore. Now umpires can make absurd calls like this guy did and there is no recourse of getting chewed out.

And I think the school gets fined too- which again is stupid if it's a legit reason.

Stupid rule is stupid

[War Machine Dawg]

I told my buds I was with that I expected Cohen to get tossed on that play; was surprised, and a bit disappointed, when it didn't happen. I was livid.

I'm with you on this. If there was ever a call to get tossed over, that was it. Gotta have your player's back on a call that horrendous. I'm trying to remember, was that before or after he had Lowe bunt with 0 outs, a 3-1 count, and Mangum already in scoring position?

[War Machine Dawg]

The problem with getting run nowadays is the coach has to sit out the next game no matter what. It's ridiculous. But that's why you don't see coaches getting tossed out very often in college anymore. Now umpires can make absurd calls like this guy did and there is no recourse of getting chewed out.

And I think the school gets fined too- which again is stupid if it's a legit reason.

Damn, I'd forgotten about that rule. Stupidest rule of all time. No wonder the Intense Bastard doesn't go volcanic anymore.

[RocketDawg]

Wonder if there are any Polk tantrums on video out there anywhere. They were epic.

Most of you probably don't remember because you can't ... but way back in the day, there were some epic tantrums thrown in major league ball. Seems like I remember Casey Stengel and Leo Durocher having some pretty good ones. Might be the same nowadays ... haven't watched MLB in a while. For whatever reason, head coach/manager tantrums are part of the game, like fights in hockey. But I suppose it has to be tempered a little as you go down to college, and even more the lower you go.

[msbulldog]

Cohen has certainly mellowed over the past two seasons. Not that he was ever at Polk levels as far as temper tantrums.

Cohen didn't want to get tossed, figured it was more important for him to be in the game. Which I agree, if he got tossed may have given negative mindset to the players (or might have po'ed them in the right way, who knows).