'One of the oddest home runs in major league history'

[Oeditpus Rex]

...sez Giants announcer Jon Miller. I'd have to agree.

Giants are hitting in the sixth with Pablo Sandoval on first, trailing 2-0. Bengie Molina cranks one off the very top of the brick wall in right field. Jason Repko plays the carom perfectly and holds Molina to a single; Sandoval goes to third.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy comes out of the dugout and calls for the umpires to check the replay under baseball's new "experimental" rule and for the first time at AT&T Park. Now, on top of the wall is a green metal thing that's angled about 75 degrees toward the seats, and any fair ball that hits it is a home run. I'm thinking since the ball caromed right back, it couldn't have hit the metal thing because of the angle. But the umps go into their little cubby hole, get the Official Replay From the Commissioner's Office in New York™, come back out a few minutes later and signal "home run."

Now, while the umps are reviewing the ORFCONY™, Bochy puts in Emmanuel Burris to pinch-run for Molina, since Molina is not the fastest man in baseball. (Molina would not be the fastest man in a tee-ball league for the developmentally disabled.) So, when the umps declare the homer, We've Got a Problem: The guy who hit it is no longer in the game.

Burris runs out the homer in Molina's stead and goes into the dugout laughing his ass off. Then the umps confab with Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who doesn't seem upset, and then with Bochy, who does. Then the crew chief gets on the dugout phone with the official scorer — all of this, we assume, to figure out who gets credit for scoring the run, Molina or Burris.

Finally, it's announced that the game is being played under protest — by the Giants, on the premise that if the umps would've called it a home run to begin with, Bochy wouldn't have had to take out his catcher and one of his best hitters for a pinch runner.

I don't think that's gonna be upheld, but this whole mess is damned sure gonna lead to a new rule under the "Replay" section.



Moral: There is no such thing as a typical Giants-Dodgers game.

[KitchenWitch]

1. You gave me something to laugh at just now.

Which actually is saying something since I am in a grumpy mood after the way KC drubbed the Twins tonight, and the discovery that DH turned off our A/C without consulting me, the one in the house who CANNOT HANDLE heat.

[Oeditpus Rex]

2. I'm not laughing

The "homer" tied the score. x(



Okay, this is even weirder: The box score doesn't even have Burris in it. But I guess it isn't official yet.

I have a feeling, though, that the umps let Molina stay in the game. If that's the case, Torre damned well should file a protest, and that one damned well should be upheld.

[KitchenWitch]

3. Yah

I laughed more at your description than at the situation. If I were Joe Torre, I would be having a fit.

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. Torre was remarkably cool

Molina's out, though. A rook named Steve Holm, who went to Oral Roberts University, is catching.

Miller and Kuiper are saying Burris gets credit for the run scored, but he's still not in the box score. :shrug:

Giants are up 4-2 now. If that weird homer hadn't turned the game around, I'd be laughing about it, too.

[KitchenWitch]

5. That will be an interesting box score.

Do you have access to that super secret MLB site?

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. I didn't know there *was* a super-secret MLB site

:shrug:

[KitchenWitch]

7. I don't know that it is super secret, it just is not well known.

I will PM you the URL.

On edit: who knew there was a second n in known?

:dunce:

[reyd reid reed]

8. There is no such thing as a typical

baseball game. Ever. This one, though....

[CreekDog]

11. Giants v. Dodgers in SF? Typical bottle throwing is more like it.

but nothing too outrageous. this is not Eagles v. Cowboys in Philly.

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. You want a list of the weirdness I've seen in Giants-Dodgers games?

It'd start with Dick Dietz getting hit by a pitch in '68 with the bases loaded, apparently ending Drysdale's chase for the consecutive scoreless innings record, but Harry Wendlestedt ruled Dietz didn't try to get out of the way.

(Drysdale got out of the inning and went on to get the record in his next start.)

[KitchenWitch]

13. Please tell me that Harry Wendlestedt is NOT Hunter Wendlestedt's daddy...

Please.

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. Okay, I won't

:D

[KitchenWitch]

15. Yeah, that is what I thought.

The Wendlestedt's - Blowing calls for two generations!

[Oeditpus Rex]

16. Hey, I love Harry

If only for that one call. :D



But, yeah — they run an umpiring school together.

[KitchenWitch]

17. LOL

Yeah, nothing wrong with reveling in a bad call going your way once in awhile.

:D

[Oeditpus Rex]

18. It wasn't a bad call

Dietz stood there and took one for the club. Didn't move a muscle.

Of course, the reason Wendlestedt called it was to be part of history, because of Drysdale's record.

But it's a rare call, and it's never called anymore. Guys go up to hit wearing fucking body armor, they've got no reason to bail out unless it's at their head, but the umps won't call it.

[CreekDog]

9. The Giants are fighting for reverse division title

with the Nationals. :hide:

[KitchenWitch]

10. Add Detroit to that list.

I only hope that Detroit can beat Chicago on Monday.