That call at the plate....

[TGO]

It was such a bang-bang play that if the ball beat the runner, whcih it did, he's going to get called out every time. The only thing I was surprised about was how long it took Andino to get around the bases. I wasn't there so I don't know what kind of jump he got but man you would have thought with two outs that he was going on contact and would have made that fairly easily. Oh well.

As for Weiters, I've never seen a catcher put both feet like that to block the plate.Pretty awesome but a huge injury risk.[/quote]

He didn't do it on purpose, he was stuck in that position, as he thought he might have to jump to get the throw.

I have to say, it's pretty amazing that he could prep to jump and still find a way to keep his feet blocking the plate. That takes some incredible footwork and coordination.

[UpstateNYfan]

That throw had a huge amount of hang time..I mean it was on target and a great out, but really an on the line-one hopper would have beat Jeter easily. Jeter had a look of disbelief on his face that he never hit the plate.

[DrungoHazewood]

That throw had a huge amount of hang time..I mean it was on target and a great out, but really an on the line-one hopper would have beat Jeter easily. Jeter had a look of disbelief on his face that he never hit the plate.

Sure, but you're forgetting that there are maybe three players in the history of the human race who could consistently make a 300-ft throw like that. Jones' throw, as it was, was pretty darn amazing.

[UpstateNYfan]

It was a great throw, I am not putting it down, but my guess is more like 250'...but that's quibbling. Jones's arm has never been questioned, accuracy is another story. The other postive is that it has carryover for the future. Just like Weiter's throwing out Gardner easily in the game at Yankee Stadium last week. IMO good D is as much fun as good offense.

[ccbird]

Mentioned this in another thread but the unfortunate thing in the Andino play was how the ball bounced right to Swisher down in the corner. I was at the game and behind the plate so I didn't get a good look at it live but on replay I noticed how the ball didn't stay down in the corner but caromed off the stands right back towards at a charging Swisher. He actually overran it slightly. If that ball stays down in the corner and or Swisher has to play it at the angle he was going after it Andino scores easily. That combined with the great catch by Gardner on Scott's ball really made this one a tough one after battling so hard the last 3 innings to get back in the game. It feels like the Yanks stole another one from us. Great game though, one of the best I've been to in a long time.

[SilentJames]

Andino was out, no doubt. but it still stings because we have all witnessed, in our combined decades of watching baseball, plays a lot less close go the other way with little or no real protest.

I mean the right call was made, but man, just once I would like to see a controversial call go our way when we are playing the yankees. We have gotten a couple, the Chris Ray strike three to Matsui in NYC springs to mind, but it seems like they always get those ultra close calls.

</whining>

[OFFNY]

I don´t think that the umpiring cost us the game yesterday. I don´t throw chairs at extremely close calls that don´t go our way. I only throw chairs at horrible calls. While you can make the argument that Andino may have been safe, it was an extremely close play, so to me, that doesn´t count in regard to costing the team the game. Matt Wieters, who is otherwise brilliant on defense, made a bad throw in the top of the 11th inning, which allowed Robinson Cano to be safe at third with nobody out. Instead of one out and nobody on base, which is what would have happened if Wieters had made a better play, it was a runner on 3rd base and nobody out.

Wieters could have either A) Thrown to third base instead of second base, although that is more of a hindsight decision than what we could actually have expected. B) Made a better throw to Andino at second (the throw was way over toward the right side of the field instead of the left side). or, C) Run directly at Cano, which would have been the best decision of all, and certainly would have had him dead to rights barring a screw-up on what would have been the ensuing rundown.

That all being said, Matt Wieters (along with Adam Jones) saved the game the previous inning with an outstanding block of home plate. As I stated, Wieters is otherwise brilliant on defense overall ......... I´m NOT saying that Matt cost us the game, I´m just giving an example of a play that was more in our control that contributed to our loss other than the umpiring.

.

[O-The-Memories]

That throw had a huge amount of hang time..I mean it was on target and a great out, but really an on the line-one hopper would have beat Jeter easily. Jeter had a look of disbelief on his face that he never hit the plate.

I'm no historical expert, but Drungo was right on this one. I cannot even believe that you typed your post. I honestly don't care for Jones that much, other than the fact that he's an Oriole, so that means he's one of the good guys. However, that throw was amazing yesterday, one of the best that you will see all year in MLB. Jones made what I consider to be the perfect throw. Ichiro, Francoeur, anyone else right now with a cannon of an arm.....they don't make that throw 95% of the time. It was that amazing.

Heck, Mays, Clemente, they don't make that throw 95% of the time. It was picture perfect to me. Again, I'm not an expert on the subject. But even I've watched enough baseball in my 30 years to see some of the best arms ever historically. We've got an all time great arm on our team right now, even though he can't play the field anymore. He could throw from the center field wall to home on the fly for heaven's sake, and he wouldn't have made that throw most of the time.

[TGO]

It was a great throw and getting it to the plate impresses people, but consider that if Jake Fox (6'0 to Matt's 6'5) was catching, Jeter is probably safe when Fox has to jump. It's better to throw the ball short than to air mail it. A perfect throw is also one that can be cut if needed. So while I do think it was a great throw and impressive display of arm strength, I think some folks are getting a little carried away.

The hang time certainly wasn't a problem, though. That doesn't make sense. The velocity determines how quickly the ball gets there, not the trajectory (up to a point at least). A two hopper thrown the same speed might arrive a fraction of a second earlier but it could also arrive later depending on the amount of speed the ground takes away. The problem was the height of the ball when it reached the plate and to a lesser degree when it passed the cutoff man, not the hang time.

[UpstateNYfan]

I'm no historical expert, but Drungo was right on this one. I cannot even believe that you typed your post. I honestly don't care for Jones that much, other than the fact that he's an Oriole, so that means he's one of the good guys. However, that throw was amazing yesterday, one of the best that you will see all year in MLB. Jones made what I consider to be the perfect throw. Ichiro, Francoeur, anyone else right now with a cannon of an arm.....they don't make that throw 95% of the time. It was that amazing.

Heck, Mays, Clemente, they don't make that throw 95% of the time. It was picture perfect to me. Again, I'm not an expert on the subject. But even I've watched enough baseball in my 30 years to see some of the best arms ever historically. We've got an all time great arm on our team right now, even though he can't play the field anymore. He could throw from the center field wall to home on the fly for heaven's sake, and he wouldn't have made that throw most of the time.

After reading a lot of posts here you question my typing of that post? REALLY??? If you looked a couple of posts down, I called it a great throw and acknowledged Adam's great arm. And to clarify, Jones will not make that throw 95% of the time and Markakis's combination of arm and accuracy is far better than Jones.

[O-The-Memories]

It was a great throw and getting it to the plate impresses people, but consider that if Jake Fox (6'0 to Matt's 6'5) was catching, Jeter is probably safe when Fox has to jump. It's better to throw the ball short than to air mail it. A perfect throw is also one that can be cut if needed. So while I do think it was a great throw and impressive display of arm strength, I think some folks are getting a little carried away.

The hang time certainly wasn't a problem, though. That doesn't make sense. The velocity determines how quickly the ball gets there, not the trajectory (up to a point at least). A two hopper thrown the same speed might arrive a fraction of a second earlier but it could also arrive later depending on the amount of speed the ground takes away. The problem was the height of the ball when it reached the plate and to a lesser degree when it passed the cutoff man, not the hang time.

Agreed on most of your points, but I really do think that is one of the most impressive throws you will see all year in MLB. There may be 10 or so throws like that a year that I see. If Pie made a throw like that I would still be drunk, but since it was Jones.....it was just amazing, not the "greatest throw of all time, see I told you they should have played Pie more", haha.

[hoosiers]

The Andino play was close and it's very difficult to tell if he was safe or not - when he touched the plate and when he was tagged. Andino's slide was terrible. A head-first slid trying to touch the outside edge of the plate would have been easily safe, IMO. I will give credit to the umpire, however, who was right on top of the play.

I did not watch the game, but it seems the more legit gripe was the called K on Reynolds.

[Sports Guy]

The Andino play was close and it's very difficult to tell if he was safe or not - when he touched the plate and when he was tagged. Andino's slide was terrible. A head-first slid trying to touch the outside edge of the plate would have been easily safe, IMO. I will give credit to the umpire, however, who was right on top of the play.

I did not watch the game, but it seems the more legit gripe was the called K on Reynolds.

The Reynolds call was incredibly poor...But it would have only made the count 3-2...it wasn't a pitch where he would have walked.

I think some are acting like he would have walked if the ump hadn't blown that call and that would be incorrect.

Rivera didn't have his normal command and control yesterday, so it would have been nice to have that 3-2 count with a patient hitter up there...May have been able to work a walk.

[kaerts]

He was safe, Martin was lazy with the tag, he didn't sweep his glove he layed it there then dragged it across after Andino hit the plate. The throw beat him but if Andino has a NY symble on his right chest and the game was in Yankee Stadium he is safe.

You are correct Sir!