Controversial call on Hines sliding into second in the 8th.....

[thekimmer]

I was watching the game on my phone so couldn't see it really well but two comments/questions.

1) Does anyone see this as another on the list of base running blunders? I thought the call was bad but did Hines do anything to make this questionable?

2) Why is Birmingham making this kind of call? There is an umpire standing two feet from the play who did not see an issue.

3) Why do we need umpires on the field other than to call balls and strikes? If the league office is going to wield this kind of heavy hand why not just turn the whole process over to them.

 

[Bulldog45]

I didn’t see anything wrong with it unless they were saying the slide wasn’t needed at all and he could’ve turned out and got completely out of the way. Apparently the mic’d up ump didn’t see anything wrong with it either based on his comments.

 

[Seinfeld]

All relevant questions, and I’m no baseball rule expert, but these are my thoughts having seen the play last night

1) the way Charlie explained the rule last night, HH’s job as the base runner was to run/slide in a direct line to 2nd base, and any deviation of that(in an effort to obstruct the 2nd baseman) would’ve been a violation. The only think I can possibly say that Hines may have done is start to kinda sorta turn sideways while sliding to widen his slide, but even saying that is a big stretch based on what I saw. I thought it was clean and nothing near obvious enough to overturn the ruling that was made on the field

2) No idea as they’ve proven themselves to be idiots regarding the rules of the game on repeated occasions. Here’s what I will say… if some dipshit in Birmingham is going to be able to make a game changing call like that, they need to get their mugs on tv to explain the reason that they’re making the call

3) Agreed, I hate the entire concept of Birmingham and the idiots behind the curtain being completely hidden from the public without being required to give any explanation whatsoever after making a huge call. It’s a terrible premise, and it needs to change

 

[The Cooterpoot]

That call is an example of why people get tired of watching baseball. It's already too slow & often boring. Stupid reviews don't help.
Hines was trying to avoid clearing the guy. Does the conference prefer injuries? The throw took the fielder into the runner. That should never be an out on the offensive guy.

 

[patdog]

1 - I don't know what else Hines was supposed to do on that play.
2 - Replay has gotten completely out of control. There's no way someone watching on a monitor 100 miles away can make that call as well as the umpire standing right there. If you have to have replay, the umpire should have access to the video and make the final call.
3 - Really, the one thing umpires should NOT be doing on the field is calling balls and strikes. We have the technology to automate that. It's coming, but it can't get here fast enough (and that's what she said).

 

[Villagedawg]

I was watching the game on my phone so couldn't see it really well but two comments/questions.

1) Does anyone see this as another on the list of base running blunders? I thought the call was bad but did Hines do anything to make this questionable?

2) Why is Birmingham making this kind of call? There is an umpire standing two feet from the play who did not see an issue.

3) Why do we need umpires on the field other than to call balls and strikes? If the league office is going to wield this kind of heavy hand why not just turn the whole process over to them.

According to the rule when I looked it up last night, on a force play a player must slide straight into the base directly between the two bases keeping his body including hands and legs in the line between the bases. Hines slid kind of cross-bodied or with his legs to the inside which is specifically mentioned in the rule. Looks like Birmingham got it right by the rule unfortunately.

 

[Seinfeld]

According to the rule when I looked it up last night, on a force play a player must slide straight into the base directly between the two bases keeping his body including hands and legs in the line between the bases. Hines slid kind of cross-bodied or with his legs to the inside which is specifically mentioned in the rule. Looks like Birmingham got it right by the rule unfortunately.

The other thing that’s wild about the rule is how it nullifies essentially everything else that’s occurring on the field. In other words, regardless of the fact that there was a throwing error on the play pulling the SS off the bag and into the direct path that HH was running AND in spite of the fact that the batter running to 1st may have already reached safely 5 seconds ago, both runners are out if there’s a sliding violation.

I agree with you that HH may have violated the rule as written, but I really don’t like the idea that it HH’s responsibility to “protect” the fielder when the fielder’s own damn teammate was responsible for putting him in danger

 

[onewoof]

I don't think this was the right call from Birmingham

 

[GoDawgz52]

Probably the same imbeciles that made the call to eject both ball teams for the Georgia/Johnny Long fiasco.

The throw pulled the defender into the running/sliding lane of Hines, what else was he supposed to do as he is trying to "run/slide in a direct line to 2nd base"?

 

[00Dawg]

I'm going to stand with my opinion that if Hines doesn't twist at the last second his left foot was going to redirect that 2B's ankle 90 degrees in a direction that it isn't made to go. Everyone involved should just say a prayer of thanks we didn't have a delay that involved an ambulance driving onto the field.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

I don't think this was the right call from Birmingham

View attachment 576796

It's the angle from first base, that makes it look even more egregious, like he almost body rolled a la a now-illegal receivers block in football. I don't think he did that, but that angle makes it look much worse.

 

[thekimmer]

The best play the fielder could have made was just to lay down on top of Hines and tag him out. I guess it worked out better for them anyway.

 

[kired]

I'm going to stand with my opinion that if Hines doesn't twist at the last second his left foot was going to redirect that 2B's ankle 90 degrees in a direction that it isn't made to go. Everyone involved should just say a prayer of thanks we didn't have a delay that involved an ambulance driving onto the field.

This is absolutely what happened. He was trying to avoid spiking directly into the guys ankle and that put his feet slightly out of line. Guess next time he should just cripple the guy. Really dumb interpretation of the rule. My understanding is the runner can't make contact with the fielder outside the direct line. Hines was partially out of the direct line because he was trying to avoid contact, but where the contact was made was directly in line of the base path - which is fine.

If the fielder had been to either side of the base and Hines contacted him, that would have been illegal.

I have been told the umpires hate the video replay stuff like this where they are powerless. Kind of like the ump was saying last night on the mic - it's not his decision once it goes to replay.

 

[onewoof]

1) Hines is completely in the base path with his entire body.
2) The off center throw from short caused the 2nd baseman to land on the base path

Based on those 2 things, this is a misinterpretation of the rule.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

1) Hines is completely in the base path with his entire body.
2) The off center throw from short caused the 2nd baseman to land on the base path

Based on those 2 things, this is a misinterpretation of the rule.

I think it's been overlooked that there would not be a problem if the ball been thrown correctly to 2nd base.

 

[Ranchdawg]

1) Hines is completely in the base path with his entire body.
2) The off center throw from short caused the 2nd baseman to land on the base path

Based on those 2 things, this is a misinterpretation of the rule.

Hines did exactly what he was supposed to do. It is not his fault the defensive players leg came down in the path. The rule changes to protect players can be twisted to fit any decision made by Birmingham and Hines got it right! "Horsesh*t"

 

[HuntDawg]

the slide rule as gotten stupid.. and i agree.. not sure what hinds could have done. Its not like hes the most agile guy in the world. Seems like he got down as best as he could and attempted to avoid contact.

unfortunatley, the way the rule is read.... they got the call right. But again its a call that i dont think was within the spirit of the rule when it was made. The rule is in place to obvioiusly deter to old school take out slides.

Glad it didnt bite us.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

The Missouri coach challenged the play and the on-field crew had no choice but to send it to Birmingham for review. The reviewers felt that the slide was meant to interrupt the throw to 1st without regard to the potential of the double play. Hines probably saw that the shortstop did not tag 2nd base and slide to get under the tag. It was a subjective interpretation of the obstruction rule and since the SEC office hates MSU it was called in Missouri's favor (or they just felt sorry for Missouri).

 

[The Peeper]

This is absolutely what happened. He was trying to avoid spiking directly into the guys ankle and that put his feet slightly out of line. Guess next time he should just cripple the guy. Really dumb interpretation of the rule. My understanding is the runner can't make contact with the fielder outside the direct line. Hines was partially out of the direct line because he was trying to avoid contact, but where the contact was made was directly in line of the base path - which is fine.

If the fielder had been to either side of the base and Hines contacted him, that would have been illegal.

I have been told the umpires hate the video replay stuff like this where they are powerless. Kind of like the ump was saying last night on the mic - it's not his decision once it goes to replay.

Umps hate it because it proves them wrong in front of all the fans a number of times, like it did twice I believe last night

 

[She Mate Me]

It ended up not mattering, but it very well could have been a season changing call. Could have cost us the game and possibly a hosting slot.

**** like this needs to be fixed.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

According to the rule when I looked it up last night, on a force play a player must slide straight into the base directly between the two bases keeping his body including hands and legs in the line between the bases. Hines slid kind of cross-bodied or with his legs to the inside which is specifically mentioned in the rule. Looks like Birmingham got it right by the rule unfortunately.

He was avoiding cleating the guy and hurting him. He intentionally attempted to avoid direct contact. Again, do they prefer injuries?

 

[thekimmer]

He was avoiding cleating the guy and hurting him. He intentionally attempted to avoid direct contact. Again, do they prefer injuries?

I agree with this. The fielder was pulled off the base directly in the baseline. If he had gone feet straight into the base he would have done serious damage to the 2B. This is twice the league office has royally screwed us and I'm sick of it.

 

[onewoof]

Look at the rule at first base. It's messed up as well. Runner can run straight down the base path and still get called for interference.

The base path belongs to the runner. Anything else called like last night is an exploitation of the intent of the rule to keep the defender safe. Yes the 2nd baseman sold the "injury". I don't think he was even actually touched by Hines.

If this is the rule, why not fake injury on every double play at second and step in the base path of the runner

 

[HuntDawg]

Some of the rules are unique but those have been the rules for years and years... doubtful they will ever change.

last night was an a newer rule for player safety. Honestly think the rules and rule book is fine if we just eliminate stuff like that from it all together. Let the slides happen how they use to.

 

[Chesusdog]

I don't think this was the right call from Birmingham

View attachment 576796

His legs don't splay out till after they make contact. His slide is pretty straight and in the path. The defender moved directly into his path. The defender is not covering the bag and has not tagged it so Hines isn't out so why should he stop short, as if he even could? These decisions are being made by idiots.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

. Let the slides happen how they use to.

The Thrill agrees. I had no idea Jomboy did a break down of this play.

 

[She Mate Me]

The Thrill agrees. I had no idea Jomboy did a break down of this play.

An all out brawl. Punches and forearms thrown, and landed.

And no one was ejected.

And then there's the Georgia game...

 

[ThreeDawgNight]

I don't think this was the right call from Birmingham

View attachment 576796

Guy's standing in the basepath. What was Hines supposed to do?

 

[ThreeDawgNight]

The base path belongs to the runner.

This. Anything else is stupid and non-competitive.