1) The rule makes no sense. If the rule indeed needs to be that he has to run on the right of the foul line, the base has to be in foul territory as well. You can't expect a guy to run on one line, and then need to change course at the last second. If he can run to the left of the foul line, which he can, then how can he be said to interfere if he can't even see the ball and makes no movement to either side to interfere? What was he supposed to do? He ran in about as straight a line as you can.
2) Because of number 1, this rule is never applied in a case like yesterday where the runner runs on a straight line and doesn't move to impede the fielder. His left foot hits the middle of the bag, he never makes it out of the baseline. It was absolutely asinine for the ump to call that when that is never, ever, ever called. To change that in a win or die World Series game is beyond terrible.
3) Leaving such a rule to be a "judgement call" is crazy, either the runner ran where he was supposed and allowed to or not. I understand there is the matter of fielding the ball along the baseline which will always rely on judgement calls, but for all other cases, they should have clear rules of where the runner can run, and that's it.
4) Why did they take 12 minutes at a crucial pint of a World Series game to read a 20 second rule to the umpires? Indefensible. Aside from just being an annoying delay in the most important game of the year, such delays affect players (especially pitchers).
1) The comment on the rule (which I'm not really sure what that is, and why its not part of the rule) specifically says that he should run in foul territory until he's "in the immediate vicinity of first base." Granted I'm about as far from an athlete as possible, but I can't imagine its
that hard to change your direct that little bit just before the base.
2) The fact that it's never called shouldn't be relevant. The rules are the rules and they aren't situation specific. You can argue that they blew a call in a big spot, but that doesn't change that if it's a rule it should be enforced all the time or it shouldn't be a rule at all. I agree that the call was bad, but to say that its never called and that it's a win or die game should be irrelevant.
3) I think the judgement call isn't about if he ran out of where he was supposed to, it's about whether or not he interfered with the first baseman (or whoever may be covering first) taking the throw. The rule uses the words "umpire's judgement" specifically about interfering with the fielder taking the throw. The rule states
and in the umpire’s judgment in so doing interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base.
To me that's clearly not talking about where he's running being a judgement call but rather if he interferes with the guy covering the base.
Page 54 (of the pdf, pg 42 of the rules) if you're curious about the whole rule.
4) I 100% agree, and don't understand what was going on there. I think I saw somewhere (perhaps above in this thread) that part of the delay was trying to find out if it was something that could be challenged. I'm not sure where in the rule book it says what is eligible for review.
FTFY. A-Rod deserved that call.
100%
It might have even been the correct call if he (somehow) knocked it out by accident, but seeing that it was intentional makes that an easy call. They even mentioned on the broadcast that the reason the first base ump blew the call was because his view of it was blocked by the first baseman.
