Varitek's Tag

It is a judgement call on the umpires part--I do not think you will find any info in the rulebook with regard to length of time required---

The interpretation is that the fielder held the ball securely and the runner is out as soon as the tag is made. The subsequent collision with the ground causing the ball to come loose has no effect on the preceeding tag of the runner. If the ball had come loose as the tag was made, the correct ruling would be that the fielder did not have secure possesion of the ball and the runner should be ruled safe. I believe the call on the field was correct.

CD,
The rules regarding a catch and a tag are not the same, and a catch requires "voluntary release" to establish control. A tag is "....touching a runner with the ball, or with his hand or glove holding the ball, while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove." See OBR rules Section 2, Definitions.

How long is long enough? How secure is secure enough? It is umpire judgement.

In the case of a catcher not holding the ball on a tag at the plate, the tag itself can be deemed to have caused the drop, thus demonstrating that the ball wasn't held securely.

IMO, at least some MLB umpires would have ruled "no tag" on the Varitek play, especially those who attended the Brinkman umpire school. The Jaksa/Roder manual, which stems from that school, would rule this no tag. I have read, but don't know for a fact, that the Evans school would probably consider this a tag.

Evans discussion: "In establishing the validity of secure possession at the time of a tag, the umpire should determine that the player held the ball long enough and did not juggle the ball or momentarily lose possession before gaining full control and touching the runner. Unlike a catch, a legal tag is based on the status of the ball at the time the runner or base is touched and not on the final proof of possession."

Note that the "held it long enough" stuff to establish control refers to BEFORE the tag is made. Evans has an out here.

In any event, one thing is clear from the replay: Welke hept his eyes on the point of the tag and could not have seen Varitek drop the ball. He then had to sell the out call without a clue as to when or why the ball came loose. Even if it was irrelevant (ala Evans), it didn't look good. I wonder what would have happened if he gotten help.

3FG - I agree J/R has a safe call. That interp. requires the fielder to have complete control of the ball during and after the tag. "If the fielder bobbles or drops the ball during or after the touch of the base or runner, and the bobble or drop is due to his lack of control of himself or the
ball, or due to contact with a runner, it is not a tag."

One nit pick: A catch does not require a voluntary release. However, if there is a release, it must be voluntary.

quote:

Originally posted by 3FingeredGlove:

IMO, at least some MLB umpires would have ruled "no tag" on the Varitek play, especially those who attended the Brinkman umpire school. The Jaksa/Roder manual, which stems from that school, would rule this no tag. I have read, but don't know for a fact, that the Evans school would probably consider this a tag.

MLB would expect their umpires to make the same call. The major league ruling matches Evans ruling. Roder is the odd man out on this play.

Both MLB and Evans have ruled this play in this manner for years. Nothing really new here, except the attention it has received.

I watched the video and I would called him out. Varitek chased him and tagged him. Then he fell down and struck his glove on the ground, knocking the ball loose. That is two seperate actions even though it was all done in one play. He maintained control of the ball before during and after the tag was made. When he hit the ground was when and what caused it to come loose. Personally I think it fills both the JEA and Roder's definitions.

I have since re-read the Roder interp and the play doesn't meet the requiurments as I originally thought. It requires voluntary release which I disagree with. Most of the time, the action of tagging the runner causes a ball to come loose, which would make the runner safe. This would include loosing it as you bring it up to show the umpire. However, in the play with Varitek, he lost it when he hit the ground.
Just remember, once action and loose equals safe. Two actions equals out.

MST,
Thanks for taking the time to look the play up on the J/R...I loaned mine out and it just came back this weekend...so I was at a loss to follow up...

look for a PM on the JEA...

Thanks again