BigSqwert Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Link MO TALKS BALK THAT NEVER WAS By GEORGE KING August 11, 2006 -- CHICAGO - Many eyes missed Mariano Rivera's ninth-inning balk Wednesday night when the White Sox had runners on first and third with two outs and trailed the Yankees by a run. While Rivera knew he committed a balk and Jorge Posada knew and the White Sox dugout knew and third base coach Joey Cora knew, the most important guy in U.S. Cellular Field didn't see it. That was plate umpire Tom Gorman, who didn't notice Rivera's left front shoulder dip ever so slightly toward the plate and then was pulled back. Nor did Gorman see Rivera move the ball forward in his right hand and then stop. "I did know it, but it wasn't too obvious," Rivera said of the balk that wasn't called. Working to Jim Thome with the tying run 90 feet away one night after Paul Konerko homered off Rivera to tie the score, Rivera's first two pitches were balls. As he prepared for the third offering, he dipped his shoulder and moved the ball. He regrouped to throw a 95-mph fastball that Thome took, and then Rivera ended the game by inducing Thome to hit a grounder up the middle that Robinson Cano made a back-handed stab on while moving toward second for the final out. "Joey Cora was going nuts at third," Posada said of the White Sox coach. "I thought he moved," said Cora, indicating that Rivera moved his front shoulder. "But it's not my call. There were thousands of people watching, and I was the only one who saw it that way. Put it that way." Rivera didn't recall ever being called for a balk. Having pitched Tuesday and Wednesday (total of 21/3 innings), Rivera was asked if he was available last night. "I can pitch and rest [today]," Rivera said. "We will see what happens." Joe Torre said using Rivera for a third straight game "wasn't out of the question." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Yeah the umpiring for the last 2 games was absolutely terrible. And it's a real shame when you get 2 of the best teams in baseball up against each other, and part of that spectacle gets ruined, whether it's through a blown call like that, or with that terrible strike zone they had operating against Vazquez (who was good enough to overcome that) last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Big surprise there... the umpiring for both sides was subpar and inconsistant. Very many missed calls for both teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyho7476 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I sooo don't understand the balk rules...I would have never noticed. That being said, the umps sucked. Buerhle getting squeezed, and then giving up a two run homer to Abreu, really pissed me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Controlled Chaos Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 We were hosed on a lot more that that call. That has to be the worst crew of the year. "What are you doing Brian Gorman" Crew M Davis, Gerry - cc Gorman, Brian Cooper, Eric Miller, Bill Cooper is a one man wrecking crew. I don't actually believe the guy sits there and says I'm gonna make any close calls against the sox, but it sure seems like that's what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I think the umpiring this series was brutal towards both teams. It would of been nice to have a top notch crew for this series, didn't happen. We benefited from some calls, we got hurt by some. Lets move on to the Tiger series and hope Froeming or Wendlestedt are not there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fathom Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Rowand and I so called that in the game thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Oh boy. We're blaming umps now. Great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Sox Fan Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Lousy umpiring, I'll agree, but how 'bout if Thome gets a hit instead of meekly bouncing out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(Colorado Sox Fan @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:00 AM) Lousy umpiring, I'll agree, but how 'bout if Thome gets a hit instead of meekly bouncing out? Or score a run or two with the bases loaded and nobody out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkman delivers Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(Colorado Sox Fan @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:00 AM) Lousy umpiring, I'll agree, but how 'bout if Thome gets a hit instead of meekly bouncing out? Wow, you really don't like Thome. That's not gonna make you many friends around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pants Rowland Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:03 AM) Wow, you really don't like Thome. That's not gonna make you many friends around here. I'll be his/her friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFirebird Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Last nights home plate ump was absolutely terrible. I was there..and while I couldn't tell how close the pitches were because I was sitting in the Upper Deck, the players responses to strikes being called was hilarious. No one knew what was going to be called a strike or a ball. The hitter didn't know, pitcher didn't know, the catcher didn't know and most importantly the umpire didn't know. That has to be the worst crew in MLB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanne Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(BFirebird @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:50 AM) Last nights home plate ump was absolutely terrible. I was there..and while I couldn't tell how close the pitches were because I was sitting in the Upper Deck, the players responses to strikes being called was hilarious. No one knew what was going to be called a strike or a ball. The hitter didn't know, pitcher didn't know, the catcher didn't know and most importantly the umpire didn't know. That has to be the worst crew in MLB. Yeah...it sucked for both sides ball and strikes-wise. At least you locals didn't have to start hearing Berman and Martinez start whining about Mussina not gettin' the calls. I swear...for one half inning all Berman talked about was the Red Sox...the entire half inning....it was pathetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan101 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 The Umps were bad, both teams were pretty bad.....it was just an ugly series. All 3 games also could have gone either way, so in a case like this you take your 2 wins out of 3 and move on happily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWSOX45 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Eric Cooper is one of the worst umpires in the Majors, he's missed so many calls whenever he umpires our games. Hunter Wendelstadt and Bruce Froemming are pretty bad too, and we all know about "WHAT ARE YOU DOING BRIAN GORMAN?! ARE YOU NUTS?!" I really dislike Eric Cooper, he is a total douche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daa84 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 i went back and watched it on mlbtvs archives....he balked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBigHurt Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 We got f***ed by those umps (Eric Cooper is a f***ing douche) and we still took 2/3. f*** em'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 10:26 AM) Rowand and I so called that in the game thread. It was pretty damn obvious, it seemed like everyone in the park missed it though. That one definitely hurts considering it would have tied the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBigHurt Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 If anyone finds a close-up shot of Eric Cooper, LMK, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 It was pretty awful both ways. Not going to blame them for the loss, because they were consistently bad all series. Just a complete dogs*** crew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 12:52 PM) It was pretty awful both ways. Not going to blame them for the loss, because they were consistently bad all series. Just a complete dogs*** crew. I'm just trying to figure out how basically no one at the park seemed to catch it. Fathom and I mentioned it right away in the game thread but I thought my eyes might have been deceiving me considering nobody on the Sox argued at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 12:54 PM) I'm just trying to figure out how basically no one at the park seemed to catch it. Fathom and I mentioned it right away in the game thread but I thought my eyes might have been deceiving me considering nobody on the Sox argued at all. Very, very few people know the balk rules at all, and that is including the seasoned baseball fans. I would bet if you 100 baseball fans to list the ways you can balk, less than 5 would be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 (edited) QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 12:57 PM) Very, very few people know the balk rules at all, and that is including the seasoned baseball fans. I would bet if you 100 baseball fans to list the ways you can balk, less than 5 would be right. Good point. Still, I would have thought that one of our baserunners or a member of our coaching staff would have caught it. EDIT: Guess I should have read the article considering it says Cora was going nuts. Edited August 11, 2006 by Rowand44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 12:54 PM) I'm just trying to figure out how basically no one at the park seemed to catch it. Fathom and I mentioned it right away in the game thread but I thought my eyes might have been deceiving me considering nobody on the Sox argued at all. I spotted it. Unfortunately from 29 rows up the stands I don't hold much power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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