"No, the strike zone isn't an excuse for tonight's lousy loss... . We're pretty sure they'd have lost anyway. But is there anything more frustrating than watching a game umpired by Tim McClellan? We think not."
Old picture of Tim and quote from Royals Corner Blog.
The Yankee mystique makes time stand still and memory go foggy. Some weird innings Tonight Game 4 in Los Angeles...
Third Base Umpire Tim McClellan missed a double play at third. Posada was caught in a run down between third and home after a bases loaded fielders choice, with Cano forcing to third. Cano didn't seem to want to take the base away from the infield captain, the veteran Yankee - respect - so he never touched the bag! As Posada was being forced back to third by Mike Napoli, the Yankee catcher acquiesced off the back of the bag for Cano to take it; Napoli saw the situation immediately. The Catcher straddled the bag like a third baseman, touched Cano, then Posada - one two. Tim McClellan - standing right there - missed it and called only Posada out. As the Yankee Veil began to draw across our collective memory - as it became apparent nobody was quite sure what had just happened - he failed to ask the home plate umpire for help - or the extra left-field-line umpire either.
AND probably because Tim McClellan is crew-chief neither umpire offered any help, to make sure they got it right, which is politically correct in Umpire World, but wrong in baseball.
Earlier in the inning on a play at second Swisher was thrown out by Napoli, but the umpire called it safe.
An inning before Swisher left the bag early on a sac fly and was called out by Tim McClellan, double play - run doesn't score - end of inning. The replay was too close to call.
Magic is one way to look at it.
Another is that Tim McClellan leads a really bad umpiring crew.
(update @ 11:46 10/20/09)
New York Yankees 10 - Los Angeles Angels 1. Yankees lead the series 3 - 1. C.C. Sabathia wins his second of this series on short rest.
The Angels beat themselves tonight - they need to regroup to play a game six.
(video update @ 3:06 PM 10/21/09)
Here's the video from ALCS game 4 (Evil-FOX-network video - which will be pulled down soon).
GONE! (9:56 PM 10/21/09) Coutesy of MLB Advanced (?) Media
Tim McClellan is Fooled by a smooth Cano move. Cano causualy places his foot on the bag after he's tagged, thinks he's called out and starts for the dugout, Mike Napoli hears he's safe so he tags him again because he's off the bag again!
mh
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