Umpire & Manager argue but are both wrong, a breakdown

Jul 10, 2021 1.3M views 7:58

What Happened

In a 1-1 game in the bottom of the eighth between the Royals and Indians on July 9, 2021, a botched defensive sequence and aggressive baserunning led to two Cleveland runners ending up on third base at the same time. Royals catcher Salvador Perez tagged the lead runner first, then the trailing runner, but the lead runner had already drifted off the bag. The plate umpire called both runners out, then signaled a different runner than the one he believed was tagged on the base. Indians manager Terry Francona argued, got it wrong, and was eventually ejected, while the Royals also misunderstood the actual ruling.

Why This Matters

This is one of those rare plays where the rulebook is crystal clear but nobody on the field applies it correctly. When two runners occupy the same base, the lead runner owns it and the trailing runner is the one in jeopardy. So tagging the lead runner does nothing unless he's off the bag. Here Perez tagged the lead runner (Daniel Johnson) while he was still entitled to third, then tagged him again after his hand slipped off, which actually should have produced an out on the lead runner, not the trailing runner the ump pointed at. Francona's argument that Johnson came off the base because he heard the out call falls apart on the video timing. The umpire admitted the call was sloppy. Francona's ejection capped a confusing inning that hinged on a rule most players go entire careers without testing.

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Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Michael A. Taylor. Teams: Royals.

Key Terms Mentioned

Full Transcript

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we had some classic sitcom

miscommunication in the royals versus

indians game tied up one run a piece in

the bottom of the eighth inning

and this one is brought to you by keeps