Video qQadN44WqlU
What Happened
In the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied 2-2, the home team is looking to take the lead. Craig Counsell, the manager of the team, comes out to argue a call after the leadoff batter reaches base. Counsell believes the batter interfered with the first baseman's throw, but the umpire disagrees, saying the runner did not interfere with the play. Counsell continues to argue, and the umpire ejects him from the game, much to the delight of a woman in the front row. After the ejection, the play is reviewed, and it's extremely close whether the runner was out at first base. The replay shows the ball entering the first baseman's glove just before the runner's foot touches the bag. However, the umpires rule that the call on the field stands, and the runner is safe. Cubs manager David Ross comes out to argue the call, shaking his head in disbelief. The next two batters are retired, but the tension remains high. The crowd is engaged, with some fans waving goodbye to the ejected Counsell and others expressing their displeasure with the umpiring. The umpire appears confident in his decision, putting his mask back on and feeling he made the right call, despite the close nature of the play. The game remains tied, with the home team still looking to take the lead in the bottom of the ninth. The outcome of the game is not revealed in the transcript, leaving the viewer to wonder how the exciting late-inning drama ultimately unfolds. Throughout the sequence, the play-by-play and analysis provided offer a vivid, detailed account of the unfolding events, with the transcript capturing the back-and-forth between the managers, umpires, and the engaged crowd. The summary paints a clear picture of the high-stakes, down-to-the-wire baseball action, leaving the reader eager to know the final result.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentBack-to-back Craig Council ejections, two games in a row.
I wonder what the record is for most games in a row a manager got ejected.
Probably Earl Weaver, right?
Anyway, bottom nine, 2-2.
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Bouncer off the plate, tons of spin.
Spins the catcher's way, safe.
Safe, they say.
So they got the leadoff runner on.
That's great news.
They're excited.
Catcher's like, uh, that was a funky hop.
Council comes out.
The manager, it's bottom nine, tie game.
Why not just go see what's going on?
And he's saying he ran out of the baseline.
The catcher didn't have an angle to make the throw.
Interference.
No, no, I know.
But the rule is if he interferes with the first baseman,
but first base was never interfered with,
he can run inside the chalk all he wants.
And they cut a replay on us.
Here's the first baseman.
And, you know, the throw is beat.
And was he interfered with?
He does a weird stretch, but he could have changed his feet.
The throw takes him that way.
It's interesting.
Interesting rule.
Let's go back to what the ump is saying,
because I think we come back from replay
and the ump is going to be adamant.
That's, he did not interfere with the play whatsoever.
He didn't interfere.
Oh, we cut to another commercial.
So here's the better angle of it.
And yes, baseball is very weird.
The runner is supposed to run in foul territory,
but the base is in fair territory
and righty batters start in fair territory.
It doesn't really make sense.
For righty batters.
We've seen this all the time.
Many of times he has to start there
and eventually has to get over.
Now, had this catcher grabbed this ball
and fired it and hit the runner's back.
I'm no expert in this.
I've done a lot of videos, but I, it's very,
it's always, uh, it's tricky.
I believe it would be interference,
which is kind of a cheap part of the rule
that you have to,
the throw has to be interfered with for interference.
Or if he, they deem,
he got in the first base,
man's way of making this play.
Now, I think this guy playing first
could have taken his right foot,
stepped more towards the grass and reached out for it.
And I think he wouldn't have been in the way of the runner,
but it is tricky and he beats the throw anyway.
So, I mean, I don't think there's interference.
I think council's just trying to get a call and he leaves.
And then he's going to come back
and follow up with the umpire and say,
why can't you ask?
And then the umpire throws him out
much to the glee of that woman in the front row
with her hands.
Hands cupped.
She's like, oh, yes, he did it.
Ejection.
We saw one.
Umpire says, we were done.
You came back.
We were done.
I'm just asking you.
I'm just asking you to ask, man.
There's nothing to be asked about.
That's my call.
He's looking at the catch.
Toss me.
That's my call right there.
He didn't have a good view of it.
He got the ball clean.
Guy was already passed.
Council walks off.
Like I said,
he got ejected in the Nico Horner breakdown
I did yesterday.
Look at the crowd.
Look at these Philly crowd waving him goodbye.
See, two hand waves.
Even the usher woman, she's happy about it.
That guy in blue, not happy.
Oh, my God.
Why is that guy so not happy?
Mean mugging him.
Mean mugging.
Came to see council.
They said he could take mine and win more games.
Umpire puts his mask on.
Feels good about himself.
He got the call right, I think.
I think he got the call right.
It's a very weird call.
It's a very weird call
because I do think that's a very weird call.
It's a very weird call.
It's a very weird call.
It's a very weird call.
I do believe, and correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm not an expert on these rules,
but I've done a lot of these damn breakdowns.
I think if he hits him in the back right away,
they'd be like, he interfered with the throw.
But the fact that he beats the ball to the bag
kind of shows the play was there.
Anyway, that's the go-ahead run.
Surely it's going to help.
Nope.
Cubs turn two.
Nope.
They say safe at first base,
and the Cubs dugout says,
uh, no, no, no, no.
Hold on, hold on.
We're going to challenge it.
Yeah, we're going to challenge that.
Let's go to review, and it's very close.
Look how close this is.
So close.
But I would rule out there
because usually they say it's when the ball enters the glove,
not when it hits the back of the glove,
which is kind of weird.
But even then, it looks like it hits the back of the glove
before that foot comes down.
Let's enhance.
Okay, again.
Now, enhance.
Yes, okay, let's see.
When do you think the ball is in the glove?
Right?
There, you can see the glove kind of...
Right here, you can't...
I'm going to go one frame over.
Ready?
One, two, three.
There you go.
And the ball is in there.
And is the spike touching?
They're probably saying,
we don't know if the spike's touching.
But if you watch the foot and the base,
as I move forward frame by frame,
it looks like the spike touches there
when you start to see the shoe bend.
And by that point,
we had already all agreed unanimously
that the ball was in the glove.
So obviously,
they come back from this
and they say,
he's out.
Our bad.
We got the call wrong.
But no, he says,
after the review of the call on the field,
stands.
Runner is safe.
Oh, boy.
Council would have got ejected again.
Instead, it's Turner on the bench
just shaking his head,
being like,
what's going on here?
This stinks.
I'm too old for this.
Get the calls right, you know?
And then,
don't worry,
pop up,
second out.
And then,
I believe they get the next out.
And then the next out.
And then I actually don't know
what happens at the end of this game.
You guys tell me.
Thank you for DraftKings
for sponsoring this breakdown.
Keeping the series alive
and going.
Appreciate them.
Appreciate you.
Appreciate baseball.
Did this whole show
with a fly in the room.