Rocco getting animated in post game presser warning, vulgar language

[cHawk]

Today, the Blue Jays got a favorable overturned call in their game against the Twins at Target Field that, in the end, gave them their winning run.

Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli was not a happy camper after the call was overturned. Skip to the 1:40 mark to see the segment where Rocco shares his thoughts on what happened.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I’d be pretty upset too, but it’s rather out of character for Rocco to get that heated.

I wonder how that plays in the clubhouse and office?

[Battle ur tail off]

16 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

I’d be pretty upset too, but it’s rather out of character for Rocco to get that heated.

I wonder how that plays in the clubhouse and office?

Couldn’t play any better for me as a fan anyway. If that is my coach too I am more in his corner than ever knowing that he has some fight in him for his team and isn’t just a wet blanket. 

Do we think Gardy would have just rolled over on a call like that? Do you think any manager would? To me, I think he almost HAD to react that way, and I am glad he did. 

[Irishman]

MLB and umpires hate the Minnesota Twins.   

[CRF]

It's so out of character for him to go off like he did. Both on the field when the play happened, and with his comments. We've NEVER seen him do anything even remotely like that since he got the job. It's so out there...it's hard for me to process. I do like that he finally showed some fire in his belly. I like the emotion and anger. I think we need to see more of that from him. Whether or not there was an ulterior motive to get the team fired up, or if it was his honest anger about the play...who knows. No doubt the call reversal was total B.S. I'm sure he'll get fined and probably a small suspension for the comments. We'll see if the whole thing lights a fire under the team. I sure hope so. 

[mrtwinsfan]

I recorded the Blue Jays TV play by play and they also said it was not going to be overturned because Sanchez had to play the ball. Then in an interview with Whit Merrifield, he said that he slid into Sanchez on purpose to get the interference call. He said he could have slid around him but he would have been out so he tried to get the interference call.

[USAFChief]

Rocco is completely correct. 

 

[wabene]

6 hours ago, mrtwinsfan said:

I recorded the Blue Jays TV play by play and they also said it was not going to be overturned because Sanchez had to play the ball. Then in an interview with Whit Merrifield, he said that he slid into Sanchez on purpose to get the interference call. He said he could have slid around him but he would have been out so he tried to get the interference call.

This is evidence that the replay officials got played and should be embarrassed. Who is it that should be suspended? 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Pointing at cameras and dropping F bombs at the umpires in NYC instantly became my favorite Rocco moment. 

[LVTwinsfan]

Micromanaging replays has always been my fear about replay reviews. They ruined a great play, one of the most exciting plays in baseball, and by doing that ruined the game. 

[LVTwinsfan]

For me the bottom line is this. Before Merrifield made contact with Sanchez, he had possession of the ball. Even if it was a split second before, he had the ball. There is no block if he has the ball, that’s is the rule! So no matter where Sanchez was since he had the ball, he has a right to the baseline. These same umpires in NY made another similar call in the Orioles Pirates game. They got that one wrong too. The catcher caught the ball before the runner made contact. He has to be called out. These two particular umps in NY need to be fired. 
 

Baseball is a game of bang bang plays, in both cases the catchers had the ball before contact is made, a split second before maybe, but before is before. It would help if umpires actually understood the rules.
 

There is an easy fix for this. Make the catcher blocking the plate rule non reviewable and leave it up to the umps on the field.

[USAFChief]

7 minutes ago, LVTwinsfan said:

There is an easy fix for this. Make the catcher blocking the plate rule non reviewable and leave it up to the umps on the field.

The easy fix is to change the rule, so we don't have umps on the field OR off trying to interpret a poorly written bad idea and make a pure judgement call instead of easily defined, incontrovertable safe or out like it was for a century and a half, and still should be. Demand the runner slide, and be done with it.

There are collisions at 2nd base all the time. Infielders block 2nd and 3rd with their leg. All the time. Yet we don't have some poorly written rules regulating that. For good reason.

 

[Irishman]

I've looked at this replay several times.  Sanchez had a ball before Merrifield made contact.  Real terrible call.  Twins got robbed.

i would think Baldelli would be fined for vulgar comments and criticism against the umpires.  If he get fined by Manfred, I would be willing to donate money.

[Johnny Ringo]

Replays are supposed to be used to overturn calls on the field that are clearly wrong.

That principle was egregiously violated here.

There is a lot of gray in the world. But not here. Rocco is 100% right and NY is 100% wrong. I am sure that his passion on this point plays just fine in the clubhouse.   

[Dman]

So given what MLB said about this their quibble appears to be that Sanchez set up in foul territory without the ball. Even though by the time the runner got to the plate he left a very clear lane for the runner until he had the ball where he then came back over the plate. 

So unless the rule reads a catcher cannot setup in foul territory at all with a runner on third I guess I don't get their logic.  The replay clearly shows he left a lane at the end when he caught the ball and then when he had the ball he stayed in front of the plate.  The runner made no effort to move the side but directly initiated contact and that is how they want to call it?  They are essentially negating the rule they put in place to protect the players.  Even the runner acknowledges he TRIED to initiate contact since he knew he was out to try and get the call.  New York messed this up.  Rocco is right this was just an embarrassment on a lot of levels.  They should have let the call stand like they have on 99.9 percent of these this year.

[MMMordabito]

Twins fans should treat Merrifield the way the rest of league treats Correa from now on.

[Irishman]

1 hour ago, Dman said:

So given what MLB said about this their quibble appears to be that Sanchez set up in foul territory without the ball. Even though by the time the runner got to the plate he left a very clear lane for the runner until he had the ball where he then came back over the plate. 

So unless the rule reads a catcher cannot setup in foul territory at all with a runner on third I guess I don't get their logic.  The replay clearly shows he left a lane at the end when he caught the ball and then when he had the ball he stayed in front of the plate.  The runner made no effort to move the side but directly initiated contact and that is how they want to call it?  They are essentially negating the rule they put in place to protect the players.  Even the runner acknowledges he TRIED to initiate contact since he knew he was out to try and get the call.  New York messed this up.  Rocco is right this was just an embarrassment on a lot of levels.  They should have let the call stand like they have on 99.9 percent of these this year.

Was this stupid rule enacted after the SF catcher Posey's serious injury and collision with a runner years ago?  

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, Irishman said:

Was this stupid rule enacted after the SF catcher Posey's serious injury and collision with a runner years ago?  

Yes, this is the "Posey rule."

[Squirrel]

36 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Yes, this is the "Posey rule."

The thing about this play ... it looked NOTHING like what happened to Posey, though, which makes the whole thing just stupid. Merrifield admitted to sliding right at Sanchez, but ... he SLID, he didn't lower his shoulder and barrel right into Sanchez to intentionally take him out. There was no collision. And Merrifield also admits that there was plenty of room to slide to the side of Sanchez, but he knew he'd be out so he went for the slide AT Sanchez instead hoping for a different result. But again, he SLID. And Sanchez lifted up his knee so Merrifield could go under him. That's how it's supposed to look and go. I was a catcher in softball and made plays exactly like that. I just don't see how this even resembles what happened to Posey, at all, and how the Posey rule could even be applied. It's just so egregious in the worst possible way. And if Merrifield supports this overturned call, I think MMMordabito is right and should get booed, loudly. (And I'm not arguing against anything you said, I'm just wound up ... still ... about this overturned call.)

[howeda7]

16 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

I’d be pretty upset too, but it’s rather out of character for Rocco to get that heated.

I wonder how that plays in the clubhouse and office?

Considering how robotic he usually is, I love it.

 

I still remember one year when we were playing the White Sox in late September and the race was close. I think 2003? Gardy got ejected and punted is hat. IIRC we rallied to win that game and swept the series.

[Craig Arko]

Reminds me of the heady days of Jerry Burns…

[goulik]

And what about Merrifield? This rule is to help avoid injuries from collisions and he admits to running into Sanchez on purpose despite having a lane to avoid the collision?!?