Rocco Baldelli loses mind after replay review, a breakdown
What Happened
The game is tied 2-2 in the top of the 10th inning. Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli challenges a safe call at home plate after Whit Merrifield of the Kansas City Royals scores the go-ahead run. New York Yankees catcher Gary Sánchez appears to execute a textbook play, setting up to provide Merrifield a clear path to the plate, then positioning himself to receive the throw and block the plate once he has possession of the ball. The home plate umpire initially rules Merrifield out, but the call is overturned upon replay review. Baldelli erupts in an impassioned tirade, removing his hat and unleashing a string of expletives directed at the officials. "That's fucking bullshit. That's the worst fucking call I've ever fucking seen," Baldelli shouts. He argues the play should have stood as called on the field, stating the umpires "never" overturn such a play. Sánchez expresses confusion, saying he thought he executed the play properly per the league's guidelines for catchers. The Twins ultimately escape the inning, but they go on to lose the game. Baldelli is livid, believing the overturned call cost his team the victory. He gestures angrily, directing his frustration toward the general direction of the New York broadcast booth, as the Twins' home stadium is located in Minneapolis, not New York. The veteran manager is visibly and emotionally distraught, portraying the raw passion and competitiveness that defines a manager's role in Major League Baseball. Despite the Twins' defeat, the dramatic sequence highlights the complex "Buster Posey Rule" governing catcher-runner collisions at home plate. While the rule aims to enhance player safety, its nuanced application and the officials' discretion in interpreting it can lead to controversial and emotionally-charged moments that captivate baseball fans. This intense exchange between Baldelli and the umpiring crew exemplifies the high stakes and emotions involved in pivotal late-game situations in the sport.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentIt's one of the worst moments I think we've seen of umpiring in any game I've ever been a part of
in baseball and I think it was pathetic. Oh my god some tough words by Twins manager Rocco
Baldelli. This breakdown is brought to you by SeatGeek. Use code JohnBoy for $20 off your
first order. It's tied up two runs apiece top of the 10th inning. The Twins have some new
outfielders. Byron Buxton enters the game because he pinch hit. Tim Beckham enters the game because
he pinch ran. Whit Merrifield's at second base because he's the Manfred man in extra innings and
the pitch is put in the air to Buxton. They're going to test his arm out right away. Merrifield
tags up into third and safe. Rocco says no I would like you to take a look at that. We trust you. We
just think you got it wrong maybe and no they got it right and he says yep we got it right. Safe.
Don't ever doubt us again and he says it's all right. It's all right.
We're good.
We're good. Hey bring them in. Bring them in. We got to cut this run down at home as coach says
you come in. Come in and what happens? Good coaching. The next pitch another fly ball this
time to the other new outfielder. They're going to test his arm out now. This is the go-ahead
run in extras. The throw. We're coming home and out but Merrifield says wait I never leaned to
the plate. What are you talking about? And his teammate says no lane.
Let's go baby. They're happy about it. Gary says this is the ball you threw me says thank you. I
will cherish this ball. Comes out let's go baby. There you go. Merrifield says he didn't give me
a lane. You can't do that. So the manager comes out right in the face blue in the hat and says
yeah we're going to challenge that rule. What's the rule they're challenging? What's the Buster
Posey rule? Rule 7.13. Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball the catcher cannot block
the pathway of the runner.
As he is attempting to score. It's to protect catchers from getting hurt. If in the judgment
of the umpire the catcher without possession so when the catcher does not have the ball
blocks the pathway of the runner the umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. But
if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw the umpire can determine
that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and
the contact runner is unavoidable.
Very confusing rule. It rarely rarely ever gets overturned because there's a lot going on. First
look at Gary Sanchez. He knows the rule. He's very particular. See him look down there and look at
home plate and set his foot up on the outside to give a lane. That's because the rule. So he's
being very careful there and now he's waiting for the throw. Now the ball is caught right here and
you're going to see as the ball gets released in left field. Look it's just about to get to released.
Gary is watching it. He's watching it and he realizes this is a little
bit of a mistake. He's going to have to do something. He's going to have to do something.
to my left. So he moves he moves his feet to catch the ball and now he's squared up with the
ball. That should all be legal. He doesn't have the ball yet but he's also not blocking. There's
no contact. Now he has the ball. Once he has the ball in his glove he's allowed to block the plate
so you see him as he's about to catch it. You see that left leg go down because what catchers do is
they lie that left leg down kind of as a blocking wall and he does that once he
knows the ball is going to be in his glove. So ball's in his glove. Now he's going to lay his
leg down to block the plate and tag him out. In my opinion that's textbook by Gary Sanchez.
He sets up with the lane as soon as the throw is thrown. He moves a little bit to get to where the
ball is when he moves. The ball's right at his head so he moved right into the lane. Once he
has the ball he lays down his leg to block the plate. Home plate umpire says yep that's a good
play. You're out. Here it is from another angle and the leg goes down and you can see the effect
of that and why they do it because it blocked that leg right there and he tags him and he's out.
This is the new catching strategy. This is how they have to do it now since the rule exists
and they rule them out. Now they're going to go to replay. Here's the other overhead angle.
Clearly out. If it's not blocking the plate they go to replay and they come back and they say
after review the call is overturned.
You usually need concrete evidence to overturn it. Rocco Baldelli is gonna lose his mind. He starts
screaming. Takes his hat off. Completely different guy. Hat on. Kind of young. Got the beard. Full of
energy. Hat off. Tired dad. Says that's fucking bullshit. That's the worst fucking call I've ever
fucking seen. I don't give a fuck. I'm sure the umpires were like hey man we said out. The booth
not us and he's like I don't give a fuck who overturned. He's seething. He says they never
fucking overturn that in five fucking years. He was out in five years. Now I don't know if he's
saying five years. It looked like it earlier or he's saying it's only happened five times that
they've actually overturned this call. It's been around for longer than five years and the umpires
were like dude we are on your side. He's like yeah it's fucking them. Fuck them. That's fucking
shit. That's fucked up. They never overturned that. Never. Umpires look at him like all right man
like I said out. I agree. I don't care. That's so fucking absolutely blocked the plate. He agrees
with the call. Rocco's gonna kick some dirt. He's gonna have a good exit. It's fucking bullshit.
He's gonna look left. He's gonna look right. He's gonna say fuck off and fuck off. Pointing just
easterly. You know it's New York City. It's New York City. It's New York City. It's New York City.
It's New York City. It's New York City. It's New York City. It's New York City. It's New York City. It's
New York isn't in the booth but that's the general direction. Gary's like I thought I did
everything they taught me. He's like I thought I did everything I taught me. Boo. You could have
seen this. Could have used code John Boy got $20 off at Seat Geek and seen this play. They did get
out of the inning on a fun play. A nice play there by the first baseman. Gary's got the ball again.
He's running him back. He's running him back. He's running him back. They're out. The problem is
they lost because of that call. I could go on and on and on about this. The umpires
on the field have nothing to do with it. They made a play on the field which was the right call
which every person in all of baseball including the umpires know is the proper call and someone
in New York decided that that was worthy of being overturned on the field.