Strange rule causes coach to go crazy, a breakdown
What Happened
In a tense bottom of the 10th inning matchup between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes, the game is tied 2-2 with the bases loaded. Illinois player Cop steps up to the plate and fouls a ball straight back, putting it in play. The Iowa defense scrambles to turn a double play, getting the out at second base but then failing to complete the throw to first. Umpires immediately signal interference on the play, calling Cop out despite him appearing to safely reach first base. Iowa head coach Rick Heller vehemently argues the call, questioning whether Cop had passed second base before the interference occurred. The umpires confer and decide to review the play, much to Heller's frustration. "If whatever you called results are not safe at first, I would like to review it," Heller demands. After the review, the umpires uphold the interference call, ruling Cop out. A bewildered Cop stands on the field, unsure of what just transpired. Replays show Cop sliding past second base without actually making contact with the Iowa fielder, leading many to question the interference ruling. "The rule is he doesn't have to interfere with the throw again. So it sucks that umpires just have to call the games without using, you know, common sense," the commentator explains, referencing the college baseball rule that does not require the runner to actually impede the fielder's throw. Heller erupts in an emotional outburst, yelling "Are you fucking kidding me? That's fucking horse shit. He's fucking safe. That is fucking horrible. Fuck you. You fucking suck." The pitcher then records the final out, sealing Iowa's 2-run victory over their in-state rival Illinois. It's a heartbreaking moment for the Fighting Illini, who see a potential game-tying or game-winning run taken off the board due to a controversial call. The Iowa Hawkeyes hold on for the crucial win, but the lasting memory will be Heller's passionate protest of the umpires' decision.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentI got a ton of requests to do this.
Bases loaded, Illinois-Iowa, two-run game,
bottom of the 10th inning, fouled straight back.
This is a hard one that's difficult to digest.
We're just battling up there.
It's put in play.
They go to turn two.
They get the out at second.
They go to first.
He's safe.
They don't come up with it, but they're all pointing.
They're all pointing.
What are they pointing at?
What could they possibly be pointing at?
And he says, this guy says, did he pass second?
Did he pass second?
Did he pass second?
That's not the rule in college.
He doesn't know that.
Seems like no one fully knows.
The coach of Iowa is just like, what is going on?
Okay.
All right.
You want to review it?
He's like, yes, dude.
If whatever you called results are not safe at first,
I would like to review it.
Umpires get together.
They're like, what did you have?
What did you have?
Should we go review it?
And the umpire tells camera crew, like, hey,
we're going to review.
We're going to do it because we called.
We called interference on the base path.
And the runner at first would be out.
And this is the runner.
They got the third.
His name's cop.
And he's looking around like, what?
What did they say?
She's trying to figure it out.
He's trying to figure out like, what did they call?
How could they have called that?
The coach is looking around.
What do you think?
What happened?
So he's out.
But watch this umpire.
When he sees him slide past.
He says,
no interference, interference.
And this is very hard to digest because from this angle,
you can see he never touched the kid throwing the ball.
Never touched the kid throwing the ball from that angle.
And from this angle,
you can see that the umpire notices that he slides past second.
Immediately puts his hands up to call interference.
Doesn't call him out.
What's really hard to accept is that in college,
he's,
he doesn't have to touch the fielder for it to be interference.
I don't know why that's the rule,
but that is the rule.
He doesn't have to touch him in college.
They're not allowed to slide to the left or right of the bag at all.
They have to slide right in a straight line over the bag.
So they're saying that he slid to the left of the bag.
It to me,
I don't know how narrow it is.
It can't be as narrow as the bag.
It has to be like the baseline.
To first base with,
you know,
right here.
And I don't,
it seems like he's there to me.
We don't ever get an angle of it,
but that's the rule.
The rule is he doesn't have to interfere with the throw again.
So it sucks that umpires just have to call the games without using,
you know,
common sense.
Cause that's the whole gig.
And it sucks.
The rule says that even if he doesn't touch this player,
it's interference.
I don't know why they're so,
I don't mean they can't do that.
It's just where there are too many injuries.
If we had the view from first base,
we could see the slide better,
but that's unfortunately the situation.
Look at their reaction.
Oh my God.
What are you talking about?
Huh?
Huh?
And he looks at his coaches and coach like,
don't worry,
like,
don't worry.
It's going to get overturned.
Don't worry about it.
That'll get overturned.
Like he's throwing to turn it and he's running at him and he's throwing it.
And if he gets in the way and he's like,
after review the call,
he actually starts saying,
the call stands.
And then he goes after review the call stay out.
You can see him go stay.
And he goes,
no,
it's confirmed.
It's Stan.
No,
it's confirmed.
So maybe they had a different angle that confirmed it.
Cause from the angles we have,
you can kind of say stands,
but it stinks to have to say that coach goes crazy.
Are you fucking kidding me?
That's fucking horse shit.
He's fucking safe.
That's horse shit.
Are you kidding me?
What the fuck is that call?
Are you,
are you,
are you fucking serious?
Are you fucking kidding me?
Oh my gosh.
What?
I'm a rip this helmet.
What the fuck is that?
That is fucking horrible.
Heller's mad.
I would be too.
That's bullshit.
Are you fucking kidding me?
That is bullshit.
That is bullshit.
Fuck.
Fuck you.
You fucking suck.
And then the pitchers got one out to go.
Strike one curveball for strike two.
Actually really nice sequence on the two pitches there.
They ride the line pretty well.
And then strike three on the swing and they hold on to it.
Oh,
my chest.
Yeah.