So Much for Instant Replay in Baseball

[W3WN]

OK, so imagine the situation...

You're sitting in the front row, outfield seats in Right Field. Bottom of the 7th, man on first, 2 outs.

Batter hits the ball, comes sailing right at you... you try to catch the ball, but it bounces out of your hands and back onto the field.

Now, this is important: You never got out of your seat, it happened so fast. So you are clearly behind the railing. Oh, and your seat is about 25 - 30 feet above the field.

So, is this hit:
(a) A Home Run, since it cleared the rail
(b) A Book Rule Double, since it appeared to the umpires to hit the rail (on the field side) and bounce back in
(c) Fan Interference

Initial ruling on the field... (b) Double. Runner scores from first since there are two outs, he's running on contact.

Home manager comes out, argues that it was a home run, requests video review. Umps confer, decide to review the video. Home TV viewers are shown multiple replays, clearly showing the fan's hands being hit, that he's not leaning over the rail & hasn't left his seat.

No brainer, right?

After a 4 minute review, the umpires rule: Fan Interference. Batter is credited with a Book Rule double, but the runner from 1st is NOT put back on base... if it's by rule, he can only advance 2 bases, not 3... and the run is left in place.

And the best part? Since it's ruled Fan Interference, ballpark security removes the fan from his seat and he's escorted out of the park.

Now, how's THAT for adding insult to injury?

(Incidentally, the player who got screwed out of his first HR of the season did score after a single by the next batter, and the home team rallyed from a 5 - 0 deficit going into the 7th to win 10 - 7.)

[XE1/N5AL]

Wow, I hope the poor fan's name wasn't Steve Bartman!

[W3WN]

Wow, I hope the poor fan's name wasn't Steve Bartman!

Nope.

Besides, unlike poor Mr. Bartman, the home team won the game...

On Edit: Here's a link to the video, see for yourself: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/vi...79096&c_id=pit (They don't show the review in the clip, but watch carefully where the ball goes over the fence)

[K7SGJ]

How's your hand, still hurt?

[KG4CGC]

Only time I was ever thrown out of a ballgame was during minor league play when Atlanta had their G'Braves in Greenville. My buddy and I started up with, "FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP!" After a string of blatantly bad calls and the whole stadium, both young and old alike (very old, geezerly I must say) began to chant with us! Imagine an entire minor league stadium filled to 3/4ths capacity all looking at the umpire as he glared back, with all of us at him yelling, "FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP!" The "ump" called in a pair of rent a cops to the field and as we were all standing and yelling, he pointed at us. As soon as we were identified, the rent a cops ran towards us and the second they grabbed us and tried to rough house us, the entire stadium started booing!
We were Legends at that point as we were escorted out the crowd started with "FUCK THE COPS! FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE COPS! FUCK THE UMP!" This continued as we got into our car and we could still hear the crowd as we pulled away from the parking lot!

The next day the local newspaper wrote about a pair of hooligans who incited the crowd to near riot. What a freakin' joke! Immediately following this game, a strong police presence became a permanent fixture at all games. Word of the incident spread quickly and became the topic of many letters to the editor both for and against our, "shenanigans." The shenanigans were really on the part of the ump who was later discovered to be taking "favors" from an outside group that shall remain nameless. HOWEVER, this umpire's indiscretions were nothing compared to how they managed to get an even larger stadium built right in downtown Greenville!

ETA: The year was 1989.

[K7SGJ]

Only time I was ever thrown out of a ballgame was during minor league play when Atlanta had their G'Braves in Greenville. My buddy and I started up with, "FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP!" After a string of blatantly bad calls and the whole stadium, both young and old alike (very old, geezerly I must say) began to chant with us! Imagine an entire minor league stadium filled to 3/4ths capacity all looking at the umpire as he glared back, with all of us at him yelling, "FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE UMP!" The "ump" called in a pair of rent a cops to the field and as we were all standing and yelling, he pointed at us. As soon as we were identified, the rent a cops ran towards us and the second they grabbed us and tried to rough house us, the entire stadium started booing!
We were Legends at that point as we were escorted out the crowd started with "FUCK THE COPS! FUCK THE UMP! FUCK THE COPS! FUCK THE UMP!" This continued as we got into our car and we could still hear the crowd as we pulled away from the parking lot!

The next day the local newspaper wrote about a pair of hooligans who incited the crowd to near riot. What a freakin' joke! Immediately following this game, a strong police presence became a permanent fixture at all games. Word of the incident spread quickly and became the topic of many letters to the editor both for and against our, "shenanigans." The shenanigans were really on the part of the ump who was later discovered to be taking "favors" from an outside group that shall remain nameless. HOWEVER, this umpire's indiscretions were nothing compared to how they managed to get an even larger stadium built right in downtown Greenville!

ETA: The year was 1989.

I read about that. The article said you weren't thrown out for chanting "fuck the ump, fuck the cops", you were ejected for actually TRYING TO fuck the ump and the cops. It's a fine line.

[NA4BH]

I read about that. The article said you weren't thrown out for chanting "fuck the ump, fuck the cops", you were ejected for actually TRYING TO fuck the ump and the cops. It's a fine line.

They don't call it a dead ball foul for nothin'.

[WØTKX]

At a Twins game in the 70's my cousins and I were on the 3rd base line, front row seats courtesy of our Grandpa.

Rollie Fingers ran after an infield pop fly as the third baseman and catcher were busy with runners heading home.

We started screaming DROP IT! DROP IT! He caught the ball, gave us an evil grin.

This matched his "Snidely Whiplash 'stache", he then flipped "the bird" at us, shielded with the glove .

We thought it was hilarious, Grandpa was mortified.

[K7SGJ]

Third base

[WX7P]

At a Twins game in the 70's my cousins and I were on the 3rd base line, front row. Rollie Fingers ran after an infield pop fly as the third baseman and catcher were busy with runners heading home. We started screaming DROP IT! DROP IT!

He caught the ball, gave us an evil grin to match his "Snidely Whiplash "stache", and then flipped us "the bird".

We thought it was hilarious, Grandpa was mortified.

Cool story.

Rollie was da bomb. I remember we all cut class (High School) in 1972 to hear (not watch) the A's win the final game of the World Series. I still have my Longines Symphonette radio I used that day.

No one in Fremont, CA got busted for cutting class for celebrating the World Series win.