The umpiring crew in Monday night’s New York Mets-Cincinnati Reds game defended the controversial hit batsmen call in the fifth inning that changed the complexion of what became an 8-6 Mets’ loss.
The initial foul ball ruling Monday drew protests from Rolen and Reds Manager Dusty Baker. The reversed call forced in the run that gave Cincinnati a 2-1 lead and touched off an angry reaction by the Mets. Manager Jerry Manuel was ejected and Pelfrey gave up three straight run-scoring hits in a six-run inning.
It was hard to tell on replay whether the ball hit Rolen, but Iassogna, the second-base umpire, said he had the best view to make the call. Dale Scott, the crew chief, and Iassogna said reviewed the tape of the play before speaking with reporters Monday night and that showed they made the right call.
“The easy call would be to keep it the same,” Scott said. “We’re not looking to make the easy call; we’re looking to get it right.”
Right or wrong, I give the umps credit for stepping forward and explaining themselves. FIFA could learn a few things from that.