Robinson & Healy Getting It Wrong?
Click here for a recap of last night’s game.
In the eighth inning of the game Willie Randolph made a double switch that took Doug Mientkiewicz out of the game and inserted pitcher Mike DeJean in his slot in the order while putting Chris Woodward in at first base to bat in the pitcher’s slot in the order. Reds manager Dave Miley complained to the umpires that the double switch was not made properly and the umpires ruled in his favor. This forced Woodward to bat in the slot vacated by Mientkiewicz, which meant the Mets, would have to use a pinch hitter in the top of the ninth.
Ted Robinson and Fran Healy, calling the game for MSG Network, went into a discussion criticizing Miley’s complaint as being bush league and having nothing to do with the game. I have to disagree with that. Though Miley’s complaint was nitpicking it was quite valid. And the timing of the complaint (Miley waited for DeJean to have completed his warmups before talking to the umpires) was such that I think it was done to rattle the Mets and give the Reds a slight edge in a two run game that was not over yet. And it seemed to have worked as it was in this inning that Joe Randa hit his grand slam to put the game away. Without that grand slam if the Mets would have gone on to score the two runs that they did in the ninth the game would be tied at 5. Miley was just reaching for whatever edge he could to help his team.
Then, in the top of the ninth, Robinson and Healy commiserated over the notorious ‘in the neighborhood’ play at second base as the Reds attempted to turn a double play. The Reds missed the DP as Jose Reyes beat the throw at first. If the umpires were going to enforce the double switch ruling, they argued, then they had to call Marlon Anderson safe at second base on the play. Though I have never been a fan of the ‘in the neighborhood’ play it has been called for as long as I can remember. So even though Robinson and Healy were correct that Anderson was safe (because Reds second baseman DAngelo Jimenez did not tag the base while in possession of the ball) the act was getting kind of old. The play has always been called that way, fellas. Fair or not you’ve got to get over it.
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