Comments on: Interesting fallout from the Bob Davidson-Mike Matheny double switch snafu

By: highump

highump — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 02:52:50 +0000

Matheny needs to be more specific. On different amateur levels, I have never heard a coach tell me a sub goes in for the “five-position”, where he was taking about the 3rd base, rather than the 5th spot in the order. The umpire holding the lineup card is primarily concerned with batting order, as the position in the field can be readily seen by everyone when he takes said position.

That being said, the umpire needs to repeat what he thinks was said back to the coach. This is officiating 101, no matter what the sport.

FYI… There is 1 scorekeeper who keeps the lineup/official scorebook, he just happens to be in the pressbox. The umpire holds the official lineup card, and he notifies the official scorekeeper when a change is made. The change becomes official when the player takes his position in the field (defensive), or the player is announced (offensive).

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 01:35:47 +0000

Understood. An interesting idea. But fans aren’t the only ones who watch the scoreboard.

Davey spotted the error on the scoreboard, or someone in his dugout spotted it and alerted him. He thought it significant enough that he came out to alert the umpires.

By: hisgirlgotburrelled

hisgirlgotburrelled — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:20:46 +0000

Not talking about a person hitting buttons for the scoreboard. The scoreboard is for fans. Talking about 1 scorekeeper. You make changes with that person. There should never be a chance where a coach asks an umpire to consult a piece of paper in his back pocket for the official lineup, only to have the umpire second guess what he wrote with his tiny pencil.

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:36:50 +0000

Last night, late in the Nats-Rockies game, Davey Johnson came out to show the umps that the scoreboard had his team’s lineup wrong. Obviously, with multiple copies of the lineups on the field and in the dugouts, the scoreboard version is hardly official. But it could cause confusion.

By: deathmonkey41

deathmonkey41 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:45:12 +0000

“Replaying audio of an umpire dropping an F-bomb apparently counts as a “rebroadcast”

If that’s the case, then I rebroadcast about 50 f#cking times a day.

By: ndnut

ndnut — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:40:38 +0000

Baseball is SOOOO progressive, right?

By: hisgirlgotburrelled

hisgirlgotburrelled — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:06:18 +0000

I find this incredibly ridiculous that there could be a mix up in substitutions. Baseball isn’t new, and neither is the double switch. How is there not one official scorecard with substitutions readily available for both teams and the umpires? That should have been reviewed, not Davidson’s memory. They could even have a small tv in the dugout that’s updated with each change. Instead, they rely on a laminated lineup taped to the wall, and a card in the ump’s pocket?

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:34:16 +0000

Haha, right? The world’s upside down.

By: CJ

CJ — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:23:55 +0000

isn’t that twice in two days? I’m surprised the universe hasn’t exploded yet.

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:10:58 +0000

I find it interesting that the ump admitted fault at all.

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:06:34 +0000

Nice accountability all around – to be sure – although short of watching Davidson write the switch down – I’m not sure how much more Matheny could have done. They were standing so close to one another they could have been kissing.

Now the real test begins. Will Jim Joyce issue a similar statement about how he and Mike DiMuro could have better handled last night’s phantom catch at Yankee Stadium?