Rays have no recourse over costly call

ST. PETERSBURG — As much as the Rays might feel obstructed by the controversial call involving A.J. Pierzynski in Sunday's loss to Chicago, there isn't much they can do about it.

The Rays can complain or send a video for review to Mike Port, Major League Baseball's vice president of umpiring, but it won't accomplish anything.

Even if Port and/or other MLB officials reviewed the play and determined the Rays were right and the umpires were wrong, there would be no acknowledgement or apology and definitely no change in outcome.

And even in the rare case MLB felt strongly enough to discipline umpire Doug Eddings (or other members of the crew) or make note in their evaluations, which are used to determine postseason assignments, the Rays wouldn't even get the satisfaction of knowing because such actions are not made public. (Only in extreme cases where umpires are suspended is it announced.)

"It's definitely a tough situation, and one that is hard to swallow, but mistakes happen — and it clearly in our opinion was a mistake — but nothing can be done after the game to rectify it," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said Monday.

"At this point, it is what it is. And we're banking on the notion that things tend to even out over time."

Port did not respond to an e-mail from the Times. MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said: "The umpires do a remarkable job, and their goal is make the calls accurately. In the instances when there are errors, we deal with them on an individual basis."

Even if MLB had started using instant replay, it wouldn't have helped the Rays because its use will be limited to whether balls are home runs and not judgment calls.

It was the second controversial and somewhat unusual call in less than a week that went against the Rays, following what manager Joe Maddon called an "unconscionable" and "fabricated" call by Jerry Meals on Aug. 19: that B.J. Upton made an attempt to go to second.

Although the Rays won that game, Maddon said he got as upset as he did because, "All I could think about is that it's one play that could keep you out of the playoffs."

The Rays could feel the same after Sunday's call. It could also be the difference between winning the division and ending up as the wild-card team or between having homefield advantage in the first and/or second round of the playoffs.

Pierzynski, who spent some childhood years in Hernando County, lives in Orlando and is a big Florida Gators fan, essentially admitted he was willing to try anything to get out of the baserunning mess he got into, stuck in a 10th-inning rundown between second and third, and was looking for "somebody to get close enough to where I could touch them."

Pierzynski — a known instigator with a list of prior controversies — did, sticking out his left elbow toward Rays third baseman Willy Aybar after Aybar had thrown to shortstop Jason Bartlett, not only getting called safe (despite being tagged by Bartlett) but being awarded third base. He later scored the winning run as Chicago avoided a three-game sweep.

"The umpires' quotes said it all," he told the Chicago Tribune. "It was the right call, the right play. Whatever."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen lauded Pierzynski for being "a quick thinker" who is "always in the game" and also backed the umpires: "I think people thought we were lucky because we beat Tampa Bay one time in 20 games, but they made the right call."

The Rays and White Sox are done playing for the regular season, but if the standings ended up as they were Monday morning, the teams would meet in the division series — Game 1 at Tropicana Field, Oct. 1 or 2.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.come. Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

Reader reaction to the call

."Ridiculous is an understatement. I think the umps had dinner plans and wanted to finish the game." — Res

."The sad thing is that this type of behavior ('bending the rules' while playing, aka, 'flopping' in the NBA to draw a foul) is reinforced when the refs give him the call. Thus Pierzynski has learned that he'll get these calls, and other players watch and have an incentive to play the same way." — Chris

."There is no doubt that Pierzynski cheated and got rewarded for it. MLB needs to do something about calls like this that are so obviously blown. There needs to be some sort of redress to these umps that see things that didn't happen." — Ken

."I thought the B.J. Upton call at first base last week was the worst call ever. Well, this takes the title without contest. How can you reward someone for playing like that? How can you let kids believe that is the way to play? You would think Bud Selig would do something. You know if Pierzynski would have done that to the Red Sox, I would bet anything that this would be the biggest story on SportsCenter." — Jeremy

."I'm not even a Rays fan, but that was the worst call I've seen in 40 years of watching major-league baseball." — Frank

."The Rays are playing great baseball without two of their stars in the lineup and on the field. It is an absolute travesty to continue to have umpires make horrendous calls against a team battling through a time of adversity. A.J. fell over about three seconds after Aybar apparently ran into him. Can someone please explain to me how if someone were to hit your left arm that you extended outward, you would fall over backward onto your rear end? Makes no sense to me, but maybe I'm vertically challenged." — Joe

And the pundits chime in:

."It's not the worst call I've ever seen. It might be the worst I've seen this year. … I've watched the play a dozen times. The key question is whether or not the fielder impeded Pierzynski in any way. He did not. Pierzynski leaned toward Aybar, stuck his elbow out, and still there was almost no physical contact (or perhaps none at all) before Pierzynski tripped over himself and fell on his butt." — Rob Neyer, ESPN.com

."A.J.'s like the kid who calls 'timeout' all the time during a fight and then gets in a late shot to your ribs." — David Brown, Yahoo! Sports

Comments on this article

by M	Aug 27, 2008 11:07 AM
Let's move on. We'll kill 'em in post season anyway. GO RAYS!!!!

by JAE	Aug 26, 2008 4:46 PM
Pierzinski is cheating Gator scum; and as usual probably didn't even go there.

by bigbbfan	Aug 26, 2008 4:35 PM
I say let Balfour take care of Pierzynski with a 95 MPH fastball.

by Eric	Aug 26, 2008 4:29 PM
It is a shame that umpires have one job to do and they continue to mess up, I hope there is no want for MLB to have a more "glamorous team" in the playoffs, I cant imagine there is. The umps did NOT blow our save chance in the ninth.

by Aaron	Aug 26, 2008 4:29 PM
In addition to numerous questionable calls, there have been two calls that umpires have invented (including Upton's "turn" to second base) that has cost the Rays. MLB stands to lose millions if the Rays make the series, and umpires know this.

by NICK	Aug 26, 2008 4:28 PM
UMPIRES HAVE THE POWER TO DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF GAMES. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THEY ARE USING THAT POWER TO SWAY GAMES TO A CERTAIN CONCLUSION. THEY EITHER HAVE MONEY BET ON A TEAM, WANT TO GET THE GAME OVER QUICKLY, HATE THE RAYS, ETC. COMPLAIN TO MLB!!

by Jay	Aug 26, 2008 4:24 PM
The recourse is simple. It will be a ninety mile an hour fastball right in the middle of the back the next time the two teams meet in a non-playoff atmosphere. It is amazing though that the umps would give the benefit of the doubt to a guy like him

by Bud	Aug 26, 2008 3:36 PM
If a thoughtful, reasonable guy like Ozzie Guillen approves of Piezinsky's tactics, that's good enough for me. Can you just imagine the show the Blizzard of Oz would have put on if the call had been agaisnt the Black Sox?

by jim	Aug 26, 2008 11:36 AM
i just do not understand how umpires who are veteran umpires can't get important calls right.replay in this instance would weed out cheats and make umps aware of players who are dirty.my son who plays high school ball needs to see fair play not #$@#.

by Ken	Aug 26, 2008 11:36 AM
Let's face it. Having a WS, or even a playoff, in the Trop is MLB's worst nightmare. "On the edge" upmpiring is one of the few tools at their disposal to prevent such a calamity. Go Rays.

by Zander	Aug 26, 2008 11:36 AM
The Umps are in cahoots with MLB to make sure the glamour, big market teams in the A.L. East win the division. The bad calls will continue against the Rays as long as they are tops in the A.L. East. MLB needs the Red Sox for better TV ratings.

by Meg	Aug 26, 2008 11:36 AM
I have to wonder what happened to fair play, good sportsmanship, unbiased umpiring? Baseball is all American, but this is not the American way! We should be giving good examples to teach our children, not that cheating is the best way to win.

by The Churchlady	Aug 26, 2008 9:52 AM
Winners never cheat and cheaters never win. This too shall pass. Unrepentant though he is for his sin, AJ will pay for this one, and you, the fans, will get to rejoice in his demise. Vengence will then be yours.All in good time fans,all in good time.

by Ray	Aug 26, 2008 9:52 AM
The play at issue in the 10th inning would not of even happened if Riggins would have caught the throw from Zobrist in left field in the 9th inning which would have ended the game. So,put in behind and move on. We have many more games to win.

by Dave	Aug 26, 2008 9:52 AM
Friedman's comment is best that hopefully things will even out. With that in min the Rays 4-5 plays coming their way. Otherwise, if this Umpiring crew gets a Tropicana assignment I would litter the playing field throwing objects at these losers.

by mike	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
kinda makes you want to take raw eggs to the next home game for the umps

by rays fan	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
let's kick some jays butt tonight

by Jeff	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
Pierzynski knew the rules and took advantage of an opportunity. I was taught to look to make contact then yell "Obstruction!" in the 70's when in high school. It's just rare to see the play at the MLB level.

by Hawkeye	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
The thing about the play is, AJ should have been out when he stepped onto the grass before the said incident. How was it that Doug Eddings conveniently missed that, but saw a flying elbow away from his vision?

by Mark	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
The NBA (I guess) apologized to the Orlando Magic for the clock malfunction in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals this past season. I don't see why the MLB couldn't do the same here and acknowledge wrongdoing, but that's apples and oranges.

by mike	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
A bad call further justification for video replay. The arrogance MLB umpires is beyond acceptable. The other problem here though is had Upton hustled the earlier throw this would likely not be an issue. I disagree that 'nothing" can be done.

by Mike	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
This reminds me of when I was a kid and we played ball in the street. We had cry babies like Pierzynski that would try any ridiculous thing to win. These kids got beat up. That seemed to work . . . and we felt better about it too!

by JC	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
GGet used to it fans. There is no respect for the Rays like the umps have fr the stinkin yankees and zox these no respect calls woll keep cominf wait!!

by Pete	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
The saddest thing is that Ozzie Guillen thinks cheating is fine and the right call. Good influence on the kids watching. No class at all. Pierzynski, Guillen and MLB.

by chuck	Aug 26, 2008 9:51 AM
All seems to forget that if Upton had played the fly correctly there would never have been the controversity

by Ed	Aug 26, 2008 9:50 AM
After the issue with the NBA ref, the call involving Upton and now this make you really wonder if there are other forces at work.

by ben bolt fan	Aug 26, 2008 9:50 AM
Stop complaining about this call. Riggens droped the last out which would have ended the game. Just blame him!!!!

by Mike	Aug 26, 2008 9:50 AM
The call really does not suprise me. It was meant as a message to the Ray's that " next time you question one of our calls, you will be retaliated against " as was the case in this instance."

by Joe	Aug 26, 2008 9:50 AM
Pierzynski successfully conned a slightly out of position umpire (look at the video again) with the 10.0 dive of all time. And gets away with it because the umpires union is more powerful the commissioner or the game itself. Sad times we livd in.

by David	Aug 26, 2008 9:30 AM
Nothing they can do? of course there is. They can lend their full support for instant replay. Instant replay for all calls. I wasn't there either until I learned that tricking the umpires was a part of "good baseball" via the "Baseball Tonight" crew.

by sput	Aug 26, 2008 9:30 AM
mr port,are doug eddings,& jerry meals so blind to their wrongs? that neither is held accountable in public? their blatant calls were made in public. if you consider either call correct. you to sir are blind to wrong. pierzyski nor aybar are wrong!!!