Even in today’s world of ABS and instant replay, we still get some drama. See? Technology can’t fix everything!
Baltimore Orioles fans, players, coaches and announcers are fuming today after Pete Alonso’s go-ahead home run Wednesday night against the Yankees was ruled foul.
Alonso hit what looked like his 30th blast in the seventh inning. With the game tied at 3, the ex-New York Mets star launched a ball into orbit down the left field line, and started jogging towards first.
PETE ALONSO RIPS ON TRAFFIC, CRUSHES HOMER AGAINST YANKEES IN RETURN TO NYC
That’s when umpires ruled it a foul ball, sending Alonso — and Camden Yards — into a frenzy. The umpires initiated a crew chief review, but ultimately didn’t overturn the call, only saying “the call on the field stands.”
That’s corporate lingo for, “We have no clue, so we’re going to go with the call we made initially.”
Anyway, take a look and decide for yourself.
Fair … or foul?
Thoughts? First impressions?
I immediately go to the Yankees broadcast. Michael Kay sounds just distraught over the fact that it may get overturned.
“That looks fair,” he said.
When the opposing teams’ broadcast booth is admitting defeat, it was probably the wrong call. To me, this seems like a pretty cut and dry home run. I’ve seen a lot of them in my days watching and playing baseball, and this one feels pretty easy.
Why did they call it foul on the field? I have no idea. But they did, and when it was called foul in the moment, it was NEVER getting overturned. No shot. The replay is certainly close enough to make any call on the field stand.
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Had they called it fair, I’d be saying the same thing. Frankly, had they called it fair, I’m not sure anyone would’ve really thought anything of it.
The Yankees’ dugout doesn’t have near the angle the Orioles’ does being down the third base line, so I’m not sure anyone in there would’ve noticed.
Yikes. Yeah, I think I’m firmly in the ‘home run camp’ here. Seems obvious to me. Perhaps it wasn’t in real-time, but it certainly is now.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said after the game that the dugout was convinced the ball was fair based on the ball-tracking data they have on their iPads.
“It’s really tough to have that come back and stands and to have that visual in the dugout. It’s 2026. Technology has advanced pretty good,” he said. “There’s teams using AI on the iPads. Other sports using ball-tracking data for challengeable calls. I don’t understand why we don’t do it. But, it’s not why we lost the game.”
Well … it kind of is, isn’t it?
The Yanks won, 5-3, after plating a pair of runs in the eighth. Who knows what would’ve happened, but I’d imagine things play out a bit differently if the O’s go into that inning up 4-3 and coming off a dramatic Pete Alonso home run.
Oh well. That’s baseball, as they say.
Or something like that.
