OnlyBucs

HUGE call in game 5 of Red Sox - Astro’s game: 2 run homer by Altuve of the Astros is called an out due to fan interference. Astros lose by two and lose the series.



https://www.mlb.com/news/fan-interferen ... -298072830



Ball is clearly beyond the vertical of the wall, into the stands. It can be proven by watching the fan in the gray t-shirt - he’s standing up and the ball would clearly hit him in the chest if the trajectory had not been altered. The fan had his hands within a few inches of his chest. Totally reflexes - no one can just stand there and have a shot bounce off their chest.



From Joe West: “Asked what he saw that prompted the initial interference call, West said, "Well, when [Betts] jumped up to reach for the ball, the spectator reached out of the stands and hit him over the playing field and closed his glove."



That’s just not right. Fan clearly did NOT reach out and over the wall.

Betts closed his mitt early too. Last night I though it was possible that mitt had hit a fan.

1F39382F39295A0 wrote: Betts closed his mitt early too.  Last night I though it was possible that mitt had hit a fan.


I think it is pretty clear that the contact with the fans caused his glove to close. If there are no fans there, he catches the ball, IMO. I really dislike Joe West and think he is a terrible umpire, but I think he got that one right...somehow.

After this look, I'm sure the guy on the right is loving life in the office right now . . .



hi-res-a9a219516f3c9f5494b6198f75f4211f_crop_north by sammykhalifa, on Flickr

312C080A04610 wrote: Betts closed his mitt early too.  Last night I though it was possible that mitt had hit a fan.


I think it is pretty clear that the contact with the fans caused his glove to close.  If there are no fans there, he catches the ball, IMO.  I really dislike Joe West and think he is a terrible umpire, but I think he got that one right...somehow.


There was definitely contact and that contact seemed to close the glove. But four things:

The contact was with the guy in grey T-shirt

The contact was initiated by Betts

The guy in the orange is reaching but never makes contact.

Most important: as I’ve read the rule, once the ball goes beyond the wall (into the stands) spectators have a right to the ball. Ie, there is no fan interference.



Betts was definitely beyond the wall if the fan in grey is watched the entire clip.

03313D3D291B38313C393631500 wrote: After this look, I'm sure the guy on the right is loving life in the office right now . . .



hi-res-a9a219516f3c9f5494b6198f75f4211f_crop_north by sammykhalifa, on Flickr


That’s a great pic!  Guy on right never touches the ball or Betts however. If you look at the guy in gray, he’s not reaching out, his hands are nearly at his chest.  Eyes closed - he’s in direct line of the ball.  No choice but to react.

The guy in orange may have hit glove (I don’t think so) but ball is beyond wall by that time.



Bottom line - Astros should have had a two run inning at least. Could have been more. They lose by two.

It's all Altuve's fault. He should have hit the ball a couple feet further!

To me it looks like the fans are reaching over the wall. I think Betts' glove is not reaching in to the stands, but rather above the wall, which I believe is in play (like when ball bounces off the top of the wall and back in to play). I think this call is more in the gray area, I do think in an instance like this, the umpire ~should have made the less assertive call, which would have been a HR. But having called fan interference, there's no way you can prove that it wasn't.

0E1337353B5E0 wrote: Betts closed his mitt early too.  Last night I though it was possible that mitt had hit a fan.


I think it is pretty clear that the contact with the fans caused his glove to close.  If there are no fans there, he catches the ball, IMO.  I really dislike Joe West and think he is a terrible umpire, but I think he got that one right...somehow.


I think that could also have been a reflex. The contact from the fan's hand causes him to close his glove.

David Freese leads off game 6 with a home run. Like David Freese.