Dear Editor,
I had a friend point out the
”
Worst call ever caught on tape
”
story, and pretty much had to laugh at the part about this play
being
”
captured on tape.
”
The picture in the paper is so bad you can’t tell if the
collision has happened or not. On the Internet, if you enlarge it,
it’s pretty easy to see that the girl is still a few feet up the
line and that impact hasn’t happened (just look at both player’s
legs).
Dear Editor,
I had a friend point out the “Worst call ever caught on tape” story, and pretty much had to laugh at the part about this play being “captured on tape.” The picture in the paper is so bad you can’t tell if the collision has happened or not. On the Internet, if you enlarge it, it’s pretty easy to see that the girl is still a few feet up the line and that impact hasn’t happened (just look at both player’s legs).
Depth perception is a very important thing. If the picture would have been taken from centerfield, it might appear to some that the ball was already over the catcher’s head, but it would appear to all that the two players hadn’t collided yet. As for the worst call ever, well, I’ve coached baseball, softball and basketball for a combined 22 years, and yes, it was. I can’t believe the arrogance of the umpire to actually grant an interview to the local press here in Pendleton, Ore. But then to flat out lie about what happened is amazing.
There was a picture printed in the East Oregonian of the collision and, miraculously enough, the ball is in the catcher’s glove. Explain how that could be if the collision happened before the catcher caught the ball. The umpire states he clearly saw the collision before the catch – a flat-out lie. He also states he never made an out call – another flat-out lie. On the last play of an exciting game, if a runner is thrown out by 30 feet, people will start celebrating without waiting for the call. On a close play, EVERYONE waits for the call, including the girl who HEARD the umpire call her out.
Your picture does show something very important that most people aren’t talking about: The runner has her arms up and is bracing for a collision, which in Babe Ruth baseball is illegal. I don’t know all Little League rules, but it’s probably illegal to run into an opposing player in such a manner.
Your picture taken from video does not show a collision. Anyone with common sense and clear vision can see that. The video I’ve seen (taken from the third baseline about five feet up from home plate, not the third baseline 160 feet away) shows the catcher catching the ball first, shows the Gilroy player with her arms up, bracing for impact and then, again, the Eastern Oregonian picture shows the ball in the catcher’s glove during the collision.
No offense to the Gilroy girls or coaching staff. I enjoyed watching them play and thought they hit the ball very well, but they shouldn’t be at the World Series. They lost the game and the umpire knows it. However, I hope they represent the West region well, as the second-best team.
Kevin McKinstry, Pendleton, Ore
