The Official #4 Tennessee vs Alabama (SEC Tourney Game Thread) 2PM

[VolinMC]

Just watch and see how many times that gets called again in all the tournaments. While it may be the rule.how many times has a baserunner's arms been outside the bag? Of course it has to happen to our Vols team. Go Big Orange and win the whole tourney now!

 

[AthensVol2007]

Just watch and see how many times that gets called again in all the tournaments. While it may be the rule.how many times has a baserunner's arms been outside the bag? Of course it has to happen to our Vols team. Go Big Orange and win the whole tourney now!

Vandy had a slide in the 6th or 7th last night where the runner had his arm above his head while sliding. The OM SS attempted to jump over the slide and the elevated arm caught his legs and he wound up having to eat it instead of making the throw. IMO it was a normal double play breakup slide just like Max’s but more egregious because the arm was elevated so high and made serious contact with the legs. I wouldn’t have called either one though.

 

[OldTimer]

Then we were not watching the same play.

The second baseman is completely off the base to the right field side.

I find it interesting that in Y9's twitter screenshot, the name GriffinTSmith is a big Bama supporter........

 

[nomads-11]

BS call. Period.

 

[BallerVolFan]

Here’s the game plan.... find a way to pull out a win against State. Florida will hopefully beat Bama. I believe if we face them again, they won’t stand a chance. We played very poorly most of the game. The revenge factor will be on in full force. After that game, every team is 0-0 as it goes back to single elimination. Good to see Dallas on the mound today. The bats need to get going early.

 

[GhostVol]

From the NCAA Baseball rulebook:

https://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/BA22.pdf

Force-Play-Slide Rule SECTION 4. The intent of the force-play-slide rule is to ensure the safety of all players. This is a safety and an interference rule. Whether the defense could have completed the double play has no bearing on the applicability of this rule. This rule pertains to a force-play situation at any base, regardless of the number of outs, except it does not apply to the batter-runner at first base. a. On any force play, the runner, in the vicinity of the base, must slide on the ground before the base and in a direct line between the two bases. It is permissible for the slider’s momentum to carry him through the base in the baseline extended (see diagram). Exception—A runner need not slide directly into a base as long as the runner slides or runs in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder. Interference shall not be called. 1) “On the ground” means either a head-first slide or a slide with one leg and buttock on the ground before the base. 2) “Directly into a base” means the runner’s entire body (feet, legs, trunk and arms) must stay in a straight line between the bases. 76 Rule 8 / Base Running Force-play-slide rule diagram 1st Base Fielder is protected in gray area. 2nd Base (2nd Base Example) b. Contact with a fielder is legal and interference shall not be called if the runner makes a legal slide directly to the base and in the baseline extended (see diagram). If contact occurs on top of the base as a result of a “pop-up” slide, this contact is legal. c. Actions by a runner are illegal and interference shall be called if: 1) The runner slides or runs out of the base line in the direction of the fielder; 2) The runner uses a rolling or cross-body slide and either makes contact with or alters the play of a fielder; 3) The runner’s raised leg makes contact higher than the fielder’s knee when in a standing position; 4) The runner slashes or kicks the fielder with either leg; or 5) The runner illegally slides toward or contacts the fielder even if the fielder makes no attempt to throw to complete a play.

 

[txbo]

I see you didn't scroll down.

You’re right. I apologize. That was uncalled for.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Hmm.....INTERESTING I say....very interesting.

 

[Bigun]

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

A couple of thoughts on the game.

1. Just because a call can be made does not mean that it is in fact the right call.

2. Please do away with replay, no reason to get the call wrong twice. The point of replay is to get the call right, not support your fellow umpire in the field. Since, replay I have seen very few calls overturned with no explanation other than supporting the guy on the field. I don't believe much in conspiracies. Well unless we are talking about football which gets really hard to ignore. I think yesterday was more about supporting the fellow umpire than making the right call or any conspiracy theories.

3. By definition of the rule the call is wrong. The arms stay within the framework of the body and he only makes incidental contact out of self preservation.

4. Looking at it from the fielders side. He was trying to get rid of the ball quickly and did not get separation from the bag. Or he has not been taught proper ways of turning a double play. He was way too close and caused as much interference as the runner. Years ago the runner would have cleated the crap out of the fielder and knocked him down. The fielders coach would have told him to get out of the way.

 

[UT_Tix79]

it was the left hand, has nothing to do with the slide, he twists his body midslide and makes contact with the groin area of the Bama guy with his left hand. Looks like an unnatural movement in the usual slide.

I was pissed watching it, and am still pissed, but knowing the situation he was doing everything he could to break up the double play so we could win. I don’t blame him for it, I love watching our guys give their all. I would have been more pissed if he didn’t try to break it up.

However, I try to look at it from another angle, if the situation were reversed and another player did the same thing to us, would I want to see it called...

 

[TheMookieMonster]

it was the left hand, has nothing to do with the slide, he twists his body midslide and makes contact with the groin area of the Bama guy with his left hand. Looks like an unnatural movement in the usual slide.

I was pissed watching it, and am still pissed, but knowing the situation he was doing everything he could to break up the double play so we could win. I don’t blame him for it, I love watching our guys give their all. I would have been more pissed if he didn’t try to break it up.

However, I try to look at it from another angle, if the situation were reversed and another player did the same thing to us, would I want to see it called...

It's perfectly valid to feel this way, except we now have an almost carbon copy of the Ferguson slide that happened in the Ole Miss/ Vandy game which was ALSO in the bottom of the 9th and they didn't call it interference. The SEC doesn't even try to keep up the facade that there is Tuscaloosa favoritism in the conference. Either both slides are interference, or neither slide is. But, the SEC can't decide.

 

[VolGee4]

it was the left hand, has nothing to do with the slide, he twists his body midslide and makes contact with the groin area of the Bama guy with his left hand. Looks like an unnatural movement in the usual slide.

I was pissed watching it, and am still pissed, but knowing the situation he was doing everything he could to break up the double play so we could win. I don’t blame him for it, I love watching our guys give their all. I would have been more pissed if he didn’t try to break it up.

However, I try to look at it from another angle, if the situation were reversed and another player did the same thing to us, would I want to see it called...

You have to ask Max, but he very well could have been protecting his head. Im sure he knew the fielder was on the right, but a case could be made that when turning his head, he had no idea where his arm was.

That side by side of the Vandy-OM play says it all. Same play, but the fielder jumps to avoid contact. A fielder shouldn’t be able to just stand their to initiate an interference call.

 

[Y9 Vol]

I find it interesting that in Y9's twitter screenshot, the name GriffinTSmith is a big Bama supporter........

I have no Twitter account...no idea who’s account you are looking at.
It was the best picture I could find at the time by a Google search. Nice try Maxwell Smart.

 

[UT_Tix79]

The difference in the Vandy/Ole Miss game was the fielder was coming right over the base, so the runner has the right of way. The fielder has to move or risk getting mowed over. In our game the fielder was off to the right of the base. That changes everything.

It was the correct call by the letter of the law, I don’t have an issue with him trying to interupt the double play or the interference call. It was our only chance in that situation in his eyes. I played for a long time myself, and in that situation you do everything in your power to break up the double play. Could he have been attempting to protect his head, yes, but he still made contact with the fielders groin. Only Max knows his true intent.

 

[LibertyVolance]

I have no Twitter account...no idea who’s account you are looking at.
It was the best picture I could find at the time by a Google search. Nice try Maxwell Smart.

You were insisting last night that Max made an illegal slide outside the basepath. Not only was he sliding directly into the base but the explanation from the umpire to CTV was that Max struck him in the groin as the fielder moved across Max to make the throw. The replay shows that was not the case either. The Vols got rooked on the play. The fielder made a high throw during his attempt to complete the double play and the run scored. The umps blew the review and the Vols had to pay for their bonehead favoritism. There was nothing Max did to alter the fielder's throw in the slightest way. He just delivered an errant high throw to first which happens every day at all levels of baseball including the Majors. We got robbed and it's over but it's very unfortunate for the team because they won that game in the bottom of the 9th.

 

[Y9 Vol]

The difference in the Vandy/Ole Miss game was the fielder was coming right over the base, so the runner has the right of way. The fielder has to move or risk getting mowed over. In our game the fielder was off to the right of the base. That changes everything.

It was the correct call by the letter of the law, I don’t have an issue with him trying to interupt the double play or the interference call. It was our only chance in that situation in his eyes. I played for a long time myself, and in that situation you do everything in your power to break up the double play. Could he have been attempting to protect his head, yes, but he still made contact with the fielders groin. Only Max knows his true intent.

It is truly amazing, though understandable, that people can not take the orange colored glasses off on this.
The rule SUCKS!! But it is an enforceable rule whether we like it or not.

 

[LieutenantNeyland]

It is truly amazing, though understandable, that people can not take the orange colored glasses off on this.
The rule SUCKS!! But it is an enforceable rule whether we like it or not.

Your’re gonna die on that hill aren’t you. It’s the wrong hill by the way.

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

It is truly amazing, though understandable, that people can not take the orange colored glasses off on this.
The rule SUCKS!! But it is an enforceable rule whether we like it or not.

The rule is an enforceable rule but not in this instance. The enforcement is incorrect, according to the verbiage in the rule and what occurred on the field.

The call would be incorrect if it was the other way and Tennessee was given an out.

 

[Y9 Vol]

Anyone watching/listening to today’s broadcast???????

 

[ndubvols]

The difference in the Vandy/Ole Miss game was the fielder was coming right over the base, so the runner has the right of way. The fielder has to move or risk getting mowed over. In our game the fielder was off to the right of the base. That changes everything.

It was the correct call by the letter of the law, I don’t have an issue with him trying to interupt the double play or the interference call. It was our only chance in that situation in his eyes. I played for a long time myself, and in that situation you do everything in your power to break up the double play. Could he have been attempting to protect his head, yes, but he still made contact with the fielders groin. Only Max knows his true intent.

I feel like he was off to the right of the base but he was still in the basepath at the same time if that makes any sense.

 

[ndubvols]

I’ve seen a lot of people say our guy made an “unnatural sliding motion” since his arm went up and off to the side. Ignoring the fielders and just looking at these two slides, the body position is nearly identical.

 

[OrngeJuiceJones]

I was in my living room hollering at the tv that TV better get ejected for this lol.

Hell i got ejected at work

 

[UT_Tix79]

I’ve seen a lot of people say our guy made an “unnatural sliding motion” since his arm went up and off to the side. Ignoring the fielders and just looking at these two slides, the body position is nearly identical.

Difference is 1 fielder is jumping over the runner (and doesn’t touch him) the other the fielder is off to the right and the runner hits him in the groin.

Hate the rule if you want, but if we lost to anyone because when trying to turn a double play and throwing to first the runner hit our guy in the nuts and the throw was offline, and we lost the game. The same ones of you so adamantly arguing this is a terrible call, would be screaming it was interference

 

[BigOrangeCrush32]

Hell i got ejected at work

I just laughed out loud literally.