Helton walk-off home run

[EarlJam]

He's at bat now. I'm calling it before it happens. Witness?

[EarlJam]

Wrong prediction, wrong board. Geesh. Nevermind.

[EarlJam]

Is that yellow? Gold? What color are those uniforms?

Looks like they hung their white uniforms out to dry on a pollen-filled Atlanta spring day.

I, EarlJam, do not approve of them.

-EarlJam

[EarlJam]

This inning Helton will get his walk-off home run. I had the right name, just the wrong inning.

-EarlJam

[hc5duke]

This inning Helton will get his walk-off home run. I had the right name, just the wrong inning.

-EarlJam

partial credit

[EarlJam]

partial credit

Thanks. At this rate, Chipper Jones will win the batting crown.

[throatybeard]

Hairston just hit a 2-run dong for San Diego, top 13 no outs.

[throatybeard]

Colorado comes back with 3 in the 13th to win; Holladay wins batting title but he's hurt sliding in with the winning run. Nuts. Rockies rough up Trevor Hoffman.

ETA: the announcers are fairly clear that the home ump blew the call. Should be 2 out and 8-8.

[hurleyfor3]

ETA: the announcers are fairly clear that the home ump blew the call. Should be 2 out and 8-8.

Then it makes up for the non-home run earlier in the game. The ROckies deserved to win.

[EarlJam]

Then it makes up for the non-home run earlier in the game. The ROckies deserved to win.

It is 9:02 a.m. on Tuesday morning and I am just finding out that the Rockies won. The Rockies won?! I went to bed after the two run blast by San Diego. I missed a heck of an ending, huh? Guess I deserved it. Bummer.

But I WAS pulling for the Rockies.

Cubs vs. Indians World Series. Gonna be a great one.

-EarlJam

[TillyGalore]

Cubs vs. Indians World Series. Gonna be a great one.

-EarlJam

Ten years ago this month our beloved O's blew it against the Indians in the ALCS, and I still haven't gotten over it. So EarlJam, if your prediction is correct, I will be pulling for the Cubbies. Are you with me on this one?

[hurleyfor3]

It is 9:02 a.m. on Tuesday morning and I am just finding out that the Rockies won. The Rockies won?! I went to bed after the two run blast by San Diego. I missed a heck of an ending, huh? Guess I deserved it. Bummer.

-EarlJam

I watched a few innings from the DEN airport. I had to catch my flight after the 10th. The pilot put the KOA broadcast of the game on the in-flight entertainment, and I listened to it through the top of the 13th. Then I turned it off... I found out the result once I got home.

[EarlJam]

Ten years ago this month our beloved O's blew it against the Indians in the ALCS, and I still haven't gotten over it. So EarlJam, if your prediction is correct, I will be pulling for the Cubbies. Are you with me on this one?

Absolutely! Go CUBS!!!!

[tombrady]

absolutely absurd game last night -- 13 inning winner take all with both teams scoring in the 13th? just crazy.

pretty stoked I stayed up to watch it after watching the patriots kill.

[Cavlaw]

Absolutely! Go CUBS!!!!
That's what I like to hear.

My wife (Denver native) also went to bed after the 2-run homer. I called her after the Rockies won and woke her up. She was stunned and pissed she turned it off.

[Olympic Fan]

I stayed up for the finale ... and the controversy.

What a great game and a great (at least exciting) finish. The controversy overshadows the fact that for the second time in three days, one of the great closers in baseball history couldn't close out a game that would have put his team in the playoffs.

Now to the final run ... I think, after watching a million replays, that Halliday missed the plate.

Nevertheless, the safe call was correct.

Why? Because Barrett was guilty of one of those consistently uncalled rule violations that drive me so crazy. No matter what is written in the rules, there are some rules that umpires simply refuse to enforce. One is the "neighborhood" play at second base, when a middle infielder trying to make a turn on a double play misses the bag ... but it's almost never called.

Well, almost nobody seems to remember that in baseball, BY RULE, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR A CATCHER TO BLOCK THE PLATE UNLESS HE HAS THE BALL IN HIS POSSESSION. Technically, he can't block it while waiting for the ball to arrive ... yet, you almost never see that called.

In this case, Halliday missed the plate because Barrett's foot blocked his hand and Barrett never had the ball -- he couldn't field the short hop and it rolled away from. I think the ump's late and halfhearted call was because he was waiting to see whether Barrett had come up with the ball (although that excuses the delay in the call, it doesn't explain why the call wasn't more emphatic ... as an ump you're taught to sell a close call!).

By rule, Halliday should have been called safe due to interference, even though he missed the plate ... but I doubt the umps will offer that rationale for the blown call.

Sorry for the rant, but I hate these rules that are usually ignored, but seem to be enforced at the worst, craziest times. Football celebration rules are like that ... I'll give you one example, Duke lost a game at Virginia in 1997 when Chris Combs celebrated the game-clinching sack by popping up and saluting the Virginia crowd (no real taunting ... nothing obscene or outrageous). Technically, the right call as the rules were written -- a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that allowed UVa to drive for the winning score, but a rule interpretation that was almost never enforced (that same season, the FSU kicker celebrated his game-winning field goal at Florida by making the Gator chops at the Florida crowd -- and THE SAME OFFICIATING CREW didn't throw the flag).

I saw Butler lose a first-round NCAA Tournament game to Florida in 2000 when the refs called a hanging on the rim technical in the final minute -- again, a right call, but one that's so rarely enforced that when it is, it's a travesty. Daniel Ewing ran into some similar selective enforcement late in his senior season.

In this case, I think it's funny that a rule the umps refuse to enforce is the only logical way for baseball to avoid admitting that a crucial game was decided by the wrong call!!!

[hurleyfor3]

No matter what is written in the rules, there are some rules that umpires simply refuse to enforce. One is the "neighborhood" play at second base, when a middle infielder trying to make a turn on a double play misses the bag ... but it's almost never called.

Far worse than the neighborhood play are baserunners intentionally sliding into fielders, rather than straight into the base. As long as this is tolerated I'm cool with the neighborhood play.

[YmoBeThere]

I also stopped watching after the top of the 13th. I guess that is why it isn't over til its over.

[Clipsfan]

Well, almost nobody seems to remember that in baseball, BY RULE, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR A CATCHER TO BLOCK THE PLATE UNLESS HE HAS THE BALL IN HIS POSSESSION. Technically, he can't block it while waiting for the ball to arrive ... yet, you almost never see that called.

I've actually had this called on me in a low-level co-ed softball game. I often cover home because our catcher can't catch the ball and despite the fact that I had the ball before the person was halfway home the idiot ump called her safe. I guess we play with an extreme version of the rule.

[jimsumner]

Definition of obstruction from the Major League Baseball Official Rules Book.

Section 2.

"OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball, and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner. If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so that he must ocupy his position to receive the ball he may be considered "in the act of fielding a ball." "

Judgment call of course.

I am unaware of any provision that exempts the catcher from this protection.

[SoCalDukeFan]

It would be considered the greatest team sports feat in history. Books and movies would be make of it.

I am from Philadelphia so I hope the Rockies dream ends here, but wow.

SoCal

[mapei]

I wondered whether there was a rule. I saw the replays and kept thinking, "yeah, he didn't hit the plate but that's because the catcher's freaking foot was in the way - that's not fair!" Thank you for the clarification.

[throatybeard]

It would be considered the greatest team sports feat in history. Books and movies would be make of it.

Well, they're a "large market team." If you're from anywhere but NYC, LA or Chicago, you can slit your wrists, coz you're totally irrelevant.

[EarlJam]

Am I the only one that felt like Giles travelled before his toss to home plate last night. Because the ump made a safe call, it's kind of a moot point, but the "non-call" would have been huge had the call gone the other way at the plate.

Look at the replay. Giles catches the ball and clearly drags his pivot foot before launching the ball home. He travelled. Clear and simple. The ump did not call it.

Just another argument for Instant Replay in baseball.

-EarlJam

P.S. Whew, this is good stuff.

[Olympic Fan]

f the Yankees had won 13 out of 14 to make the playoffs ... It would be considered the greatest team sports feat in history. Books and movies would be make of it.

SoCal

Really? How many books and movies have you seen about the 1960 pennant drive? With 15 games left, the Yankees and White Sox are tied in the standings ... the Yankees won the last 15 straight games to win the pennant.

In 1955, the Yankees have a 1/2 game lead on the Indians (defending AL champs). Cleveland finishes by winning 10 of 11. The Yankees win the last nine straight to win the pennant. I can't find the exact numbers, but New York's 1964 stretch run was similar as the Yankees came from four and a half back (and in third place) in the final weeks.

I get tired of the constant anti-Yankee sniping -- it's a lot like the Duke-hatred that's out there. The Yankees get more attention over the years because they've been more successful than anybody else. Yeah, you hear and read a lot about the 1978 stretch run because it was a historic comeback that ended with a lot of drama (although I'd say that most of the books I've seen about the season tell it from the Red Sox POV) ... you also get books about the Phillies '64 collapse and a ton a books about the 1951 Giants' pennant.

And those are just the Yankee stretch runs I can do off the top of my head. There are PLENTY more -- I know the Cards stretch run in 1942 was amazing ... the Braves in 1993 ...

Runs like the Rockies had happen with fair frequency in baseball history. Actually, the rally your Phillies made in the last three weeks was far more historically significant that Colorado's hot streak.

I don't know about movies, but I'll be willing to wager there will be a number of books about the '07 stretch run even though it didn't really involve the Yankees.