Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti can’t believe what he’s witnessing from MLB’s replay office.
Is someone drunk? Are the replay officials even looking at the footage that fans at home are watching? Benetti and Tigers color analyst Andy Dirks worked a game Thursday that featured two calls that ended up in the hands of officials that went in favor of the Mets, who won the game 9-4 for a three-game sweep.
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“This is going to get ugly in a hurry,” Dirks said seconds after the home-plate umpire announced that the New York office overturned a 5th inning call. To be fair, the game got ugly in the top of the 4th when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was kicked out of the game after getting into a screaming match with the ump over a call at third base.
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The very next inning, Benetti and Dirks had seen enough. “I’ll tell you what, the Tigers have a good right to believe that something isn’t on their side right now, whether it’s the baseball gods or whatever,” Benetti added after Dirks’ comment. “The first one was ridiculous. The first one should have been safe. This one, I just don’t know that we’ve seen clear proof of anything.”
“If that one wasn’t clear proof at third, how do you have clear proof at first? I’m just beside myself with trying to understand what these rules mean and who’s got discretion of what,” Dirks fired back.
MLB maintains a page on its website where it shows multiple angles of replay challenges. Here’s the play in the 4th inning. Even the Mets booth says the Tigers runner was safe. New York replay officials didn’t see it that way. You make the call. Based on the extra footage provided by MLB, the 5th inning overturn appears to be the right call.
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To Dirks’ point, how is the fifth-inning call any different from the fourth? Watch the videos and you tell me. What’s clear is that baseball now needs to find a way to determine a definitive angle. And show fans in real time. They shouldn’t have to visit MLB’s replay archive on a nightly basis.
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