Recently I wrote a post called It can’t even be close. It was about the idea that in certain situations, you don’t want the call to be in the umpires’ hands. In the post I used a photo from the Phillies game I was referencing. Upon further review, it is pretty clear that both teams screwed up that play royally. Here is the photo again.
Brutal
The previous post offered a perspective into Mistake #1 which involved the runner’s blunder in getting picked off in that situation.
Mistake #2 comes from the pitcher. Look at the photo. Are you kidding me? This is a major league pitcher and he ends up on the ground after a basic pick-off throw to second base?
To make sure this doesn’t happen to you or one of your pitchers, check out this post HERE for the proper footwork.
Mistake #3 comes from the shortstop. If you look at where the ball is thrown, it really is not a bad throw. So why is the shortstop about to land on the ground? Your guess is as good as mine but I’m once again going with poor footwork. Check this post HERE the find out the proper footwork for shortstops on this kind of play.
The out was made on the play but that was only due to the fact the umpire didn’t see the dropped throw. Better footwork by the pitcher and the shortstop would have made the play much less complicated.
