In the top of the 4th inning of the Wild Card game between the Giants and the Mets, Giants outfielder Denard Span attempted to steal second base. Replays seemed to clearly indicate that Span was safe on the play. However, he was called out and after reviewing the replay, MLB officials in New York upheld the call. A flurry of criticism from the announcers and people online ensued about the replay debate. But they missed something even more relevent.
If you are a student of Baseball By The Yard then you may have picked it up.
Below is a photo of the play. Do you notice the mistake made by Jose Reyes of the Mets?
If you answered “Reyes’ feet are on the wrong side of the bag” then give yourself 10 bonus points and enjoy your weekend!
If you didn’t pick it up, check out this video I did a while back on this very topic.
The play ultimately came down in favor of the Mets but if Reyes’ footwork was correct, Span may have actually been out for real.
Baseball is a game of inches. Pay attention to the little things!