Welcome back, Norristown Patch readers!
This week we'll take a look at a questionable call by MLB Umpire Joe West, and we'll post up the Philadelphia Eagles official 53-man roster.
Get your replay ready!
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Fan Interference?
It was a tough weekend for the Phillies, watching David Herdon give up home run after home run on Saturday night, only to watch the Fightin's lose again on Sunday in 14 innings.
Still, Herdon's struggles and back-to-back losses have seemingly taken a backseat to a questionable fan-interference call by Umpire Joe West during Sunday's series finale in South Florida.
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At issue is the use of instant replay to overturn a Hunter Pence double in the sixth inning of Sunday's loss. According to the official MLB rules, instant replay may only be used in determining a home run call.
"Instant replay will apply only to home run calls—whether they are fair or foul, whether they have left the playing field, or whether they have been subject to fan interference. The decision to use instant replay will be made by the umpire crew chief, who also will make the determination as to whether or not a call should be reversed.”
Regarding the call in question, Pence hit a line-drive to the top of the right field wall, which careened right after a failed leaping catch by Marlins right-fielder Bryan Peterson. The initial result of the play was a double for Pence, placing runners on second and third with Ibanez to bat.
Marlins Manager Jack McKeon immediately came out of the dugout stating that a fan had interfered while the ball was in play, which should have resulted in a deadball and an out for Pence. Television replays showed that a fan had in fact reached over into the field of play, knocking the ball with his hat. Whether or not the catch could have been made without the interference is debatable.
With the initial call on the field being a double and no one questioning whether or not it was a home run, using replay to review a fan-interference call would have been against the rules.
Here's where it gets a bit tricky.
Umpire Joe West said after the game that Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel had stated that he thought it was a home run—something Manuel vehemently denied saying. Because of this, the umpiring crew took a look at replay and returned to the field to overrule their initial call of a double, stating it was an out due to fan interference.
If Manuel did not state that he thought it was a home run, replay should have never been used. Rather than going the he-said-she-said route, simply take a look at what the replay showed.
The ball clearly would have never made it over the wall, which should have made the crew immediately return to the field to uphold their initial call of a double. Instead, they used the replay to confirm interference—something which is not allowed by rule. The Phillies played the remainder of the game under protest and eventually lost eight innings later.
Depending on how the Phillies front office phrases the formal complaint to the league, there is a chance that the result of the game could be invalidated and the two teams would have to resume play in the top of the sixth inning with runners on second and third.
Bear in mind, that the last successful protest of a baseball game happened 25 years ago when the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals were ordered to resume play of a game that had been mistakenly called short due to rain.
So what should we make of all of this?
The Phillies are 40 games over .500 with the best record in baseball and a 7.5 game lead over the second place Braves. Though the Phillies have a legitimate argument, is it really worth the hassle? Especially considering the game went another eight innings?
Question: Would you like to see the protest force the teams to replay the game from the sixth inning?
Bleeding Green
Cut Day in the NFL has come and gone as teams across the league set their 53-man roster, along with their respective eight-man practice squads. Opening day is Thursday, with Green Bay playing host to New Orleans, and the Birds will officially begin their season on the road Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.
Here is a list of your 2011 Philadelphia Eagles:
53-Man Roster
#
Name
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Age
Exp.
210
23
2
South Florida
30
6-2
210
30
9
California
DE
6-3
267
31
8
230
29
7
Auburn
87
6-0
242
24
2
Mississippi St.
57
Clayton, Keenan
LB
6-1
229
FS
5-11
195
23
2
270
28
7
Cincinnati
14
6-2
306
26
3
Oregon State
LS
6-0
250
31
9
UTEP
65
T
6-9
330
25
4
Auburn
53
OLB
6-1
236
26
3
Maryland
82
TE
6-3
252
24
2
Missouri State
6
K
6-1
177
24
R
Nebraska
8
P
6-3
220
22
R
Florida
79
G/T
6-6
321
28
7
Saginaw Valley State
27
CB
5-11
188
25
3
Oregon State
76
DE
6-0
244
25
1
Houston
10
WR
5-10
175
24
4
California
67
C
6-4
325
31
8
Delaware State
26
S
6-0
196
21
R
Temple
97
DT
6-2
305
30
8
Central Michigan
56
OLB
6-1
230
26
5
James Madison
74
T
6-6
320
26
6
USC
3
QB
6-3
225
24
2
Northwestern
62
C
6-3
282
23
R
Cincinnati
91
DT
6-1
304
26
4
Notre Dame
27
RB
5-8
195
20
R
Pittsburgh
35
CB
6-0
183
25
2
Kentucky
18
WR
6-0
198
23
3
Missouri
31
CB
6-0
197
23
R
Utah State
69
G
6-5
302
29
7
Alabama
50
MLB
6-1
232
22
R
Oregon
25
RB
5-11
208
23
3
Pittsburgh
41
S
6-0
225
26
6
UCLA
75
DE
6-2
250
33
11
Oklahoma St.
98
DT
6-1
300
28
7
USC
71
T
6-4
328
29
8
Arkansas
23
CB
6-2
182
25
4
Tennessee State
59
LB
5-10
227
22
R
Ohio State
22
CB
5-10
185
30
9
Central Florida
32
FB
6-2
245
26
4
West Virginia
19
WR
5-11
195
5
USC
55
DE
6-1
270
26
6
Virginia Tech
73
G
6-2
300
23
R
Iowa
7
QB
6-0
215
31
10
Virginia Tech
63
G
6-3
310
26
R
Baylor
9
QB
6-5
232
28
6
Texas
Practice Squad
#
Name
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Age
Exp.
College
16
WR
5-8
187
25
2
Air Force
39
RB
6-0
230
23
R
USC
TE
6-6
277
2
NC State
WR
5-11
199
R
Southern Cal
96
LB
6-1
247
22
R
Connecticut
66
G/C
6-4
320
27
1
Brigham Young
52
DE
6-3
263
24
2
Washington
Question: Were you surprised by any of the cuts the Eagles made on Saturday?
Quote of the Week
"David Herndon is this year's Dennys Baez," – Tim Myers, of Lansdale, after Herdon got shelled Saturday night.
Video of the Week
Are you ready for some football?
Looking Ahead
The Phillies will play host to the wild-card leading Braves before hitting the road to take on the Brewers in Milwaukee. The Eagles will be on the road for opening day in St. Louis, and the Union have games against New England and Portland.
Here’s your schedule for the upcoming week in Philadelphia sports:
Monday
- Phillies vs. Braves, 7:05 p.m. on CSN and MLBN
Tuesday
- Phillies vs. Braves, 7:05 p.m. on CSN and MLBN
Wednesday
- Phillies vs. Braves, 7:05 p.m. on CSN and ESPN
- Union vs. New England, 8 p.m. on TCN
Thursday
- Phillies at Brewers, 8:10 p.m. on CSN and MLBN
Friday
- Phillies at Brewers, 8:10 p.m. on CSN and MLBN
Saturday
- Phillies at Brewers, 7:10 p.m. on PHL 17
- Union vs. Portland, 7:30 p.m. on TCN
Sunday
- Phillies at Brewers, 2:10 p.m. on PHL 17 and TBS
- Eagles at Rams, 1 p.m. on FOX
If you have questions you would like to see answered in next week's Phour for Phour column, email them to slavetologic@gmail.com.
