Right. That call was brutal.

Thanks dick

Absolutely horrible call!

yeah….no

 Did I say bad call? Atrocious? Abominable? Disgraceful? How do you
properly sum up what happened in the bottom of the eighth inning when
umpire Sam Holbrook raised his right arm and all hell broke loose?

If you watched the game, you know what happened: The Braves trailed the Cardinals 6-3 and had runners on first and second when Andrelton Simmons popped out to shallow left field. Shortstop Pete Kozma
drifted about 70 feet beyond the infield dirt … and suddenly peeled
off, the ball plunking harmlessly onto the grass in front of Matt Holliday. The Braves had the bases loaded and the Ted was rocking with noise.

Yep, for the benefit of the runners alright……… dumb fucks

The ump union is so powerful,MLB has to say it was the right call.  It was not.  To say it was the correct call under the rule is to say the rule is absurd.

It would have been too inconvenient to uphold the appeal. Even if the ball should have been caught by the infielder, the call was far too late. Again, expediency rules the day.

The umpire was in great position to see that the ball was NOT going to be caught before he made the call. By rule printed above “…the umpire shall immediately declare infield fly…” he did not make the call until the runners even saw that it was NOT going to be caught and were advancing. Did this lame call influence the outcome? No one can say.

Yeah except all those casses, the call refers to catching an infield popup while in the runners base path, and it was made to protect the infielder from being hit by a base runners. When the ball is 15 feet in the outfield, in no way should that call be made. Worst call ever made.

If an outfielder has an opportunity to catch the ball than it is by no means a infield fly rule…. You should then make  RBI sacrifice fly balls an automatic out then as well where runners cannot advance.. Mike Petraglia – you sir are an idiot.

So if an infielder is fast enough to run to the warning track and square up his shoulders, it’s an infield fly. Got it. Selig is a dumb motherfucker who doesn’t care about the actual game of baseball. 

The first line of the second paragraph tells you the umpire blew the call. “When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly”. That ball was 1/4 of the way into the outfield. Someone should tell that Ump and whoever the ‘source’ was from MLB where the ‘infield’ ends and the ‘outfield’ begins!!!!

It’s meant to prevent “trick” double plays! In this case it did not apply. #seligmustgo #mlbreplaynow

I wonder who dropped the envelope with a “gift” in that umpires pocket? Second most rediculous call in sports in the past 2 weeks. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what other call I might be talking about…..can you say Green Bay Packers?

Yes…how stupid do they think we are out here?  It says that the ump needs to “immediately” make the call for the benefit of the runners.  The call was NOT “immediate” and was of NO benefit to the runners, thus, the wrong call and certainly NOT by the book.  Try again MLB.

As much as I hate the Cards being a Cubs fan, I think it was the right call…both fielders were squared to the ball and both apparently called it.  Late or not it reads as if it was the right call.

JF Steele, the rule was in place to prevent infielders from purposely dropping the ball and getting a double play. I’m a nuetral fan here. The umpire made the right call. He could and should of made it sooner.

By no stretch of the imagination would that have been simple, ordinary effort. The call was an error in judgement by the left field umpire.

the call benefits the runners if its caught.  The ump probably saw the ss waive then heard Holliday call him off then he called it.  If he called it earlier, it still wouldnt have mattered.

This is exactly the problem with “umpires” they have no common sense.  The rule is INFIELD FLY not outfield fly.  The whole point for this rule was from fielders “cheating” to try and create a double play.  Why do we have to make a rule so convoluted and technical that MLB can say the umpire “he made the right call, by rule”.  Really????  Are you that stupid or do you just like to fix games and ensure those you want to win… win?  I am not a Braves or Cardinal fan, but a baseball fan and want games called fair and the player win or lose.  And while we are here.  Let’s get an automated strike zone and replay.  Oh right, you can’t fix games when they are fair… cuz then its left up to the players!

This is the worst call I have ever seen.  I thought I was watching an NFL game with replacement officials.  How can you call an Infield Fly when it’s hit to the left fielder.  The umpire totally screwed up the call and by them saying the call was right only means they need to change the rule book.

First, they need to put a time limit on when they can call it since the umpires don’t know what immediately means.
Second, ordinary effort needs to be defined as without a doubt.
Third, it should only be called within the vicinity of the infield (hence the name) regardless who makes a play on it.
Forth, if an infield fly is called and the fielder drops the ball the runners should be awarded the next base.  You shouldn’t punish the offense just because the defense can’t do their job.

If you seen this game you can tell Sam Holbrook is St. Louis fan (or maybe he had some money riding on the Cardinals).  He only made the call when he saw it was going to fall in for a base hit.  He should not be allowed to ump another post season game since he clearly doesn’t know what he is doing.

Mr. Holbrook was misread MLB rule book and bad judgement call. Because Mr. Holbrook was outfield umpire but not infield umpire. The fly ball went to grass outfield not infield but nobody catch the ball it should be hit and runner take 1st base.

talk about trying to defend the defenceless

Theres really no language in that rule that exonerates Holebrook

….obviously by the fact of everyone saying they got the call right(which is just plain ridiculous and every fan,every player,every person who cares or likes the game)….baseball really needs to do some internal cleaning and figure out how to keep advancing the sport and not letting these types of things to happen

The guy butchered the call. The most frustrating thing about his is neither the ump or MLB has the stones to say the call was blown. Even with video evidence they can’t admit it. Arrogant pr%cks.

You may not like the rule, but it was an infield fly according to the rules as written.

thats bull…  the key is ” to protect runners from a double play”   no chance of doub- play here why? because the ball was too far into the outfield!!!!!

No it wasn’t, try reading those rules again, you know the infield stops at some point right?

As the call was made, it seemed clear that the infielder had given way for the outfielder to make the catch.  The rule states that it can apply even when an outfielder is the one to make the catch…but only if said outfielder is IN THE INFIELD.  Of course, he wasn’t.  The rule is flawed in that same regard, for the infielders too, it seems to me, the farther from the basepaths they get.  Imagine that same play in RIGHT field, what are the odds of pulling a trick double-play by dropping, throwing all the way over to 3rd base, then relay to 2nd base?  Umm…seems impossibly low.

Funny, because by the rule the call must be made immediately. 5.4 seconds after the play started isn’t very immediate, but I suppose that part of the rule is optional. At least the NFL had replacements screwing up, the MLB has a postseason ump who either A) doesn’t know the entire rule or B) can’t understand the word immediately

What a crock. Braves were screwed.

the rulw states a routine pop up where fielder has shoulders square with infield karzma had back to infield no way was routine, ump got it wrong and mlb r sissy a$$$ to disagree with there umps

As an Atlanta fan I am ashamed at what our fans did. But more ashamed at the ump. Fans in other home crowds would have done the same. Phillie or Mets fan would have run on the field to attack the dum ump. I appologize for Atlanta fans. Tom on Atlanta

The rule was made to protect against the infielder letting the ball drop on purpose in order to execute a double play. So, Mr. Holbrook, where’s the double play? Playing in that important of a game, you would have to be a complete moron to intentionally let a ball drop in short left field with the thought of getting a double play, or even worse Mr. Holbrook, for thinking that.       

This is like when everyone complained about the Tuck Rule.  It’s counterintuitive but the ref/ump made the call correctly per the rules.

Everyone complaining about the ball being in the outfield hasn’t read the rule’s comment that as long as an infielder can handle it, it’s an infield fly (and has nothing to do about where the grass or baselines are).

Everyone complaining that the ump didn’t make the call immediately doesn’t understand that the ump has to wait until he can determine that an infielder can make the play.

Everyone complaining about “benefit of the runners,” “couldn’t have made a double play,” “outfielder could have made the play,” and so forth are arguing things irrelevant to the way the rules read.  My bet is, like the Tuck Rule, officials will look into it after the season, then realize the rule is probably correct as written, and leave it in.  (At least the Tuck Rule takes “judgment” out of the equation by giving a hard and fast criterion to apply.)

Go watch the Harold Reynolds explanation on Baseball Tonight, which includes a video of the same call being made in a May Cubs game (which he caught, so no one freaked out).  This is how it works.

Look at it the other way.

Infield fly not called (however late).  LF makes amazing one-hand pickup and throw to nail base-runner at third.

How many people are then complaining that Infield Fly should have been called?  A few hard-cores who have been to umpire school.

But then I think you should be able to run 3′ fair to first too.

name and number and address of the umpire who screwed usSamuel W Holbrook(859) 224-85132620 Sungale CtLexington, KY 40513-1463

The key phrase is “If the ball is near the baselines”. The rule is meant to keep the defense from pretending to catch the ball and freeze the runners so they can turn a double play. Even in the left fielder had picked the ball up as soon as it hit the ground the only play he would have had was a force at third. Bad Call!

you cry babies in atlanta should shut up, the umpire made the call to protect the runners because the infielder was under the ball calling it, then he decided to let it drop in order to get a double play. the infield fly rule prevented this, thus protecting the baserunners. man up “braves”.

after all the years that maddox and co. screwed the rest of the national league with the umpires calling balls six inches outside and six inches low strikes which allowed the ” braves” to win many, many games. nobody from georgia complained about the umpires when this happened.

Charlie from Texas. I don’t think all the “cry babies” are Atlantans. I don’t think it was Maddox and the braves screwing folks because balls were called strikes. It was the umps screwing folks just as the ump screwed the braves and all of baseball yesterday. Good luck to your Texans in the play offs.

no call right of wrong excuses the disgraceful way the braves fans acted and the failure of braves security. the question is not that the call disgraced baseball it was the braves fans that disgraced baseball 

As an Atlanta fan it was BOTH the Atlanta fans and the dum call that disgraced baseball.

Nothing says you f—–d up like debris thrown on the field! The official word is going to be that he made the right call. You NEVER say that your fellow umpire blew the call. Just isn’t done. He knows he blew the call. Been there done that. Joe Torre knows he blew the call and you can be sure that he will have a talk with the man about it privately, and don’t be surprised if you don’t see number 34 working anymore playoff games this year.

Samuel W. Holbrook  859-224-8513
            620 Sungale Ct,
            Lexington, KY   40513-1463

I Feel we should put Sam on the Christmas Card list and let know how much we care for the man !

No the rules of baseball before embarrassing yourselves. it diffently the correct call.

defend your position by quoting directly from the rule above. I umpired for over 20 years from little league to semi-pro and this was a bogus call. The rule is meant to prevent the defense from holding the runners, letting the ball drop and then getting two outs. That is why an infield fly is only called if there are runners at first and second or first second and third with less than two outs. This is why the rule says “If the ball is NEAR the baselines, the umpire shall declare an infleild fly.” If you watch the video you will see that the runner at first was too far toward second for the defense to get two outs on the play. If the left fielder had picked the ball up as soon as it hit the ground he could have gotten the out at third but there was no chance of getting the out at second. The ball was too far from the baselines for this to be an infield fly. BAD CALL!

your almost as dumb as that ump

Be a man and admit you were wrong.  We understand being a man is quite challenging for you, but give it a try anyways you worthless excuse for an umpire.

In the official “rule” listed in this article there is NOTHING that says anything about a play having his shoulders “squared”. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that says that above. And that throws out that argument….NEXT!!

“No the rules”????? “Diffently”. ???? Where did your go to school??? Or did you???? Your just embarrassed your self.

Don’t you hate it when people post straight-forward and relevant definitions to emotional and teeth-gnashing zealots.  I saw Reynolds explanation and it took the wind out of my argument, as well.  Done some umpiring, Jeff?

Is Sam Holbrook umping any of the league play off games? Want to see what dumb calls he makes.

Very heated incident but as an umpire, I agree with the call made on the field.. Yes it still declares as a judgement call and meets all the criteria in the rule book as to what defines an infield fly.. I agree with this call much more than I agree with the terrible and uncalled for response from the fans by throwing trash on the field!