50th Post on Hits & Errors: DON'T BLAME JERRY MEALS

Thank you to all my readers for supporting this blog, shouting things from the highway about how wrong I am about so-and-so, and coming after me with your controlling ideas and supporting arguments for why umpire Denkinger is not to blame for the Game 6 mishap in the 1985 World Series. I couldn't reach fifty posts without you!

To celebrate, why not re-examine the worst moment for the Pittsburgh Pirates this year! That 19-inning fiasco against the Atlanta Braves with the ridiculous blown call at home plate by Jerry Meals! Now, many would think this is a rant, but it is not a rant. The final statistics of the game in question will prove Jerry Meals was the unfortunate cherry on top of the mountainous sundae of another Pittsburgh defeat in their bid to claim the 2011 National League Central Division crown.



Every event in baseball is independent from the previous and the preceding events in the game. The call by umpire Jerry Meals determined the outcome of the game, but one would question for long the game would last if the decisions were reversed.

• Pirates blow 3-0 lead

Blown leads are not uncommon in the game of baseball, yet when the Pirates took the early three run lead thanks to hits like the RBI triple by Neil Walker in the 1st inning, and the solo homerun by Michael McKenry in the 2nd inning the Bucs were feeling good about their situation. According to MLB.com stats page, however, Neil Walker and Michael McKenry are listed 1-2 in offense after this year's All-Star Game; Pirates fans EXPECTED Walker and McKenry to produce in some fashion given their recent run. When the rest of the team does not produce or hold the lead defensively, then there is little for Walker and McKenry to do. For example, my favourite Pirate Andrew McCutchen averages at .200 with only ten hits and four of the extra-base variety (2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR), and Lyle Overbay, one of two first basemen on the team right now, was 0-for-8 in the contest.

• Braves in position

When the home team loads the bases in at least three of the next seventeen innings of gameplay, one can expect points on the board. While their total offense is lower than the Pirates (AVG .240 compared to PIT's .242), the Atlanta Braves do boast better numbers in slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, runs scored, hits, homeruns, and so on. Those are the numbers, which rank both Pittsburgh and then the Braves twelveth and thirteenth respectively in the National League hitting chart, but since the All-Star Break Atlanta ranks fifth in the NL in this category. Pittsburgh is fourteenth, ouch!

• Failed Squeeze Play in 9th

No doubt "What are you doing?" echoed throughout the western Pennsylvania and West Virginia region when this comedy of errors unfolded. When Braves closer Kimbrel tossed wide to catcher Brian McCann, the Braves star read the gutsy play call of the Pirates to regain the lead with trickery in the ninth inning to get McKenry out at third base. Kimbrel then struck out Xavier Paul to end the inning, and start the marathon (the video at the end of this essay has the play at the 1:08 mark). When the team is propping up the rest in terms of offense, desperation becomes a last resort. I don't mind manager Clint Hurdle making the call, but it illustrates how desperate the Pirates are in their race for the division crown. In football terms, this would be equivalent to coach Belicheck's 4th-and-2 failed pass play against the Colts in 2009; the Pirates couldn't beat the Braves straight up, so they went with gimmicks to catch them off guard. Unfortunately, Brian McCann and the Braves were playing attention.

• Braves' Ejections

This one is confusing: Umpire Jerry Meals becomes Pittsburgh's best friend and ejects Nate McLouth  for arguing balls and strikes. Then he ejects Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez when he approaches from the dugout! Consider Nate McLouth is a former Pittsburgh Pirate, and 2008 All-Star and Gold Glove recipient. McLouth is one of many former Pirates who excelled with other teams throughout Major League Baseball; of note, in today's game 3B/RF Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays is the prime example of Pittsburgh's need to shed payroll and build through the draft.

After reviewing the statistics and the highlights of the game, perhaps Jerry Meals' bad call in the nineteenth inning was a god-send. The Pittsburgh Pirates did not look like they were in a position to win the game with numerous Braves' batters on base, inconsistent offense, and a critical tagging error.

• McKenry's tag

Remember in the 1992 NLCS when Pirates catcher Slaught caught Barry Bonds' cannon throw from left field, and reached across his body in an effort to tag Sid Bream in Game 7? If the ball arrived a second earlier, the huffing and puffing Sid Bream would be out at the plate. Well, fast forward to 2011, and when catcher Michael McKenry fielded the throw from third baseman Pedro Alvarez he swiped at Julio Lugo and touched him just above the knee. If McKenry was in the basepath blocking the plate, and going after Lugo's shinbone with the tag the Pirates and Braves would STILL be playing. The angle did not give umpire Jerry Meals much to work with either, but if I was in that position I would give McKenry the benefit of the doubt. Nice sell job, by the way, Julio Lugo -_-

No doubt this was a classic finish to a wacky game. If the Pittsburgh Pirates want to be winners of the National League Central Division they need more consistency out of their offense, and a better performance against the NL's top guns.


Special thanks to MLB.COM, SportsSouth, ROOT Sports, WCNN, WPGS (?), and the good folks at brobible.com for the statistics and pictures. This blog post was a blast to write; I hope to make more just like this soon :) Go Jays :D