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Umpire Admits He Blew Call On Dodgers’ Curtis Granderson Foul Tip

Wednesday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs did not go according to plan for both sides involved. Game 4 was definitely a “nail biter” till the very last out was recorded in the top of the 9th inning, though the game reached a climax in the top of the 8th inning.

Joe Maddon was ejected for the 2nd time in four games after a strange call in the 8th inning. Cubs closer Wade Davis was facing Dodgers outfielder Curtis Granderson in the top of the 8th with a 2-2 count. Granderson swung at Davis’ low pitch and appeared to have struck out. Granderson then pleaded his case by claiming that he foul-tipped the ball. Every replay available didn’t clearly support that claim, however foul tip calls are not eligible for video-review challenges. Though the home plate umpire originally called it a strikeout, he briefly heard what the Dodgers’ side had to say, then gathered all the other umpires together for a meeting and eventually overturned the call.



Luckily for the Cubs, Curtis Granderson ended up striking out anyway. However, the weirdness does not stop there. To make the play even more strange and controversial, Umpire Jim Wolf told Jim Litke of AP Sports that, after viewing the replay, he felt that he blew the call.

Joe Maddon caught up with the media after the game and had this to say about the controversial call:

That can’t happen. The process was horrible. To have that change and if Granderson hits the next pitch out I might come running out of the clubhouse in my jockstrap. Their explanation was eventually it turned into hearing two sounds. Not one of them saw a foul tip or heard or thought it was a foul tip, which I totally cannot agree with that process whatsoever.

You can check out everything else that Maddon had to say in the video below.

This sticky situation can be a monumental moment for the game of baseball. The league should have an official replay or rule to make sure problems like this never happen. Who knows, we might be seeing something known as the “Granderson Rule” in the near future.

With that being said, let’s just hope that the umpires show up to the ballpark on Thursday focused and ready to call a great postseason game correctly, for both sides’ sake. The Dodgers will send Clayton Kershaw to the mound and the Cubs will rely on Jose Quintana to send the series back to Los Angeles.

What did you think about this abnormal event that took place in Game 4 of the NLCS? Let us know in the comments below!

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8 Comments

  1. I don’t understand why Maddon was so upset. You can throw another 50 pitches to Granderson and if the pitches have at least 4 inches of movement or exceed 90 mph, he’ll swing and miss.

    Who is the idiot that insists on playing him? Is it Roberts or someone in the front office.

  2. Rob Lowe said it best on Twitter – “Only Granderson can strike out twice in the same at bat.”

  3. Yes, the bigger issue is why “strikeout” Granderson continues to be in the lineup. He is a nice guy, certainly. But aside from a few foul balls he clearly no longer can make contact. Four strikeouts in Game 4 and a bunch before that against Arizona and Chicago.

  4. Some third strike calls are tough. What Wolf may have heard was the ball short hopping into the catchers mitt. Hence, technically it was a dropped third strike. That is something the plate umpire can definitely get help from the base umps. Those are tough for a plate ump to see because of his position behind the catcher and he does have to rely on sound or his crew which are 100+ feet away. Replay should be allowed and used here.

  5. For Maddon to get kicked out on the call was premature, as we all figured he’d strike out anyway (unfortunately).

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