NEW YORK — By Thursday morning, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he was ready to move on from the game-ending call the night before, but his opinion hadn’t changed. The umpires ruled Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya had not blocked the plate while securing the final out of a 1-0 Chicago victory. In Mendoza’s view, the call was wrong, and his opinion, which largely stemmed from a memo teams received in spring training about the issue, underscores the need for further explanation.
Replay umpire Derek Thomas in MLB’s New York office ruled that Amaya’s “initial setup was legal and he moved into the lane in reaction to the trajectory of the incoming throw,” according to a statement from MLB.
The Mets were miffed because of Amaya’s positioning while he waited for the throw; he had his left foot on the plate. Rule 6.01 (i)(2) states: “Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score.” MLB issued a clarification last season (and another memo this spring) instructing catchers to stand in front of the plate in fair territory while waiting for the ball.
So why the call?
In further explaining the call, an MLB official said Thursday that Amaya’s foot was on home plate, but blocking didn’t occur; Pete Alonso had a lane to home plate and reached the plate without being blocked.
After review, there is no blocking on the final play of the game, the call stands, and Pete Alonso is out. pic.twitter.com/qt2NM14e4y
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 2, 2024
Thus, the catcher stepping on home plate doesn’t lead to a hard-and-fast call for blocking. The league says the rule does not state an automatic violation will occur, no matter what else happens, if a catcher’s foot is on home plate. In analyzing calls at home plate, the league wants to prioritize safety and use common sense, the MLB official added.
That’s a notable change since last year. That’s why the call in the Cubs-Mets game last night differed from the one last year involving the Texas Rangers and catcher Jonah Heim.
Last year, Heim had his foot on the plate at the beginning of the play, but he didn’t end up blocking home plate. And the runner slid into home plate without issue; the runner had a clear lane. But the umpires called a violation because of Heim’s initial setup. The reaction was obviously and understandably negative, and the league took notice.
The Heim play was used in discussions over the offseason with the competition committee and many agreed that the wrong call was made, the league official said.
The play from the Cubs-Mets game looked awfully similar. In the league’s view, the umpires applied the lessons learned from last year, despite sending out guidance regarding catchers stepping on home plate. Their point is, simply stepping on home plate doesn’t call for a violation on its own, and some common sense needs to be applied.
From the league’s view, the key language in the rule is hindered or impeded. If a runner is not hindered or impeded, then it’s not blocking. Thus, having a foot on the plate, may be part of the analysis against a catcher and may put the catcher in jeopardy of a violation, but if blocking didn’t occur, it’s irrelevant. And it’s up to the umpires and replay room to decide.
“We just gotta continue to adjust, and continue to work on with what’s provided to us,” Mendoza said.
(Photo of Pete Alonso: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
