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Bench Warmer
Hey, Adam LaRoche and Ross Gload ... halt!
Soon after LaRoche became the first player to have a home run taken away following a video replay review, Gload lost one the same way Wednesday night when umpires reversed their call.
LaRoche wound up with a double for Pittsburgh at PNC Park. Gload's pinch-hit drive was finally called foul at Milwaukee and he eventually struck out. Both players had already rounded the bases when umps changed the original call.
"If I could have bet the day this started, I would have put a lot of money on myself to be the first," LaRoche said after the Pirates beat St. Louis 5-2. "That's kind of the way it goes. I can laugh those things off now, but if there's a couple of guys on and we lose by one, it's huge."
Major League Baseball started using replay last Aug. 28 to check whether balls were home runs or not. There have been a total of 14 calls reviewed, with four reversals overall.
Last year, Carlos Pena and Bengie Molina were awarded homers upon further review. There have been seven plays reviewed this year, with the drives by LaRoche and Gload resulting in reversals.
LaRoche's shot in the first inning struck either a railing or small protective screen above the 21-foot wall in right field. Both objects are in play, but first base umpire Lance Barksdale signaled a two-run homer.
LaRoche, who had stopped at second, hesitated momentarily before rounding third and touching the plate.
"Before they reviewed it, I said, 'I'm probably going back out there,'" LaRoche said. "I would have been shocked if it stayed. That does not surprise me one bit."
Crew chief Randy Marsh, Alfonso Marquez and Barksdale watched the replay while Mike Winters stayed at home plate. Marsh quickly changed the call to a double.
The Pirates did not argue, and no TV replay showed LaRoche's fly ball reaching the seats. It was the first time replay had been used in Pittsburgh.
About 2½ hours later, Gload hit a drive in the sixth against Milwaukee toward the right-field corner. The ball cleared the 8-foot wall and first base umpire Bruce Dreckman called it fair for a two-run homer.
Gload rounded first and stopped about halfway to second while the Brewers' Corey Hart and Prince Fielder argued, and continued his trot after Dreckman signaled a home run.
Dreckman, plate umpire Gary Darling and second base umpire Bill Hohn then went to the first replay in Milwaukee. They took just two minutes to determine the ball was foul.
"We just got together and looked at replay and the ball was foul," Darling said. "Pretty simple."
Said Gload: "They got it right."
Brewers manager Ken Macha came out of the dugout before the umpires went in to review. There was no argument from the Marlins after the call.
Soon after LaRoche became the first player to have a home run taken away following a video replay review, Gload lost one the same way Wednesday night when umpires reversed their call.
LaRoche wound up with a double for Pittsburgh at PNC Park. Gload's pinch-hit drive was finally called foul at Milwaukee and he eventually struck out. Both players had already rounded the bases when umps changed the original call.
"If I could have bet the day this started, I would have put a lot of money on myself to be the first," LaRoche said after the Pirates beat St. Louis 5-2. "That's kind of the way it goes. I can laugh those things off now, but if there's a couple of guys on and we lose by one, it's huge."
Major League Baseball started using replay last Aug. 28 to check whether balls were home runs or not. There have been a total of 14 calls reviewed, with four reversals overall.
Last year, Carlos Pena and Bengie Molina were awarded homers upon further review. There have been seven plays reviewed this year, with the drives by LaRoche and Gload resulting in reversals.
LaRoche's shot in the first inning struck either a railing or small protective screen above the 21-foot wall in right field. Both objects are in play, but first base umpire Lance Barksdale signaled a two-run homer.
LaRoche, who had stopped at second, hesitated momentarily before rounding third and touching the plate.
"Before they reviewed it, I said, 'I'm probably going back out there,'" LaRoche said. "I would have been shocked if it stayed. That does not surprise me one bit."
Crew chief Randy Marsh, Alfonso Marquez and Barksdale watched the replay while Mike Winters stayed at home plate. Marsh quickly changed the call to a double.
The Pirates did not argue, and no TV replay showed LaRoche's fly ball reaching the seats. It was the first time replay had been used in Pittsburgh.
About 2½ hours later, Gload hit a drive in the sixth against Milwaukee toward the right-field corner. The ball cleared the 8-foot wall and first base umpire Bruce Dreckman called it fair for a two-run homer.
Gload rounded first and stopped about halfway to second while the Brewers' Corey Hart and Prince Fielder argued, and continued his trot after Dreckman signaled a home run.
Dreckman, plate umpire Gary Darling and second base umpire Bill Hohn then went to the first replay in Milwaukee. They took just two minutes to determine the ball was foul.
"We just got together and looked at replay and the ball was foul," Darling said. "Pretty simple."
Said Gload: "They got it right."
Brewers manager Ken Macha came out of the dugout before the umpires went in to review. There was no argument from the Marlins after the call.
