The Minnesota Twins were stung by MLB’s collision rule on Sunday afternoon and Rocco Baldelli is not happy about it.
The Twins were tied at 2-2 in the top of the 10th inning when Tim Beckham delivered a strike to home plate to throw out Whit Merrifield to end the inning, but Toronto challenged the play for catcher’s interference. After a lengthy review, the call was overturned, giving Toronto a 3-2 lead and prompting Baldelli to be ejected from the game.
Here's the Sanchez – Merrifield play at home, it was overturned to call Merrifield safe due to Sanchez for blocking the plate pic.twitter.com/wVrHxHGn2F
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) August 7, 2022
Rocco was not a fan of that call. 😡#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/8u3HuETmMw
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) August 7, 2022
Rocco kicking dirt on the plate and then looking up to, presumably, a figurative replay booth and yelling, “F*** you!” was the chef’s kiss.
— Phil Mackey 🎙 (@PhilMackey) August 7, 2022
This is, by far, the most upset and emotional Rocco Baldelli has ever been on the field.
Threw his hat and everything.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) August 7, 2022
MLB’s rule book states that unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. The league’s official ruling stated that Sanchez’s movements into foul territory were not in reaction to the trajectory of the throw and that he did not have to be in that position to receive the ball.
Related: More Minnesota Twins stories from Bring Me The Sports
“The catcher’s actions while not in possession of the ball hindered and impeded the runner,” MLB said in an official statement.
Baldelli wasn’t buying that after the game, calling MLB’s ruling “chickenshit.”
Rocco Baldelli not holding back: "It's one of the worst moments I think we've seen of umpiring, in any game I've ever been a part of in baseball. I think it was pathetic." #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/mSX3q1kLrp
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) August 7, 2022
“That play has not been called since the beginning of replay more than a couple of times,” Baldelli began. “In all of baseball, the thousands and thousands of games and plays at home where the catcher actually does block the plate…that play has virtually never been called.
“For someone to step in that situation and ultimately make a decision that that was blocking the plate, that’s beyond embarrassing for the game, for players on both sides working their ass off, for the entire game. It’s completely unacceptable. I can’t even believe I’m sitting here talking to you guys about this right now. It’s one of the worst moments I think we’ve seen of umpiring in any game I’ve ever been a part of in baseball. I think it was pathetic.”
Baldelli went on to say that he didn’t blame the umpires on the field for the call being overturned but rather MLB’s replay headquarters in New York for making the ruling.
“The umpires on the field have nothing to do with it,” Baldelli said. “They made a play on the field, which was the right call. Which every person in all of baseball including the umpires know is the proper call and someone in New York decided that was worthy of being overturned on the field.”
Twins starter Chris Archer also expressed his confusion after the game, saying that he believed Sanchez had given Merrifield a lane to slide into home plate.
Chris Archer on Rocco Baldelli showing his emotion: "That's the most adamant I've ever seen him about anything. … I don't think that [his reaction] was unjust." #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/35MhjQHI3m
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) August 7, 2022
“We’ve seen that play a lot since replay came in and that looked like a play that would not get overturned,” Archer said. “…I’ve known Rocco for about ten years and that’s the most adamant I’ve ever seen [Baldelli] about anything…but I don’t think it was unjust.”
The reaction to the call is validated considering the Twins’ quest to hold onto their lead in the AL Central. Had the Twins held on to win, they would have maintained their two-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians. Instead, that lead is down to just one game as the Twins head to Los Angeles for a two-game series with the Dodgers.”
