The Boston Red Sox emerged victorious over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night at Fenway Park, winning 6-2. However, simply looking at the score or studying the box score would not accurately convey the events that unfolded on the field. This game should have gone into the 10th inning with a tie score of 2-2.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, with two runners on and two outs, Red Sox second baseman Luis Urías came up to bat. On a full count of 3-2, Urías appeared to swing and miss, which would result in a strikeout. However, the home plate umpire made the decision to consult with the first-base umpire. After the discussion, a safe call was made, as if Urías had not swung.
This controversial call occurred in a crucial moment of the game – with a 3-2 count, two outs, and the game tied.
As the headline suggests, what happened next sealed the victory for the Red Sox. Pablo Reyes stepped up to the plate and…
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Reyes’ incredible feat. Moments like these are rarely experienced, even at the Little League level, let alone in the iconic Fenway Park, and especially for a team in contention. This was only Reyes’ seventh career home run, his first since 2021, his first grand slam, and his first walk-off homer. It was a truly remarkable achievement, and we should celebrate it.
However, it is important to acknowledge that the game should not have come down to this controversial moment.
It is worth noting that Major League Baseball still does not have a clear definition of a swing in its rulebook. This issue has been discussed for years, and it is perplexing that a specific definition for a “check swing” or “checked swing” has not been established.
Here is an excerpt from an article written in 2019:
The rulebook, which spans 188 pages, does not provide any explicit instructions on how to determine whether a swing has occurred. The only mention of this situation is found in Rule 8.02c’s comment:
Appeals on a half swing may be made only on the call of ball, and if an appeal is requested, the home plate umpire must defer to a base umpire’s judgment. If the base umpire rules it a strike, the strike call stands. Appeals on a half swing must be made before the next pitch, any play, or attempted play. If the half swing occurs during a play that concludes a half-inning, the appeal must be made before all defensive team infielders leave fair territory.
Since then, there have been no changes to the rulebook.
One reason for the lack of a specific rule is the general understanding among players and officials that a player can go “halfway” or so without it being considered a swing, but once the player goes beyond this point, it is considered a swing.
In the case of Monday’s Red Sox win, even Urías himself acknowledged that he had gone too far. This is evident from his reaction captured in the replay footage.
Despite the controversy, the Red Sox secured the victory and improved their record to 58-54 for the season.
