Albert Pujols did not make an error on center fielder John Jay’s throw toward home plate in Game 2 of the 2011 World Series. Tim McCarver made an error because he doesn’t know the meaning of Rule 10.12(a)(8).
“The official scorer shall charge an error against any fielder.. whose failure to stop, or try to stop, an accurately thrown ball permits a runner to advance.”
Here is a link to a video of the play.
John Jay’s throw home was weak. Jay got his hand on the side of the ball, as the throw had some curve action to Pujols’ glove side, ducking down and away and ultimately under Pujols’ glove.
Pujols was coming over from first base to be the cutoff man. He lined up at a slight angle to home plate, took a step and then a second.
Pujols then lunged in an attempt to get the slightly errant throw that wound up to the third base side of home plate, at least 15 feet off the mark.
Since it was not an accurate throw, under Rule 10.12(a)(8), Pujols did not make an error.
If Jay had made an accurate throw, Pujols would have cut it off easily. A fielder doesn’t have to lunge for an accurate throw.
Tim McCarver spoke. Who has the temerity to challenge the words of Tim McCarver? Certainly not Jack Buck’s son and certainly not official scorers Jeff Durbin, Ken Davidoff and Joe Ostermeier.
According to McCarver, it was simple. Some things are difficult, such as predicting where the batter will hit the ball, but this was easy.
Albert Pujols had to be charged with an error because, according to McCarver, Pujols actually touched the errant throw. That prevented catcher Yadier Molina to throw out Elvis Andrus at second base.
The key is that the official scorers did not charge Pujols with an error, McCarver continued to whine, apparently to no avail, but the mainstream media allows the public to know only what they want the public to know.
Well after the game had ended, the official scorers decided that McCarver was right. After all, he is a former player. He is an expert analyst. He is Tim McCarver.
Pujols was charged with an error. So much for integrity.
That bastion of fair, unbiased reporting, the New York Post, reported that the official scorers changed their collective minds after numerous reviews. Other media outlets’ “experts” agreed with McCarver’s snap judgment which, based on the rule and replays, was dead wrong.
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