I'll wing it.  Since the catcher and fielder could have thought it was strike three, I think it'd be tough to nullify the throw.  Leave 'em at first and third?

Unless you're calling the runner to first out on interference, which I'm not sure you're allowed to do, unless you can show he was going out of his way to be in the way while running to the base he's entitled to from the walk. The runners are entitled first and second, if the catcher chucks a ball into the outfield and they can advance, so be it.

First and third.

Now, why do you ask?

Oh, and I forgot about the bullshit balk call that brought home Texas' second run.

From ESPN:

Arizona State might have added more or needed less without a pair of controversial calls in the fourth and fifth innings.

"The umpires are the third team. They're going to make mistakes, they're going to make calls," Garrido said. "It's a part of the game."

In the fourth, Arizona State had a runner advance to third base on a walk and an error, but the runner was moved back to first base and the batter called out after the umpire ruled he had interfered with catcher Jacob Felts' throw to second base.

Garrido said he was "happy" with the result, but admitted he only argued that the runner shouldn't be given third base.

"There's something else about this rule that prevents [runners moving to third base] or we'd be doing it all the time," he said. "I didn't know. I really didn't know that they would do that. I didn't know where it went. I don't have the rule where I can quote it or be able to say, 'Hey, this is how it reads in the rule book.'"

Garrido said he'd never seen interference called on a base on balls.

"It was a judgment call, and the call was made," said Esmay. "We still had the lead, and they came back and tied the ball game up. ... That's part of baseball and it's going to be part of baseball forever."

Texas tied the game in the fifth inning when Lambson was called for a balk, bringing Loy home.

Lambson wasn't given an explanation, but Esmay said the umpires told him he "rolled into it."

"I had no idea, really. I was just pitching out there, and the umpire made the call," Lambson said, when asked if he believed he had balked.

Last edited by artie_fufkin (6/13/2011 8:38 am)

I have to admit, I only saw the call in passing, but knew that at one point there were runners at first and third with 1 out, and then later there was only a runner at first and 2 outs.  I briefly saw the replay before changing to a different channel, and when I came back, I thought they had called the runner out for interfering with the throw.  I thought they ruled that the runner had intentional hit the ball with his hand as he was sliding (causing the throw to go into right field).  I thought that was a terrible call, but even that wouldn't have been as bad as the call that was actually made.

alz wrote:

Okay Artie, watched both. They are here.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/2011-06-12/texas-finishes-arizona-state

Both calls are fucking horseshit. The balk is weak as shit, his hands move a total of about 2 inches over 2 seconds. As weak as this call was, it has 10000000% more merit then the phantom interference bullshit call. There was no interference, not at all. I hope the appeal is upheld, but I doubt it.

Obviously, I'm biased and in agreement with you, but there's no recourse for the Sun Devils on interpretive calls. The appeal is on ASU's probation. There were violations during the regime of former coach Pat Murphy, who was fired after the '09 season, so the NCAA banned ASU from this year's tournament. ASU appealed, and because the appeal is pending, they were allowed to play in the post-season this year. Unless the appeal is upheld, which is unlikely, ASU will be banned from next year's tournament.
It's kind of a lousy deal for the kids who are still involved in the program, but the probation wasn't due to a typographical error. There were systemic violations by a coach who thought the rules didn't apply to him. ASU's only argument, and it's a limp one, is they've addressed the issue by firing the coach, but he was there for something like 15 or 16 years.