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| That Mets person is a coach, not a player, and that is obstruction. Wilson should be called out. |
World Series has arrived and if MLB promotion ads want to repeatedly equate the '86 Buckner error with the Mets winning the world series then I want to point something out:
Rule: 7.09 "It is interference by a batter or a runner when --(h) With a runner on third base, the base coach leaves his box and acts in any manner to draw a throw by a fielder; "
4.05
(a) The offensive team shall station two base coaches on the field during its term at bat, one near first base and one near third base.
(b) Base coaches shall be limited to two in number and shall (1) be in team uniform, and (2) remain within the coach’s box at all times.
PENALTY: The offending base coach shall be removed from the game, and shall leave the playing field.
Rule 4.05 Comment: It has been common practice for many years for some coaches to put one foot outside the coach’s box or stand astride or otherwise be slightly outside the coaching box lines. The coach shall not be considered out of the box unless the opposing manager complains, and then, the umpire shall strictly enforce the rule and require all coaches (on both teams) to remain in the coach’s box at all times.
It is also common practice for a coach who has a play at his base to leave the coach’s box to signal the player to slide, advance or return to a base. This may be allowed if the coach does not interfere with the play in any manner.
In the Game 6 incident, the Mets First base coach, is Bill Robinson, is approximately 10 feet beyond the limit of where a coach can go, he has intentionally moved to distract Buckner, who is a mere 6 feet from him, instead of the 15 feet the field coach is supposed to be. It's inexcusable considering the situation for a coach to interfere with the players. That coach can do nothing but interfere with the play standing where he is. When Buckner overran the ball he almost collided with the Mets coach who had to bounce back out of the way and scurried like a cockroach to join the celebration at home. I've seen first base coaches move up and down the line but rarely will you ever see a first base coach actually in the same location as a defensive player with the ball in play. Usually they run away from the ball but in the case of Wilson's groundball, the first base coach ran toward Buckner intentionally trying to distract him. This was not caught by the home field umps. the Sox didn't protest, but it's clearly obstruction by the first base coach, who would've collided with Stanley and Wilson had the ball been fielded by Buckner. Since all the Mets were coke and crack fiends I'm sure this can be blamed on mid-eighties drug addiction.
I would not bring this up but MLB wants to shove that play in my face repeatedly during the World Series so I have to say something. This gets into the realm of the pine tar incident, except for the fact the field coach is truly trying to distract Buckner's peripheral vision because he has the same uniform as Wilson, who is running, so Buckner might think there is a player 6 feet away from him and has already reached first base, but it's not. Wilson is way down the line. Simply a dirty move by the dirty Mets coach. I can say definitively that Mets manager Davey Johnson did not influence that play and I can say the home plate ump didn't influence that play, but I can not say definitively that Bill Robinson did not influence that play, and since he is a coach and had no business on that side of the coach's box, he is guilty of obstruction and the Mets are cheats with a giant * next to that '86 win.
P.S. I was real pleased that the Mets were 2 outs from winning Game 1 tonight and managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Bravo Royals! It's weird, but Game 6 in 1986 was played on October 25, and because of the ALDS and Wildcard the 2015 World Series didn't even start until October 28th.
