Carlos Mendoza enraged over ‘BS’ at home plate to end Mets-Cubs: ‘Think they got the wrong call’
With the Mets down 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs, Jeff McNeil hit a fly ball to left field, allowing Pete Alonso to tag up and head home for the game-tying run. Alonso slid head-first and while reaching for the plate, his hand popped up as he was getting tagged, and was called out.
The umpire crew reviewed the replay for several minutes before deciding the call on the field was upheld, meaning Alonso was out and the game was over. Manager Carlos Mendoza immediately ran onto the field to argue the decision with home plate umpire Chad Fairchild, and could be heard saying the catcher was illegally blocking the plate and the call was "BS."
"That's not legal though," Mendoza said. "The rule says you cannot stand on home plate without the baseball... That's b—t, man, that's b—t."
After the game, Mendoza was asked what was his biggest gripe with the call. The manager explained to reporters what he said to Fairchild, according to a memo sent out to teams and coaches during spring training, what Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya did should have been ruled illegal.
"Their interpretation of the rule," Mendoza said. "It's one of those, they send out a memo in spring training, what's legal and what's illegal. And it's clearly on that email, that memo that we got, that catchers are not allowed to have their foot on in front of the plate, on top of the plate, they cannot straddle without possession of the baseball. It was very clearly that the guy had his left foot on top of the plate without the baseball. I think they got the wrong call."
He added: "Without possession of the baseball, he cannot be in front of the plate, straddle the plate, or have his foot on top of the plate. And it was clearly in the replay that that wasn't the case. He was blocking without possession of the baseball."
The MLB issued a statement after the game from the Replay Center, which read:
After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official definitively determined that no violation of the Home Plate Collision Rule occurred. The catcher's initial setup was legal and he moved into the lane in reaction to the trajectory of the incoming throw. The call is confirmed, as it is not a violation.
Additionally, the Replay Official could not definitively determine that the runner contacted home plate prior to catcher applying the tag. The call stands, and the runner is out.
The Replay Official was Umpire Derek Thomas.
However, according to the MLB memo obtained by SNY's Andy Martino, a catcher having his "foot on the foul line or home plate" is an illegal setup.
That would mean Alonso should have been called safe, tying the game at 1-1, and giving the Mets an opportunity to win with a runner in scoring position and two outs.
"Honestly, that’s not really up to me to decide. I was out," Alonso said when asked about his thoughts on the controversial call.
"I’m just trying to make a play. I saw a smidge of plate open, his foot was on the dish and I was just trying to sneak my hand onto the plate."
Mendoza acknowledged the replay center makes the final decision on the call, but is still upset with the choice to uphold the call.
"There's nothing that these guys can do, it's obviously coming from New York," Mendoza said. "And that's what Chad told me, it's something that you're going to have to talk to the league. At the end of the day, it cost us a game. I'll have to wait and see what they say because they clearly got the wrong call."
He added: "At the end of the day, when the catcher is in an illegal position, that's why the rules are the rules."
While Mendoza may talk to the MLB about the call, Martino noted that teams can no longer protest a game and confirmed that stands true today.
