I’m inclined to think the much-maligned ump got it right after all.

I was listening on Gameday Audio thanks to the blackout, and Korach and Fosse seemed flabbergasted that an ump could blow a play that badly. But today I went to the archived game on MLB.TV and watched the top of the 9th. I don’t think any replay caught the play definitively (because of the jumble of bodies I don’t think any one angle showed the tag of the bag and the tag on the player clearly and simultaneously) but the best replay was the one they showed on the last pitch of the game (literally on the last pitch of the game – they were late cutting back to live action and so all you see of the game-ending double play was the out at first). Valbuena definitely had the throw beaten, but his left hand appeared not to reach the bag – instead he got a handful of Barton’s ankle or foot. It’s possible that he managed to either get the hand past Barton’s block or to get his other hand on the bag before Barton’s tag, but I’m inclined to believe he was correctly called out. It was certainly a much closer play than all the commentary would have you believe. When I heard a homer like Fosse say that the A’s had caught a big break I had to believe the ump had blown it big time, but Fosse’s description that Valbuena was already straddling the bag was about as accurate as a lot of the things Fosse says (I like Fosse, but I don’t trust him for analysis).

On mlb.com this morning Barton says he was trying to block the bag. It says he dropped his knee down, which is true up to a point, but his knee did not get all the way down and the runner got past it. It was his foot that effectively blocked Valbuena from the bag.

Most of the time when the runner beats the ball he’s just called safe, period. The ump, Bill Miller, could have saved himself a lot of grief if he’d just made the conventional call rather than watching the play closely – everybody is ripping him for a bad call. Even Barton hung him out to dry with his “The ump called him out, so he must have been out” comment – but of course Barton knew the runner was there first and couldn’t actually see whether his block was effective.

It’s an interesting example of how, even with replay, first impressions can rule and people can see what they were expecting to see without realizing they aren’t seeing a key part of the play.

I just went to Western Dental and left with fewer teeth and a $3300 bill. Less the $385.00 I gave them.

Just got back three hours ago. Decided to go after not going for 10 years as I have (still have) tooth ache.

I was quoted this cost for two root canals, 1 filling, 3 extractions, (I have many stiches where they had to cut and dig out roots) a partial denture. ($966.00 for that)

To top it off, they could not do the left side and since I had severe toothache on both sides of my mouth, they said, “Take your pick, we will give you something for the pain and come back next week”

I had all my top teeth out many, many years ago as the denstist told me then (when I was 23) that I was wasting money getting them filled. I should have done that with these but oh well. I wouldn’t trade real teeth on top for the false ones I have for anything but the bottom ones are apparently a different story.

Anyway, back at the ranch, I missed today’s game of course. I did have my cell watching the scores on my phone while have teeth yanked and gums stitched.