Robinson Cano just hit home run No. 100 since signing with the Seattle Mariners. He crushed a pitch from Mike Clevinger of the Cleveland Indians, sending it over the wall to give the Mariners a 5-0 lead. Only Cano didn’t get credit for it. Instead, the manager of the Indians told the umpires to take a look at it, and the game was stopped as they called their bosses to rule on the play.
On the television broadcast from Root Sports, Robinson Cano clearly hit a home run, as the ball disappeared over the ball before hitting a piece of concrete and bouncing back on the field. But, for some reason, Major League Baseball saw something different, claiming that the ball did not go over the wall. This blatant mistake ended up costing the Mariners, as Cano was forced to go back to second base. Why second base? Because that is what he was told to do, not because it made sense on the field. The inning would end with Cano stranded on base.
How did MLB mess up this call so badly?
Sometimes it is hard to determine what people see and the reason that they see it.
Someone at the hub for Major League Baseball felt that they saw the home run ball by Robinson Cano hit the wall. Back in the New York offices, they decided to overrule the umpires at the game, who told the Seattle Mariners that the ball had left the park. This disconnect is why a lot of people dislike instant replay.
What is the point of instant replay if MLB and the umpires are going to get calls so blatantly wrong? Especially calls that take away home runs? The MLB offices may offer an apology for messing up here, but it won’t mean much after what already took place on the field. Maybe the person who was reviewing the footage just needs to be fired to set an example? Something significant needs to be done to ensure it never happens again.
Cano having an All-Star season
Despite having a home run stolen by Major League Baseball, Robinson Cano is having another great season at the plate. After the fifth-inning double, Cano has a .325 batting average on the season. His on-base percentage is right around .440 and he is doing very well in every at-bat. These are the kind of numbers the team wanted to see from him when they signed him to the 10-year contract, and he continues to provide them.
In other Seattle Mariners news, the team just acquired Roenis Elias in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. He should provide the team some depth as it tries to make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2001. Could Ichiro Suzuki finally get to play in the World Series?