KANSAS CITY – Defensive shift limits have been in effect since the beginning of the 2023 season, but challenges to shift violations have been few and far between.
In the top of the eighth inning of the Mariners’ 2-0 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, Dominic Canzone hit a 109 mph grounder to second baseman Michael Massey, who threw to first base for an out -- until it wasn’t.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson asked the umpiring crew for a replay review on whether Massey had violated defensive shift limits and whether his heels were touching the grass when the ball was hit to him.
It turned out to be the case: The play was overturned, Massey was given an error on a shift violation, and Canzone was awarded first base. That knocked Royals starter Stephen Kolek from the game after 7 1/3 innings, and that run came around to score on J.P Crawford’s double off reliever Daniel Lynch IV.
Kolek was feeling pretty good after earning the chance to go back to the mound in the eighth inning, and he was hoping to finish the frame. But the long review -- coupled with a runner on base in a one-run game -- led Royals manager Matt Quatraro to turn to his bullpen.
“it’s good that they trust me there, allow me to go out [to start the eighth] and do my thing even with the tank is starting to run low, but I’m still able to get an out and whatever kind of petty call that was, ..." Kolek said. “It is what it is, rules are rules. But we’ll be paying that much more attention to anything they do in the future.”
“I’ve played [in that spot] for four years, never had it happen,” Massey added. “It’s on me, as far as -- obviously, I know the rule. Can’t be in the grass. Whether the replay is conclusive or not, we kind of went through all that stuff last year, and I’ve got my opinions on it. It doesn’t help us in this situation. Reality is, that’s the rule, and I’ll be better.”
While the Royals were irritated that the call came down to a small margin of whether Massey’s heels were touching the grass, the Mariners, in the thick of the American League West race, didn’t want to give any outs away, especially in a tight game.
“[Mariners replay coordinator Andy Bissel's] play at the end there is huge, to be able to have it all aligned in the right spot to get an extra out, so to speak, and then for J.P. to come up with that huge knock to get [pinch-runner Victor Robles] in,” Wilson said.
The rule stipulates, among other things, that four infielders must be within the boundary of the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber. If infielders are not aligned properly at the time of the pitch, the offense can choose an automatic ball or the result of the play.
A team can only challenge a shift violation if a defender is the first person to make a play on the ball, and Bissell was watching Massey closely.
“Two pitches before I called [field coordinator Louis Boyd] and said, ‘Hey, if a ball is hit to Massey, give me a call. We’re going to challenge it probably,’” Bissell said. “And sure enough, Canzone hit the ball to him, and there was just enough evidence to show that his heel was in the grass.”
Bissell continued: “It’s something we look for all the time. Honestly it’s usually the second baseman, it just depends on where the cameras are pointing, and I kind of saw it earlier in the game. There were a few where he was getting close, and a few where he was in the grass, and the ball just wasn’t hit to him, so it just happened to be.”
Massey’s argument was that his pre-pitch jump meant that his heels were hovering, but the toes of his cleats were on the dirt.
“I know the rule is when the ball comes out of the pitcher's hand, so my timing of the jump could change, and maybe my heel was down, maybe it wasn’t,” Massey said. “Frustrated it hurt the team. But it is what it is.
“... Whether the heel is down or not is a call outside of my paygrade. Just frustrating.”
From the Mariners’ perspective, staying stringent with the rules helped them clinch an important victory, moving into a tie with the Astros for first place in the AL West.
“It’s cool to get the overturn, but when it turns into a run, it impacts the game in a real way,” Bissell said. “That’s why I enjoy doing what I do.”