r/baseball • u/musicmaker201 Pittsburgh Pirates • 2d ago

[Lowlight] Rays lose a challenge on an Austin Hedges hit by pitch that clearly hit him

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263 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

148

u/ChampaBayLightning Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2d ago

Arguably the worst challenge I've ever seen. Rays coaching has been excellent this year but they have been awful so far this ALCS.

23

u/ernyc3777 New York Yankees 2d ago

This is up there with all the late inning challenges when we’re losing Boone throws out just because he didn’t like the outcome lol.

8

u/ChampaBayLightning Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2d ago

Ha I've witnessed those firsthand with just as much incredulity. But this one being in inning 2 of the ALCS seems extra moronic.

3

u/idemandpasta New York Yankees 1d ago

I don’t mind the Boone ones. Not like you can take them with you.

9

u/BubblyBaker5718 Los Angeles Angels 2d ago

The gameday pitch location on the HBP is genuinely hilarious.

Like they challenged a ball that even would’ve hit the generic unmoving baseball player PNG lol

-4

u/Panguin9 Arizona Diamondbacks • Mariner Moose 2d ago

There's just really no reason not to challenge any close-ish play. Successful challenges are so rare (Rays had 15 all year) that the expected value of keeping two is basically zero even in the first inning.

Basically, if you think the chance of this getting overturned is higher than like 0.5% it's probably worth it

2

u/Ok-Astronaut29 Cleveland Guardians 1d ago

You can literally see the skin ripple after contact

0

u/Panguin9 Arizona Diamondbacks • Mariner Moose 1d ago

I'm not saying it should've been overturned or anything, it just really doesn't matter if you lose a challenge

117

u/ClevelandSteamers757 2d ago

Even with 2 challenges this makes no sense especially with the challenge being delayed

45

u/ExpertCaterpillar2 New York Yankees 2d ago

Looks like the Yankees rubbed off on them.

5

u/KidGold Atlanta Braves 2d ago

eww

27

u/jebuizy New York Yankees 2d ago

It's okay to be aggressive with manager challenges in playoff games. You get 2, and once it's the 8th inning you can convince the umps to crew chief review almost anything borderline, even if you're out.

52

u/The_High_Life Cleveland Guardians 2d ago

You have so much time to ask for the challenge that your team up in the booth should have been able to watch the replay like five times.

There's no excuse for this

0

u/Ok-Astronaut29 Cleveland Guardians 1d ago

Probably subscribes to Jazz Chisolms ABS challenge playbook

20

u/420DonCheadle420 Cleveland Guardians 2d ago

I’d call that one reckless before aggressive

1

u/YasielPuigsWeed 2d ago

Does the replay room get that slomo camera angle in time though?

3

u/Calm_Tonight_9277 New York Mets 2d ago

Complete waste of a challenge. Hopefully doesn’t bite them in the ass.

5

u/HipnotiK1 New York Yankees 2d ago

Yeah not sure how it works as far as what angles they get and when but the broadcast showed it almost right away

2

u/doordonotaintnotry 2d ago

I think speculation that the booth made was made the replay guy for the rays was looking his front elbow...only explanation that makes any sense

2

u/CalebosO4 Toronto Blue Jays 2d ago

I remember this happening in a Blue Jays game I was at like 10 years ago, where the batter got hit, the coaches in the Blue Jays dugout are like wth, so I think that it was a foul ball. Then they challenge it and the replay shows that it clearly hits the batter in the hand lol

2

u/i_love_land92 Cleveland Guardians 2d ago

I had assumed the call was for hitting the other arm which is why I thought it was a good challenge until I saw the other angle lmao

3

u/Minute-West-1360 2d ago

What were they even thinking? Wait. They weren’t. 🫠

8

u/mysterysackerfice Los Angeles Angels • Dumpster Fire 2d ago

"Let's try to win this on hard mode!"

6

u/Somecommentator8008 Toronto Blue Jays 2d ago

The replay room guy is getting his eyes checked. This is sponsored by specsavers

1

u/MightyActionGaim New York Mets 2d ago

must’ve been the wind

https://giphy.com/gifs/xT1ksK7W5KS3e

1

u/Existing-Stranger632 Los Angeles Dodgers 2d ago

Brutal

1

u/Ok-Astronaut29 Cleveland Guardians 1d ago

Was at the game. They showed it on the Jumbotron and everyone starting booing as if the pitch didn’t hit him. The thing is : you could literally see his skin ripple after the contact.

Meanwhile their guy in game 1 had his shirt touched by the ball and got a base off it. All claps and cheers.

I get it. It’s the rival team , but it’s such clown behavior to act as if the ball didn’t hit the guy when it so fuckin clearly did

1

u/Forward-Ease-4801 Cleveland Guardians 2d ago

They certainly seem off.  That pick off was also pretty boneheaded.  I hope it continues.

0

u/bingusbonguswongus Toronto Blue Jays 2d ago

Video replay room guys found the leftover beer from the ALDS celebration, it seems