Joe Maddon on overturned Game 1 call: A tremendous play on our part
LOS ANGELES --Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon will meet with MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre to discuss his comments after being ejected from Game 1 of the NLCS after arguing a replay challenge that went against his team due to the home plate slide rule.
"We talked on the phone. We just have to sit down face-to-face about what I said last night," Maddon said Sunday. "The only thing I'll say about yesterday is it was a tremendous baseball play on our part."
The meeting is expected to take place before Sunday's Game 2. Maddon added that he expects to be fined for his actions.
Maddon's ouster occurred after Dodgers shortstop Charlie Culberson tried to score from second on a single by Justin Turnerand was initially called out by umpire Mike Winters for not touching home plate after evading catcher Willson Contreras' tag. The Dodgers challenged the call on the grounds that Contreras broke rule 7.13, which states "unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the umpire shall call or signal the runner safe."
After a video review, it was determined that Contreras blocked the plate before he received the ball. After the replay led to the call being overturned, Maddon stormed out of the dugout and began to argue. Mike Winters, the crew chief, let him make a brief case before tossing him.
The overturned call gave the Dodgers a cushion run in their 5-2 victory.
Maddon voiced his displeasure in his postgame conference -- not with the umpires but with the rule itself.He said Contreras "did everything right" and added that there was nothing he could have done differently.
"I could not disagree more with the interpretation of that," Maddon said Saturday night. "I think it's wrong. I think anybody that's played major league or even minor league baseball will agree with me 100 percent on that."
The rule in question was instituted prior to the 2014 season.
