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MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins were heated after Thursday nights game when a call from Major League Baseballs new instant replay system and the rule preventing catchers from blocking the plate did not go their way. Womens Mike McGlynn Limited Jersey White Nike NFL Kansas City Chiefs . The Cincinnati Reds thought MLB got it just right. A long delay in the eighth inning resulted in what the Marlins thought was the third out turning into the tying run. Zack Cozart was initially ruled out by home plate umpire Mike Winters on the play at the plate. The review extended the inning and Ryan Ludwick delivered a two-run single to help give the Reds a 3-1 victory. "The fact of that matter is that everyone around baseball should be embarrassed by a call like that," Marlins president David Samson said during an expletive-laced postgame tirade. With the Marlins leading 1-0 in the top of the eighth, the Reds loaded the bases with one out. Bryan Morris got Todd Frazier to fly out to right fielder Giancarlo Stanton whose throw to the plate easily beat Cozart for what appeared to be the final out of the inning when catcher Jeff Mathis tagged out Cozart, who trotted in without a slide. However, after a 6-minute, 10-second instant replay review, the call was overturned because Mathis was ruled to be blocking the plate and Cozart was called safe, tying the game 1-1. Marlins manager Mike Redmond was immediately ejected after throwing his hat to the ground and arguing with the umpires. Redmond kicked his hat on his way back to the dugout for good measure. "As a former catcher in this league for 13 seasons, as a grinder, as a guy who loves this game and respects this game so much, this game has been a part of my life forever, but to lose a ballgame tonight on that play is a joke, its an absolute joke," Redmond said. "I dont think anybody who plays this game should feel good about winning that game and I would say that if it had been reversed. That guy was out by 15 feet." Cozart saw it differently. "I thought it was pretty obvious from the replay that they made the right call," he said. Reds manager Bryan Price agreed. "Cozart was out by a fairly reasonable margin, but the catcher, from the inception of that ball going off the bat, had taken away the entire plate with his feet," Price said. "His body was in the middle of the plate." During the delay, Mathis, a 10-year veteran, was confident that he did everything right in accordance of the rules. "Im just disgusted," Mathis said. "Thats a tough way to lose a game. ... For it to be decided like that, its just disgusting." MLB issued a statement about the play after the game: "We have begun to examine the Crew Chief Review in tonights Reds-Marlins game, which resulted in a violation of Rule 7.13, the call being overturned and a run scoring on the play," the statement said. "We plan to discuss this situation further with the appropriate parties tomorrow, and we will communicate with the clubs after our discussion about this play." Reds starter Johnny Cueto (12-6) struck out nine and allowed one run in seven innings and Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 24th save. Stanton hit his 25th home run and Tom Koehler (7-8) took the loss allowing two unearned runs in seven innings. TRAINERS ROOM Chapman had to be tended to by trainers with two outs in the ninth when he had some discomfort in his right leg. He remained in the game and threw a 101 mph pitch to strike out Marcell Ozuna to end the game. "I had a little discomfort in the leg," Chapman said. "It was an awkward step I took when I made the pitch." Reds reliever Manny Parra (stiff back) has not pitched since July 20. "He is improving," Price said. "He played catch today. Its as day-to-day as it comes. It always seems like its a day away from him actually being a piece of what were doing." ON DECK The Reds Mat Latos (2-3, 3.31) will start Fridays game against the Marlins Jacob Turner (4-6, 5.69). Latos is 0-3 with a 5.26 ERA in seven starts against the Marlins. Turner will be making his first start at Marlins Park since May 31 against Atlanta. TO TRADE OR NOT TO TRADE The Marlins completed a six-player trade with the Houston Astros to acquire 24-year-old right-handed starter Jarred Cosart, who will be in Miami on Friday. There has not been a decision when Cosart will join the rotation. The Reds did not make any deals at the non-waiver deadline. "We were involved in a lot of different negotiations, but in the end we were looking mainly for offence and there really wasnt the offensive pieces out there," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "In fact, none of the guys that we had talked about were moved. I think the asking prices were beyond what we felt comfortable with." Nike Game Joe Mays Mens Jersey Chiefs Road White . The Indians scored twice in the top of the ninth, getting the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by closer Matt Lindstrom. Axford (0-1) came in seeking his fifth save in as many chances. Game Phillip Gaines White Road Jersey Kansas City Chiefs Nike Mens NFL . As the lowest-ranked of nine unseeded European qualifiers, France was expected to go in the Africa-dominated draw pot — meaning it could not be placed in the same group as a top-seeded European team.Rob Blake remembers what it was like to get the call from Hockey Canada to play in the world championship the day after his season with the Los Angeles Kings ended. Blake donned the red-and-white Maple Leaf five times at the tournament over his career, winning gold twice. This spring hell be making those calls as Canadas general manager for the world championship that takes place in May in Minsk, Belarus. Because its an Olympic year, Blake and his staff -- Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers, Brad Treliving of the Phoenix Coyotes and Brad Pascall of Hockey Canada -- might have some different challenges convincing players to commit. But the 44-year-old Kings assistant GM knows what to sell. "I cant stress how important the opportunity to win is," Blake said in a phone interview Wednesday. "I convey to them what the world championships is all about. ... You look at your career and it goes by pretty fast. Theres not a lot of opportunities you have to win something." Blake represented Canada at the world championship in 1998, months after playing in the Nagano Olympics. "Being in that position and having won a couple of those tournaments, you can relate those stories to (potential players)," Blake said. Canada, like many other teams at the world championship, is expected to have a young roster in Minsk because its an Olympic year. Not only does that likely rule out the players who won gold in Sochi (Corey Perry was the only 2010 Olympian to play at the worlds), but Treliving said there are other complications. "Its a little bit unique in the sense not only from an Olympic year and the guys that went over and played, but even from the NHL schedule and the compactness of the NHL schedule, for everybody, including those who didnt go over and play," he said in a phone interview. Four years ago, Canadas group at the world championships included 18-year-old Evander Kane, 19-year-olds Matt Duchene and John Tavares and 20-year-old Steven Stamkos. Expect similar youth this time around. "I think its going to be very similar to the teams in the past," Blake said. "The young guys are the ones that make an easy commitment. They dont have the family commitment, the kids commitment and different things that as you get older you might have involved in this type of decision. I think, typically, younger guys are the ones and then you surround them with the right veterans and you can have some success." One thing Blake, Hextall and Treliving have in common is theyre all general managers of their organizations AHL affiliate, giving them some experience with younger players. Blake is in his first season as Kings assistant GM, replacing Hextall, who took the same job in Philadelphia. Treliving is in his seventh season as the Coyotes assistant GM. "Blakeys been around the game a long time," Hextall said. "Hes a very patient guy, hes methodical and hes very sharp. I know he had a hand in a world championship team in the past, so Im sure that little bit of experience helps him." Along with Pascall, Hockey Canadas vice president of hockey operations and national teams, those men will have conference calls over the next few weeks to discuss putting together a coaching staaff and then a projected roster. Elite Jamaal Charles Lights Out Black Jersey Chiefs Autographed Nike Mens. That process has already begun. "I think youve got to look at teams that are not likely to make the playoffs and see whats available and at least get your mind going and start thinking about line combinations and checkers and energy guys and scorers," Hextall said in a phone interview. "Its never too early to start thinking." The immediate next step for the management team is to zero in on coaches. Ralph Krueger, who served as a coaching consultant in Sochi, and Kevin Dineen, who coached the womens team to gold and will be behind the bench for the mens under-18 world championships next month, have been speculated as possible options. Either would fit with what Blake said in general terms hes looking for. "I think part of that staff should have some experience overseas, whether it be coaching over there, coaching an international tournament at some time or being involved on a staff," he said. "Its a different tournament, its not the same as over here. I think some of that experience in scheduling wise, knowing some of the teams and tendencies of those countries and obviously with the setup and that all being different than North America, its nice to have somebody with some experience on that." Part of this tournament is getting experience, for the players, coaches and members of the management staff. Blake, Hextall and Treliving are all legitimate candidates for head GM jobs in the not-too-distant future. Experience already gained in NHL front offices is key now. "I think you learn, its one thing to build a team over a long haul and what you have to do is use everything youve learned over the long haul to try and put a team together for the short term," said Hextall, who played in the 1987 Canada Cup and the 1992 world championship. "I think its more lessons Ive learned from NHL experience that Ill be able to lend a hand in trying to help Blake and Brad build this team." Getting this job also raises the possibility that Blake could be GM of Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics, if NHL players participate. Steve Yzerman has already said its time for someone else to fill that role after winning back-to-back gold medals. "Thats a long ways down the line," Blake said. This tournament is not a long ways down the line, as Canada opens play May 9 against France. Blake already has some preliminary lists of potential players and will go through the process in the next few weeks of scouting and evaluating for those spots. Hell get some help in that regard not only from Hextall, Treliving and Pascall, but former NHL defenceman Steve Staios, who is the teams director of player development. Staios is then expected to assist the coaching staff on and off the ice in Minsk, perhaps similar to what Kruegers job was in the Olympics. Everything worked for Canada there, and even though the worlds in an Olympic year tend to be something of an afterthought, theyre far from that for those in charge of trying to win gold. "Any time you go and compete as Team Canada, the expectation is to win," Treliving said. "Obviously thats the expectation, thats the challenge for us and the goal for us putting this team together." wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
