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The Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Don’t Let Joe West Care for Your Lawn

By Alan Carpenter

Sep 18, 2016; Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte (11) cannot make a diving catch on a ball hit by Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34). Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte (11) cannot make a diving catch on a ball hit by Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34). Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte (11) cannot make a diving catch on a ball hit by Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) (not shown) during the sixth inning at Turner Field.  He slid about 12 feet in the process.  Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte (11) cannot make a diving catch on a ball hit by Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) (not shown) during the sixth inning at Turner Field.  He slid about 12 feet in the process.  Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

There may not have been a chance to get the rest of the game in on Sunday, but Joe West made sure that the field would be unplayable regardless.

If you’re looking for a recap of the game itself, please check out Fred’s work from yesterday afternoon.  He also included a rant about Umpire Crew Chief Cowboy Joe West.  I have one as well.

Despite getting consistent weather reports from the Atlanta Braves‘ grounds crew, West opted to allow the game to continue far too long before finally allowing the tarp to be brought out.

This had multiple impacts:

More from Tomahawk Take

  • Increased the chance of injury to all players once the game resumed
  • Increased the time required to get the field ready in between showers, thus reducing the playing time available.  Ultimately, all of the Diamond Dry product put onto the field was effectively wasted.
  • Put the field on the brink of being unplayable after the initial delay so that virtually any additional water would push it over that threshold
  • Reduced the quality of play after the first delay as players gingerly went after balls that they might normally have caught/stopped.  Among these:  Bryce Harper‘s tracking of what ended up being a Tyler Flowers‘ double.

I don’t get West’s reticence to cover the field early on.  He knew what was coming.  Ed Mangan and his crew were in position, poised, and ready to roll.  They waited.  And waited.  Multiple batters.  A replay review.  10-15 minutes of waiting beyond what was painfully obvious to everyone… all the while, Fox Sports was showing shots of accumulating water.

There’s no way to know whether the game could have been concluded.  However, it is clear that the late field covering meant that there was virtually zero chance to do so.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain, for the Braves were declared the winners.  However, if you like games to be decided on the field… this option was removed from the table – by an umpire.

At least he wasn’t also working behind the plate.

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