Pirates Lose Thanks to the Worst Call of All-Time

The Atlanta Braves "defeated" the Pirates 4-3 Tuesday night in a game that lasted 19 exhausting innings and more than 6 1/2 hours, finally finishing at 1:50 a.m.

This was the LONGEST game (time-wise) in PIRATES HISTORY. 6 hours and 39 minutes. 19 innings. All for nothing. This was an epic game, a baseball marathon if you will. Not a whole lot of offense for a game. Hell, there's been more scoring at a middle school dance.

That being said, I, like many, refused to go to sleep or turn away from it. Everyone watching the game was a part of history. I wasn't sure how the game was going to end, but I didn't care, I just wanted to go to sleep to an outcome.

In the bottom of the 19th inning we got one, but it wasn't the right one thanks to Home Umpire Jerry Meals. A couple of hits put men on first and third with one out for Brave's reliever Scott Proctor. He bounced one to Pedro at third, Pedro fired home, and the rest is history….

Some how, some way everyone watching the game besides Jerry Meals saw Julio Lugo get tagged by Pirate's catcher Michael McKenry. Not even close. Lugo was out by a mile and there is just no way at all you call him safe for trying to do a goofy little dance around McKenry.

19 innings, over 500 total pitches, 5 hours of baseball down the drain thanks to Jerry Meals. I have no idea how Jerry Meals makes that call. Just awful.

Did Meals just want to go home at that point?
The crazy thing is on 'swipe' tags you usually see guys called out when they aren't tagged, seldom do you see a guy get tagged, and then be called safe. The funny thing is that Julio Lugo tried to justify the call saying it was the right call?

First off I didn't even know Julio Lugo still played baseball until this series. Secondly, of course he's going to say that, I would too. We all saw the play, we all saw the highlight over and over again. McKenry made the tag, Lugo was out, it's not rocket science.

Here's Meal's explanation:
“I saw the tag, but he looked like he oléd him and I called him safe for that. I looked at the replays and it appeared he might have got him on the shin area. I’m guessing he might have got him, but when I was out there when it happened I didn’t see a tag.


“I just saw the glove sweep up. I didn’t see the glove hit his leg.”

He might have got him? Are you F-ing kidding me? For starters Lugo gave himself up because the throw beat him by a mile. If you can’t see the tag, then your eyesight has problems and he should retire. And if you can only say “might” now with the help of instant replay, he should have his driver’s license taken away too while we’re at it.

Meals ruined one of the most epic baseball games of all-time. This game now has a big giant stain on it thanks to this idiot. I can't believe that Clint Hurdle didn't put his hands on Meals. Had that been me, well I might be in jail right now and certainly not allowed to be with me time, that much I can tell you.

Now we have to ask a few questions:

1. Was that the worst call ever by a ref/official/umpire in Pittsburgh sports history?

2. Was that the worst call ever in baseball history?

3. Was that the worst ending to a game you've ever seen?

4. When will baseball fully incorporate instant replay?

I can't wait to hear what Bud Selig has to say about this, oh wait, I'm sure it's going to be something like "Our umpires do a great job and they aren't perfect" yeah whatever you say in between your comatose Bud. Baseball has flaws and needs to take advantage of the technology that is available nowadays.

They won't because the game won't be the same or some BS. After last night, if there was ever an argument for five-man umpiring crews–with one in the booth, overseeing replay to correct mistakes– it was made.