Dodgers first base coach Mariano Duncan stands between first base umpire John Hirschbeck and Dodgers' Casey Blake during a heated discussion in the sixth inning. (AP / Charles Cherney)
By Bill Shaikin, Tribune newspapers
Casey Blake accused Ted Lilly of cheating on Thursday, trying unsuccessfully to persuade the umpires that the Cubs pitcher should have been cited for starting his windup on some pitches from in front of the rubber.
"I know he doesn't have an overpowering fastball," Blake said. "I know he's trying to get as much of an edge as he can. But he moved in.
"That's cheating. You've got to stay on the rubber."
Lilly did not hesitate to fire back.
"Sometimes a batter will get in the box and he'll step out, and behind the box, and on the lines," Lilly said. "I don't think he's trying to cheat. It might not be intentional."
By pitching from in front of the rubber, Lilly said, a pitcher would lose the leverage of pushing off the rubber. Any such deliveries were strictly inadvertent, he said.
"I might have done it a couple times, just trying to gain my footing," he said.
After Blake had singled in the sixth inning of the Dodgers' 1-0 loss to the Cubs, he said he noticed Lilly pitching from in front of the rubber. He asked first-base umpire John Hirschbeck to intervene. Within moments, first-base coach Mariano Duncan had to restrain the mild-mannered Blake.
"I got so fired up," Blake said.
Hirschbeck, whom Blake called "a good umpire," told Blake he could not see any violation from where he stood, behind the bag. Blake said he became angered when Hirschbeck declined to move up, warn Lilly or ask the other umpires for help.
"What's going to keep a guy from pitching the whole game like that?" Blake said.
Hirschbeck said he did not need to ask the other umpires for help because they all are empowered to call such a violation should they see one, just as any umpire can call a balk. He also said it would have been impractical for him to move up.
"I can't stand on top of the bag," he said.
Hirschbeck said he told Duncan that he would not warn a Dodgers player for a violation he did not see the player commit and said he owed Lilly the same consideration.
"I can't warn him for no reason," Hirschbeck said.
KWF on May 28, 2010 11:24 AM
sean on May 28, 2010 11:20 AM
9-12" in front of the rubber? Please Yankee guy, no need for such gross exaggerations.
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You don't pick up on sarcasm very well, do you?
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Ya know what, I normally do. Coming from a "Yankees" fan though, I assumed that you were another insane person who really believed what you typed. I reread your comment though and I enjoyed it knowing it was a joke. Keep it up brotha.
Also, Cubs will take the last 2 games against the Cards this weekend. Blackhawks got tomorrow night in the bag as well.
Maybe someone at WGN should 'review' what is going to be shown in a situation like that and we wouldn't have had this controversy. When the close-up picture came up on the screen it was obvious that his foot was off the rubber by at least 3 inches. Also there was a hole in front off the rubber that Lilly's foot was in.
I believe that the correct call by the umpire is to call a 'ball' on every pitch that the pitcher throws when it is delivered.
Then again maybe we should start 'refreshing' the batter's box ever 3 inning or whenever an umpire cannot see the delineation of the lines to level the playing field.
This is almost a non-issue, like an NBA referee calling 'palming' the basketball.
It was funny that Len and Bob showed a close up of Lilly's foot when talking about how he throws from both ends of the mound, and I noticed he was throwing from about 4 " in front of it. I was waiting for them to say something about it, and they didn't. I was surprised. The next inning is when Blake was complaining about something and I knew exactly what he was arguing about.
Every pitcher does it, I have a buddy that pitches for UC and he tells me they are taught to move about 2inchs of the rubber...Everybody does it, just to a certain degree.
9-12" in front of the rubber? Please Yankee guy, no need for such gross exaggerations.
I was watching the game and Lilly was probably about 1-2" off the rubber. I imagine that many pitchers do this in trying to find some competitive advantage. And if umpires aren't calling it, then why should they stop?
Also, Casey Blake had 2 hits in yesterday's game, so all you nerds calling him out can chill.
It's okay, Cubs pitchers. If I had your offense getting my back, I'd cheat, too.
He was TOTALLY off the rubber. I have never seen a pitcher so blatantly stand in front of the pitching rubber. Shame on you Ted.
Lilly Absolutely was cheating..... I watched the game and Lilly was consistantly pitching 6-12 inches in front of the rubber. I'm objective since I'm a Yankee fan and could care of the outcome however Lilly should have called for a balk ....If I was Torre I would signaled protest and undoubtedly it would have been in his and the dodgers favor....
Here's a future "Hall of Famer" with a lifetime batting average of .267 complaining because he can't get a hit off of poor "Old" Lilly" who throw the ball about 70 MPH half the time, Get a Life Blake or a new job.
I guess you didn't bother to read the article: Blake noticed from 1st base...after he got a hit. Please try to pay attention!
To Wilbur Woods..............Silly Sucks fan.......your team is horrible and you wanna jump in and talk about the cubs? come on.........worry about your pathetic team they call the SOX.
anon, we won't see the Dodgers in the playoffs if they try to lawyer their way in. Go home, losers.
That's alright. LA went 2-5 in the regular season vs the Cubs in 2008, and we all remember what happened in the NLDS. So go ahead Lily, cheat away. And we'll see you in the playoffs.
Go Dodgers!
Don't whine like a baby if you can't get a decent hit. I know 1-0 games hurt, but I don't think a team whose main player is Manny should complain about cheating!
Cheating? Really, you mean like Manny Ramirez? Just asking is all
Blake is absolutely right. I noticed it in about the 6th inning today. The only reason it struck me as odd is that I heard Steve Stone talk about pitchers doing it the other day on a Sox broadcast.
And it's only cheating if you get caught.
Funny how you Cub fans get all riled when Lilly gets accused but rip Buehrle and Ozzie for taking exception to phantom balks.
What a baby!
Someone call the Wahhhhhhhhmbulance for Blake.
Who's Casey Blake?
shut up and play the game, blake. you freakin baby...
Cool story bro