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I’m Not Done Talking About Bobby Dickerson Getting His Stomach Flashed, and the Insane Baserunning Rule That Led to it
By Matt Schultz
Published:
Most viral moments come and go. They’re a flash in the pan, a sugar high, a quick dopamine release, then they’re gone as quickly as they came, lost to time, never to be thought of again.
Bobby Dickerson trying to fight an ump on Tuesday was not that. This was important stuff. It will stand the test of time. I’m still thinking about it a good amount, and I’d like to talk about it some more. So that’s what I’m gonna do. Here’s the play that started it all:
Not a ton was explained on either team’s broadcast in the moment, so here’s some context on what happened:
Bottom of the eighth, one out, runners on first and second. Sal Stewart hits a grounder to Alec Bohm, who throws it to Bryson Stott, who steps on the bag and throws to Bryce Harper for an almost-double play. It was close, but Elly De La Cruz beat Bohm’s throw to second – however, he runs through the bag while Stott kept his foot on second with the ball. That’s an out. That has to be an out. Elly did not slide. He ran through the bag. This is not first base. This is second base. You can’t do that. That’s my understanding of baseball, at least.
But I have just learned that that’s not entirely accurate. Apparently there’s an esoteric rule that makes this legal if the runner turns toward third after running through second. From Todd Zolecki’s article on MLB.com detailing the play:
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly remembers a meeting this spring when he learned an important baserunning rule. He learned about players running past second base to avoid a force play, which is legal and a play that is becoming more common. But he also remembers watching a video that said the baserunner must turn to third base, and not run to left field. If the runner continues to run toward the outfield, Mattingly recalls, he should be called out because he abandoned the base.
This particular onfield argument came down to abandonment of the basepath. The Phillies’ coaching staff said De La Cruz did not turn toward third — they say he clearly ran straight into the outfield. The Phillies wanted to challenge the play and have him ruled out. But abandonment is not reviewable, so the call on the field had to stand. Elly was safe at second.
And that confusing, bullshit-ass call inspired Bobby Dickerson to do this:
If anyone understands the ins and outs of baserunning, you’d think it’s baseball lifer and longtime infield coach Bobby Dickerson. If I’m the ump and an enraged Bobby is telling me that a safe call I just made should be an out, I’m probably going to reconsider my position. What I’m not going to do is put my hands on the guy, weirdly cup his chest, lift his shirt, and reveal his bare stomach to the world:
Not once, but twice. Double stomach:
Can’t help but feel for Bobby here. He was right, after all. The guy knows the rulebook better than I ever will, and the consensus online seems to be that he had the abandonment call correct. But instead of a successful challenge, Bobby gets his stomach flashed on live TV and tossed from the game.
Bobby was wronged, plain and simple, and in my opinion, the umpires need to make this right. The umps should have to show their stomachs on live TV now. This is their penance. This is justice. Eye for an eye. Gut for a gut…
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com