The New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1, at Citi Field on Wednesday night. Kody Clemens singled to start the fifth inning, but was quickly doubled up when Edmundo Sosa lined out to Francisco Lindor. After catching the line drive, Lindor tossed the ball to first base while Clemens somberly rounded second and headed for the dugout. NBC Sports Philadelphia announcers Tom McCarthy and Ben Davis were not impressed with the way Lindor threw the ball to first.
McCarthy: "Caught by Lindor. Oh my gosh. And he just flips it and rolls it over to first base."
Davis: "Couldn't he have just tagged him?"
Mccarthy: "Well, yeah."
[A few seconds later on the replay]
Davis: "Line drive right to Lindor, just..."
McCarthy: "You got a problem with that, the way he threw it over there?"
Davis: "Yeah, I'm not a big fan. Be a little bit more professional about it."
McCarthy: "Yeah, he almost like, you know... showin' me up."
Davis: "Salt in the wound."
McCarthy: "Listen, it is what it is. It was going to be a double-play no matter how he got it over there."
It should be worth noting that Clemens, nearly to second, watched Lindor catch the ball and immediately stopped running. He didn't even consider trying to turn around for a second. Still, Davis and McCarthy were able to unearth an unwritten rule that scholars and historians had long thought was lost forever. The shortstop must put some zip on the ball when completing a double-play where the runner has already given up and headed back to the dugout. Do not salt this wound!
This article was originally published on thebiglead as Phillies Broadcasters Annoyed With Mets' Francisco Lindor Not Throwing Ball Hard Enough.
