Yonder Alonso says he's not off base

Yonder Alonso can’t remember having a season like this one.

Through his first 83 games, there had been five calls sure to infuriate any first baseman.

Five times an umpire had ruled Alonso had come off the bag while fielding a throw. Five times an opposing player had eked his way onto first.

The latest head-scratcher arrived Thursday in the fourth inning of the Padres’ 4-1 loss to the Mets. With two outs and Daniel Murphy at second, New York’s Josh Satin hit a routine grounder to short.

Less than routine was the ensuing call. First-base umpire Brian Knight determined that Alonso pulled his foot off the bag while receiving the throw, giving Satin an infield single and allowing Murphy to score from second for a 1-0 lead. Video replays suggested Alonso had successfully kept his foot on the bag.

“It’s kinda weird because I don’t know what they see,” Alonso said Friday. “It’s never happened to me, so it’s just kinda weird.”

Padres manager Bud Black offered an explanation for Alonso’s missteps around first base this season, real or imagined.

“At times it looks he stretches too early, then has an off-balance look on his stretch, when in effect he’s not off balance,” Black said. “But it looks funky. It can look like he comes off the bag to the umpires.”

Black added that Alonso’s fielding technique in this regard might warrant a look from the Padres.

It should be noted that, in terms of overall defense, the first baseman has been among the league’s most reliable this season. Entering Friday, Alonso had committed just two errors. He had a .997 fielding percentage in 665 2/3 innings.

And, of course, those five head-scratchers.

“Next year it won’t happen. Instant replay,” Alonso said wryly, referring to Major League Baseball’s announcement Thursday of its plans for expanded instant replay in 2014.


(utsandiego.com)