LeBron James’ demand after fan dumped popcorn on Russell Westbrook(Increase Security)

NY Post ^ | 05/27/2021 | Jenna Lemoncelli

[Kid Shelleen]

LeBron James is calling for more player protection in the NBA.

After Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook was doused with popcorn by a Sixers fan attending Game 2 in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, James took to Twitter to sound off about the situation.

“By the way WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!! There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the [shoe] was on the other [foot],” the Lakers star tweeted, with the hashtag “ProtectOurPlayers.”

[Impy]

I’m calling it a fielder’s (very bad) choice.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Are you sure that Javy reaching 1B was scored as an error on the 1B and not a fielder’s choice? I thought that it had been scored as a fielder’s choice and an RBI.

The most incredible thing about the play is that, unless I misunderstand the rule, had Javy been tagged out before he reached 1B, the run wouldn’t have counted even if Contreras had touched the plate before Javy was retired. Obviously having the first baseman (or any other fielder with the ball) step on the bag before Javy would be a force-out that would cause the run to be waved off (because it would be the third out), but I believe that even if the batter-runner was tagged out before reaching first that it would be the equivalent of a force play and not treated as a timing play. So Javy would have accomplished nothing had the second baseman gotten to 1B on time to catch the throw from the catcher.

And if I’m wrong and a batter-runner tagged out prior to reaching 1B is treated as having been retired in a timing play (which would permit the run to score), then Javy messed up by not making sure that he was tagged out after Contreras reached the plate.

I love Javy Báez’s baserunning and how his hustle and aggressiveness pushes the buttons of fielders and goads them into making mistakes—that was exactly what Ty Cobb would do on the bases that struck fear into opposing fielders a lot more than the exaggerated stories of sharpened spikes would lead you to believe—but in that particular situation getting the first baseman to chase him until Contreras scored would not have been sufficient to make the run count. Javy signaling “safe” when Contreras reached the plate would have been for naught had two other Pirates apart from the first baseman not made similarly boneheaded mistakes (the catcher for not have tagged Javy instead of trying to tag Contreras, and the second baseman for not having been covering 1B al along).

It is an insult to Little Leaguers everywhere to compare the Pirates to a bunch of Little Leaguers.

[Impy]

Yup, the official scorer (one of my dream jobs!) put it down as E-3 on the catch from third base. Still listed as such on every source I can see. So wrong.

And yes, Javy was subject to a force out for the third out, whether he was tagged or 1B was touched would have made no difference at all, the run would not have counted. Clearly the Pirates didn’t realize that (went on auto pilot when Javy started the “rundown”?) and I guess Javy didn’t either (if he did he’d have been hustling down the line not playing ump). Unreal!