Jeff McNeil Charged For Shift Violation, Calls The Call “ticky-tack”

On Wednesday night, during the Mets’ walk-off victory over the Yankees, Jeff McNeil was the subject of a rare shift violation when home plate umpire Bill Miller determined that McNeil had a foot on the left side of second base, indicating that there were three infielders on that side.

Jeff McNeil Charged For Shift Violation, Calls The Call “ticky-tack”

In the eighth inning, with Giancarlo Stanton at bat and the score tied, McNeil was called for the first-year infraction while hanging on to Anthony Volpe at second base.

Even though the Mets came back to win the game 4-3 in the 10th inning without the Yankees scoring, McNeil was still upset at what he perceived as a “ticky-tack” application of the new shift rules.

The decision infuriated McNeil, but it didn’t hurt the Mets since the Yankees were unable to advance the runner from second.

“From what I just read of the rule, it was not a violation,” McNeil said, via Peter Botte of the New York Post. “It’s when the pitcher releases the ball, I need to be on my side of second base, which I was. It’s a little frustrating because what I was doing was not a violation.

“I’m doing my best to hold a runner…He’s trying to take third there and I’m doing my best to keep him close and also field my position at the same time. I don’t think that’s what the rule is meant for. The rule is meant for having three people on one side of the base and trying to stop the hitter.”

“It’s so ticky-tack that it’s not even something that we should be worrying about,” McNeil said. “If you’re playing defense right there, on that line, all the way back to the grass, where you’re trying to toe the line, of course. But I was trying to stop him from getting third base. So that’s a little frustrating. From what I read in the rule, I wasn’t in the wrong, and we need to get a little more clarification about that.”

 

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