Projo Sox Blog

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked Sunday morning for his impressions of instant replay on home run balls.

The Red Sox and Mets were involved in the first-ever under-review play at Fenway Park Saturday night since the rule's inception late last season and it didn't go the Sox' favor.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Mets' Omir Santos hit a ball off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon that barely landed over the left-field wall and into the first row of Monster seats. It was original called a double, but after review the proper call of a home run was made.

"I didn't like [having replay] last night," said Francona. "I guess, for the most part, a home run should be a home run. I understand it. It was anticlimactic because I know what I saw."

Ironically, it happened again on Sunday.

It marked the first time the replay was used at the same ballpark in consecutive games since it was instituted on Aug. 28, 2008.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Sox' Kevin Youkilis crushed a high, fly ball that appeared to be fair just above the left-field foul pole. Crew chief and third-base umpire, Joe West, called it foul. That brought Francona out of the dugout to argue the call and ask for the umpires to review it.

They did and the call stayed the same.

"I thought it was a fair ball," said Youkilis. "I don't know how the reviews work, but when I hit it, and the way it went around, I thought it was fair ball. The call was foul and I guess there was no good camera angle, so I guess you have to go with the first call."

While the play was under review, Youkilis stood on second base. The rule is once the play is under review no one on the field can move. The players are told to stay where they are, so play can resume immediately.

"I stayed at second base because I didn't want to run around the bases again," Youkilis said with laugh. "I rather stay at second. It would have been weird to run around the bases from home plate, and drop the bat. So I thought it was the right thing to do."

He had his revenge in the seventh with a three-run homer that cleared the Monster in left-center field.

When asked if he thought about asking Joe West if that one was fair or foul, Youkilis wasn't going there.

"If I asked Joe West that, I would probably be thrown out of the game. No chance. He's not a guy you want to joke around with," he said. "There are certain things you can do in this game, and there are certain things you can't do. You have to know when and where to say things. Hopefully I won't end up with 199 home runs."

 Tags  instant replay Kevin Youkilis Red Sox Terry Francona

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