Actually, I agree. I don't think there is any way the ball goes from the angle it was at to hitting the umpires face without hitting his helmet.

 

Its the camera angle

Then what is the thud before it hits the mask?

Then what is the thud before it hits the mask?

 

You can clearly hear it hit the batter's helmet. The catcher reacted a little weird, but there's no question that the ball grazes the batter's helmet.

Watch it again and watch the slow motion part of the video. The helmet moves as if it were struck with the ball. Also, why would they intentionally throw a wild pitch in the title game with a runner on second?

 

 

I dont see the helmet move. I saw this on CNN earlier today and they said the team was already down by 10 when this happened. Maybe they weren't happy with the umpire.

You can clearly hear it hit the batter's helmet. The catcher reacted a little weird, but there's no question that the ball grazes the batter's helmet.

 

I can't even hear it hit the umpire so I dont know where you are getting this.

I can't even hear it hit the umpire so I dont know where you are getting this.

 

Turn your sound up loud.

Even if it did hit the helment, there's going to be a sound loud enough to be heard by the other umpires. Why wasn't it called a dead ball?

Turn your sound up loud.

 

It is up as loud as it goes

Even if it did hit the helment, there's going to be a sound loud enough to be heard by the other umpires. Why wasn't it called a dead ball?

 

Well I imagine it happened fast and we have the advantage of watching it 20 times in a row on YouTube.

It is up as loud as it goes

 

I'm not sure. I can hear it pretty easily and PutMeInCoach can hear it.

After muting the TV...I can hear one noise, but not two like you are saying

It actually almost appears as if the spin of the ball changes after it hits the helmet.

I'm just now seeing any of the signs that you are pointing out. I can't see the helmet move, only hear one noise, and my video quality isn't good enough to see the spin anyway

I think the kid batting tells the story to that one. He made no reaction as if the ball had hit him.

IMO, it certainly looks as if the ball hits the batter's helmet prior to hitting the ump.