Pirates File Formal Compaint
Pirates president Frank Coonelly has released the following statement concerning the umpire's call that ended the Pirates 19-inning game early today with a 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves: "The Pittsburgh Pirates organization is extremely disappointed by the way its 19-inning game against the Atlanta Braves ended earlier this morning. The game of baseball and this game in particular, filled with superlative performances by players on both clubs, deserved much better. We have filed a formal complaint with the Commissioner. "While we cannot begin to understand how Umpire Jerry Meals did not see the tag made by Michael McKenry three feet in front of home plate, we do not question the integrity of Mr. Meals. Instead, we know that Mr. Meals' intention was to get the call right. Jerry Meals has been umpiring Major League games for 14 years and has always done so with integrity and professionalism. He got this one wrong. "For Pirates fans, we may have lost a game in the...