Giants' Wilmer Flores could've been saved by controversial check-swing review system that vindicated Yandy Díaz

For any San Francisco Giants fans watching the end of Game 2 of the World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night, the end of the game likely brought back some bad memories.

Rays slugger Yandy Díaz tried to check his swing on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the top of the ninth with a runner on third and Tampa Bay down by a run. The home plate umpire appealed to the first-base umpire who ruled that Díaz swung which ended the game.

It was eerily reminiscent of the call that went against Wilmer Flores and the Giants in Game 5 of the 2021 NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Flores checked his swing but first-base umpire Gabe Morales decided that he did and that ended the series. 

There was a lot of debate in the aftermath of Game 2 over whether Díaz swung or not and whether the moment might lead to some sort of review or challenge system, similar to ABS, being implemented for check swings. 

One video shared on social media by the account @tangotiger shows that Díaz’s check swing would have been ruled a ball if MLB was using the system currently being experimented with in the minor leagues. Flores’ check-swing was even shorter than Díaz’s so obviously his would have been ruled a ball as well under that review system.

Check-swing review system needs some fine-tuning

Yet, that system has stirred up controversy because a right-handed batter would have to cross the plane of the first-base line, and lefties would have to cross the plane of the third-base line, to make a swing which means you nearly have to go all the way around.

That’s not in line with many people’s understanding of how check swing calls should work. Growing up I always heard the batter had to “break the plane of home plate” but that’s sort of vague and there’s not a concrete definition of what a swing is in the rule book. A lot of it really comes down to the discretion of the umpire which is why what constitutes a swing to Gabe Morales is different than another umpire.

Having it extend to the foul line seems a little excessive, but they clearly have the technology to deem whether the bat extended beyond the front of home plate which in my mind should be the barometer for what is or isn’t a swing.

Some baseball purists may hate introducing even more replay reviews into the game, but finally defining such a nebulous area of the game would be a good thing and would make for less controversy whenever a check-swing call is the deciding moment of a game or a series as Flores and the Giants had to experience the hard way. 

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