AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RED SOX v YANKEES

October 17, 1999

Tim Tschida

TIM TSCHIDA: Yeah. I got the best position I could on that play, and that play itself, when the second baseman comes into the baseline to field the ball, and the runner's there, it's very difficult to get the angle that you want without getting in the way. And I tried to stay out of the baseline as best I could. If he misses the tag, he can still flip to second or flip to first. When I looked and Knoblauch went like this to tag him, I was looking through the runner. He made, in my judgment, very little effort to avoid being tagged. By the way, I called the play on reaction, on the reaction of the runner and the reaction of the fielder; that he made the move and threw to first. It appeared to me as though he got him. I couldn't get into a position where I could see daylight between the glove and the runner. The only position I ever got to see that daylight came when I got to the dressing room and saw it on television.

TIM TSCHIDA: I'm not sure what his statements were, but no, I didn't make the right call.

TIM TSCHIDA: No. In fact, that was Jimy's argument all along. He said, "I realize there isn't anybody else you can go to on that play." The first base umpire's in position for the play on first. You know, it's one of those, like I said, it's a very difficult play to get the position that you want, and that's a frustrating thing for an umpire because we like to call everything properly, and we like to be in a position where we can see everything. And the only way I could have gotten into that position was probably get in the way of the play, and I think that's a little bit of overkill.

TIM TSCHIDA: I never said either. I said what I said to Offerman, I got you out on the tag. And he said he never touched me. When Jimy got there, he said why is he out. I said because in my judgment, I felt he tagged him. There was never anything -- I never said anything other than what I just said.