Controversial first-base ruling sparks debate after Fubon blowout

The Fubon Guardians beat the Rakuten Monkeys 13-0, but a confusing first-base ruling became the game’s main talking point.

In the second inning, Rakuten’s Lin Tzu-wei hit a fly ball to right field with no outs and nobody on base. Fubon outfielder Tung Yu-cheng made a sliding catch in fair territory, but the ball later fell from his glove as he rolled into foul territory. First-base umpire Chen Nai-jui initially signaled a fair ball, then called the play safe before signaling foul and indicating that the catch had not been completed.

Lin ran all the way around the bases and scored, while both managers came onto the field to seek clarification. Rakuten challenged the call, and a replay review ultimately ruled Lin’s hit a double. Fubon manager Mitsutaka Goto asked the umpires about the decision again, but the ruling stood.

“I cannot accept the first-base umpire’s judgment, but there was nothing we could do,” Goto said. He added that the decision depended on the umpire’s subjective interpretation. Because the ball was caught in fair territory but dropped in foul territory, he said it could not be considered a completed catch and therefore counted as a hit.

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I cannot accept the first-base umpire’s judgment, but there was nothing we could do.