Ask UEFL - Larry Vanover's Reversed Foul Ball Call on Sunday Night Baseball

When HP Umpire Larry Vanover originally called Phillies batter Odubel Herrera's ground ball to first base foul, the crew convened to consider whether to reverse the call to fair. Article: https://www.closecallsports.com/2022/...

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Official Baseball Rule 8.02(c) covers this exact decision making process, specifying that "If the umpires consult after a play and change a call that had been made, then they have the authority to take all steps that they may deem necessary, in their discretion, to eliminate the results and consequences of the earlier call that they are reversing, including placing runners where they think those runners would have been after the play, had the ultimate call been made as the initial call."

This means that because Vanover's original call—foul ball—was incorrect, and the umpires reversed it to that of a fair ball as called by 1B Umpire David Rackley, the crew was empowered to rule Herrera out based on the judgment that had the original call been a fair ball from the get-go, Herrera would hace been out at first base because Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had fielded the ball and was prepared to step on first base to retire Herrera at the time Vanover's foul ball and "Time" call became apparent.