New MLB Report Reveals World Series Runner Out by Feet, Not Inches

An official MLB report has settled the controversial World Series Game 7 play, confirming Toronto’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa was out by approximately 3 feet rather than the razor-thin margin fans believed. The dramatic ninth-inning sequence that appeared to cost the Blue Jays the championship wasn’t as close as television replays suggested.

The most controversial play in World Series history has finally been put to rest by an official Major League Baseball investigation, revealing the dramatic finish wasn’t nearly as close as millions of viewers believed.

The heated debate centered around whether Isiah Kiner-Falefa should have taken a more aggressive lead off third base, the third base coach’s conservative positioning, and whether IKF should have run through home plate rather than sliding.

“I’ll think about it until the day I leave this earth,” Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider lamented.

The heart-stopping Game 7 conclusion appeared to leave the Blue Jays just inches away from defeating the defending champion Dodgers. Television coverage showed Los Angeles catcher Will Smith’s cleat briefly lifting off home plate before making contact again, creating the impression of a razor-thin margin.

However, that dramatic moment was irrelevant according to MLB’s findings.

“After reviewing all relevant angles, the replay official definitively determined the catcher’s foot was touching the plate when the ball contacted the interior of his mitt,” stated the official MLB report recently shared with The Associated Press.

This conclusive analysis reveals Smith maintained contact with home plate when he secured the ball, meaning Kiner-Falefa was already ruled out at that moment.

Rather than the perceived inches separating Toronto from victory in the ninth inning’s bottom half, the actual distance was closer to three feet.

“I never felt my foot come off,” Smith explained during a World Baseball Classic practice session this month. “I didn’t really realize it (was close) until I saw the replay, so I wasn’t trying to go back and touch it.”

The three-time All-Star acknowledged he hadn’t reviewed MLB’s official replay center report.

“I just cared that he was out,” Smith stated.

MLB’s Statcast technology lacks precise measurements for this specific play, though tracking data positioned IKF’s center of mass approximately five feet from home plate, with his extended left leg reaching closer.

“I’ve seen that video 3,000 times and 1,500 of them it looks like Will is off the plate. You know what I mean?” Schneider commented at December’s winter meetings, one month following the heartbreaking 5-4 defeat in 11 innings. “And the other half it looks like he’s on. So, that’s how close it was.”

Kiner-Falefa, who recently joined the Boston Red Sox, addressed the lingering controversy at his introductory press conference. Critics questioned his conservative 7.8-foot lead off third base throughout the offseason. He explained the Blue Jays had instructed him to remain close to the bag.

“Didn’t realize that it was actually going to be that close of a play,” he said. “If I was a step further, yeah, I would have been safe. But I wasn’t.”

The official report confirms he required several additional feet, not mere inches.

Miguel Rojas’ solo homer with one out in the ninth inning’s top half tied the score at four runs. Toronto loaded the bases with one out in their half, positioning Kiner-Falefa on third as a pinch-runner replacing Bo Bichette.

During Daulton Varsho’s at-bat against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, third base coach Carlos Febles marked the basepath with his cleats, indicating how far Kiner-Falefa should lead off. This appeared unusually conservative, leading many supporters to blame this decision for costing Toronto the championship. Team officials explained their concern about Smith attempting a pickoff throw to third base.

Varsho’s ground ball caused the positioned Rojas to stumble briefly backward, but he recovered to deliver an accurate throw home. Following Smith’s catch, his back right foot momentarily lifted off the plate before reconnecting. Kiner-Falefa slid toward home, concentrating on preventing Smith from completing a double-play throw to first base.

Home plate umpire Jordan Baker called the runner out, prompting Toronto to challenge the decision. Replay official Dan Iassogna, an experienced crew chief with three World Series appearances, upheld the original call.

Television broadcasts clearly captured Smith’s foot re-establishing contact with the plate while Kiner-Falefa’s foot remained several inches away. Many spectators believed this represented the crucial moment, but the official report confirms IKF was already eliminated.

Smith’s 11th-inning home run helped secure the Dodgers’ consecutive championship. He has mentally revisited the home plate sequence multiple times, crediting his teammate’s defensive effort.

“I think it was more of an impressive play by Miggy in that situation. Tough hop,” he said. “All I had to do was catch the ball and get my foot down.”