Home plate umpire Jerry Meals is being painted as a villain for his controversial call that ended Tuesday night’s 19-inning game and gave the Braves a 4-3 victory over the Pirates.

Meals admitted he may have missed the call which allowed Julio Lugo to score the winning run. Major League Baseball confirmed video replays showed he did miss the call.

Here was the situation: With one out in the bottom of the 19th and runners on second and third, the Braves’ Scott Proctor hit a ground ball to Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who fielded it cleanly and threw home to catcher Mike McKenry, who made a swipe tag as Lugo slid. Although the throw beat Lugo to the plate, Meals called Lugo safe, saying McKenry missed the swipe tag. Television replays were inconclusive, although there is no instant replay in baseball for such situations.

The call, made more important because the Pirates are in a dogfight for the NL Central lead, trended as the hot topic on ESPN and talk radio Wednesday.

Some faulted Meals. Some faulted the system for not having instant replay. Some, though, tried to shield Meals from all of the blame.

So here is my question: Why is no one holding McKenry’s feet to the fire?

McKenry is in his second season as a big leaguer and has played in just 38 career games, but he does have 520 games over six minor league seasons. That’s enough to know you have to make the tag first. In this situation, there was a chance to double up Proctor at first base, which is why McKenry went for the swipe tag. McKenry didn’t look to throw to first. He held his mitt up so Meals could see he had the ball. If he had no intention of trying for a double play, he didn’t need to make a swipe tag. Lugo had no intention of running him over.

Take a close look at the replay and where McKenry is positioned. On the play, he moved out in front of the plate. Heck, he moved out in front of the batter’s boxes. He did a terrible job of blocking the plate, which he should have done in case of a wild throw or a closer play. McKenry wasn’t in good position to make the tag, resulting in the quick swipe tag.

Meals may have missed the call, but McKenry missed the play.

That shouldn’t be overlooked.

Jim Unruh was never going to be a Dave Swisegood. No one ever will.

Swisegood is the dean of area coaches. Actually, he’s more like the godfather. Better yet, he’s the grandfather.

Swisegood has been coaching baseball in this area since before practically any other coach, no matter the sport, was born. When he returns in the spring to coach the Central-Southeastern baseball team, it will be his 57th year in the dugout. He’s been at Southeastern since 1981 after previously coaching at Plymouth for 25 years. His longevity is legendary.

Take Swisegood out of the equation, since he is in a class of his own, and who becomes the longest tenured area coach?

Unruh would have been on that list. After 25 seasons coaching football at Carthage and Illini West, Unruh announced this week his decision to resign following 256 victories, six state championships and 10 state title game appearances. His departure leaves Quincy Notre Dame’s Bill Connell as the dean of area football coaches. Connell is entering his 20th season on the QND sidelines and is one of only two coaches at an Illinois school in our area who has been in the same spot for 10 or more years.

Brown County coach Tom Little is entering his 10th season coaching the Hornets. Quincy High School’s Rick Little, who is Tom’s brother, is entering his 10th season and fifth coaching the Blue Devils. He spent his first five seasons in Hancock County coaching Hamilton for one season and West Hancock for four. Pittsfield’s Don Bigley is entering his ninth season at Pittsfield. He coached seven seasons at Rushville earlier in his career.

On the Missouri side, Hannibal’s Mark St. Clair is entering his 15th season coaching the Pirates. Scotland County coach Brent Dondurant will be in his ninth season in Memphis, while Monroe City’s Tony DeGrave is starting his sixth season.

There are coaches in other sports who have dedicated themselves to their student-athletes, their programs and their communities. Here are some of them …

At QHS, Mike Terry and Kerry Anders are the long tooths. Terry has been coaching the boys tennis team for 24 seasons, while Anders has been the head boys and girls track and field coach for 29 seasons. Terry also coaches the girls tennis team, while Anders is the cross country coach.

At QND, several coaches have reached longevity milestones. Mark Longo has coached the QND girls soccer team since its inception, 22 years ago. QND wrestling coach Ken Mansell has been working the grapplers for 22 years as well. Greg Reis, the boys soccer coach, is entering his 16th season. Eric Orne has coached the girls basketball program for 11 years and the softball program for 15 years.

Pittsfield baseball coach John Schultz just wrapped up his 20th season in Pike County.

At Central, Matt Long has been coaching girls basketball for 18 seasons. In Hancock County, Reno Pinkston has been the boys basketball coach at Nauvoo-Colusa, Warsaw or West Hancock for the last 18 years.

If you think of someone who has remain dedicated for a long time, let us know. Please post it in the comments section below.

Having enjoyed so many memorable moments on the sideline coaching the Carthage and Illini West football teams, Jim Unruh, center, had five games come immediately to mind when asked which he remembered most. (H-W File Photo)

In a 25-year career that included six state championships, 24 playoff appearances and more victories than any area football coach ever, Illini West’s Jim Unruh has enjoyed his share of memorable games — good and bad.

Thursday, as Unruh talked about his decision to resign, what made his programs successful and the games he remembered most, he mentioned five heart-stopping, can’t-believe-that-just-happened games he’ll treasure forever. Here they are, inc chronological order:

1. Carthage 45, Arcola 13 — 1995 Class 1A state championship game

The Blueboys won their first of Unruh’s six state championships in convincing fashion. Kenton Patrick had 216 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone as Carthage built a 38-6 lead and never was threatened. Patrick scored his first touchdown on an 81-yard run just five minutes into the game. He added scoring runs of 3, 51 and 8 yards before halftime, and his three two-point conversion runs gave Patrick 30 points, tying the championship game record.

2. Carthage 28, Monmouth Warren 20 — 1998 Class 1A state quarterfinals

A nine-play, 64-yard drive late in the fourth quarter by the Blueboys tied the game at 14 with the undefeated Warriors, and Carthage advanced by winning in two overtimes. After the teams traded blows in the first overtime and Carthage failed to convert on a two-point conversion that would have won the game, Luke Wessel scored on a 3-yard run on third down for a 26-20 lead. A penalty pushed the two-point conversion attempt back to the 7-yard line, and Unruh called a screen pass with George Toubekis connecting with Andy Dietz for the conversion. Bart Ellefrtiz then intercepted a Warren pass in the end zone to end the game.

3. Illini West 27, Oregon 23 — 2008 Class 3A state semifinals

The Chargers trailed 23-6 at the start of the fourth quarter and no one really thought they could rally to win. Well, they proved all the doubters wrong. In the final quarter, Illini West scored three times, forced two turnovers, recovered an onside kick and converted three fourth downs. Quarterback Michael Lafferty completed a touchdown pass to Zack Burling on third and 7 from 18 yards out to give the Chargers their first lead of the game with 39.7 seconds left, capping an 11-play, 81-yard drive.

4. Illini West 43, Wilmington 41 — 2009 Class 3A state quarterfinals

Former Carthage quarterback Joe Reed said Unruh had a knack for making the right call in the right situation. There is no better example than this game. Trailing 35-28 with 1 minute, 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Illini West faced fourth-and-21 at its own 28-yard line Unruh called a shovel pass. It worked. Ser Whitaker turned the shovel pass into a 72-yard touchdown that forced overtime. Then, after Stefan Flynn scored on a 6-yard run, the Chargers converted the two-point conversion. Wilmington couldn’t do the same as Kris Vincent ended the game with a sack.

5. Illini West 22, Stillman Valley 20 — 2010 Class 3A state championship game

Unruh’s final game went down to the last possession. Trailing 14-8 entering the fourth quarter, the Chargers tied the game on Drake Schmudlach’s 23-yard touchdown run and went ahead on Ser Whitaker’s two-point conversion. They extended the lead to 22-14 when Whitaker scored on a 45-yard run, but Stillman Valley returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. However, the Cardinals’ two-point conversion failed. Stillman Valley, though, got the ball back and had one final chance, but Whitaker intercepted a pass at the Illini West 18-yard line with 28 seconds remaining to send Unruh out a winner.

So, you think you’ve landed the big one? Was it a 10-pound largemouth bass? Or a 40-pound blue catfish? Or a channel catfish that takes up an entire kiddie pool?

No matter what you’ve caught, it likely doesn’t compare to this.

Kent Carmichael, an angler from Ulysses, Kan., was fishing about 90 miles off the shore of Southeast Alaska in the Gulf of Alaska in late June when he hooked a giant halibut. The fish, which was longer than Carmichael is tall, measured 94 inches and weighed an estimated 466 pounds, using a conversion table in the Alaska Tide Book.

Kent Carmichael with the 466-pound giant halibut he landed. (AP Photo)

If you listened close enough, you heard the cackles and calls.

Several talented adult and youth hunters participated Saturday in the Mississippi Valley Hunter and Fisherman’s Association’s first Quincy Bay Blowout, a duck and goose calling competition held at South Side Boat Club. Several call making companies and decoy companies were on hand to demonstrate their latest gear. The day included a dog handling seminar, trap shooting and a celebration of the great outdoors.

Here are a few pictures I took at the event:

Quincy's Dustin Lake won the youth duck calling division.

Quincy's Joe Sanders competes in the youth duck calling contest.

Glenn Sanders, president of the Mississippi Valley Hunters and Fisherman's Association announces the winners in the youth duck call division.

The top finishers in the youth and intermediate duck call divisions collect their awards, including their choice of new calls.

A dog handling demonstration took place between the duck and goose calling competitions.

Several adults competed in the open goose calling competition.

For many, many years, Quincy High School basketball fans have valued their seats in Blue Devil Gym. A couple years ago, when the school replaced the bleachers on the lower level and eliminated some seats, long-time season-ticket holders were adamant about wanting the same seats they had enjoyed for decades. Heck, my parents still sit in the same seats (or really, really close to the same spot) they did when I started going to games with them in 1978.

But what length would QHS fans go to keep their seats?

Hopefully, they wouldn’t be as fanatical as these fans.

According to a story released by the Associated Press, a family is at odds over the transfer of rights to season tickets to Duke basketball at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Here is the story …

RALEIGH, N.C. — A family squabble over season tickets to Duke men’s basketball games has resulted in a legal fight.

A woman filed a lawsuit Friday against her sister, her sister’s husband and Duke University regarding the transfer of two tickets that once belonged to her father for games at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Katina Dorton is seeking unspecified damages and asking the court to invalidate the “fraudulent transfer” to Gordon and Sophia Caudle that occurred without the knowledge or consent of her father or other family members, according to the complaint.

“This is important and it’s valuable,” said Randall M. Roden, an attorney for Dorton. “She’s a graduate. She genuinely wants to support the Blue Devils and go to the games. But she was shocked by the way Duke handled this.”

Michael J. Schoenfeld, Duke’s vice president for public affairs and government relations, declined to comment on the lawsuit filed in Wake County Superior Court.

John Dorton, a Duke graduate and dentist who treated athletes and coaches over the years, bought tickets through longtime contributions to the Iron Dukes — the fundraising arm of the school’s athletic department. He was “ill and unable to act for himself” when the transfer occurred in July 2008, according to the complaint, and died in January 2010 at age 81.

The Iron Dukes allow members to pass on tickets to family members willing to meet financial obligations, according to the complaint. In this case, that meant a $50,000 transfer donation and a $6,000 annual contribution. The lawsuit seeks to void the Caudles’ arrangement while allowing Katina Dorton to assume the transferred ticket rights.

“Sophia and Gordon Caudle regret that this private family matter has been made public,” said John N. Hutson Jr., an attorney for the Caudles. “Now that it has been made public, they welcome the opportunity to present their case in court where they believe both they and Duke University will be found to have acted properly.”

The complaint alleges that Gordon Caudle — son of former Duke football player Lloyd Caudle — had no authority to arrange the transfer because he wasn’t yet married to Sophia Caudle when he signed the agreement. It also states that Duke never inquired whether there were other family members with a possible claim to the tickets.

Sophia Caudle notified the family of the transfer in an email shortly before Caudles were married in September 2008, according to the complaint.

Quincy Notre Dame product Jack Cornell, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound offensive lineman who will be a senior on the University of Illinois football team, appeared Monday on the Tay and J Show on Champaign’s Connect-FM (WSJK 93.5 and WJEK 95.3) as an in-studio guest. They had Cornell talking about the upcoming season, his beard and changes to the Big Ten Conference.

To listen to the podcast of Cornell’s two-part interview, click here.

Jose Cano, right, talks to his son Robinson, the starting second baseman of the New York Yankees, during the final round of the Home Run Derby (AP Photo)

Robinson Cano stole the show before he even took a swing.

The New York Yankees second baseman won Monday night’s Home Run Derby, blasting a record 12 dingers in the final round and hitting some mammoth shots into the right field seats. His powerful stroke was eye-opening to a lot of fans who didn’t realize Cano had such power. He is better known as one of the league’s best hitters, but don’t expect him to concentrate on being a slugger after lighting up a warm Arizona night.

No, Cano remains grounded. His dad, undoubtedly, had a hand in that.

Jose Cano served as his son’s pitcher Monday night, which in itself made watching the derby worthwhile. It made you think about playing catch with your dad in the backyard or the hours your dad spent throwing pitches to you as you swung away with your oversized wiffle ball bat. The ties that bind a father and son have made movies such as “The Rookie” and “Field of Dreams” so successful, but Monday night’s moment had no script.

It did have the Hollywood ending, though. The moment Cano connected for his winning homer, his father threw the baseballs in his hands up in the air and waited for his son. Their embrace on the infield grass summed up the evening perfectly.

It made a father proud.

Baseball prides itself on the numbers.

20 … 61 … 300 … 714 … 4,192

Every number is significant. Every number has its place in history.

20-game winner … 61 home runs … 300 strikeouts … 714 home runs … 4,192 hits

Along the way to these becoming the numbers revered by fans, historians and statisticians, the Steroid Era happened and changed the way we look at the game, the numbers and the legends. The numbers don’t mean as much. A 50 home run season isn’t unique or rare. When was the last time someone stole 100 bases? Winning 20 games doesn’t make you a Cy Young frontrunner, especially if the number of complete games is miniscule.

So what numbers matter? Or hold their value over time?

58. It may be the toughest record in all of sports to break.

511. No one is ever going to come close to that again.

3,000. It means exclusivity.

Yankees shortstop became just the 28th player in Major League Baseball history to reach 3,000 career hits. There is no suspicion of steroids. There is no reason to think Jeter reached the milestone in any other way but talent, hard work and commitment.

Jeter is a classic ballplayer. He hustles. He gets dirty. He battles. He does it the right way.

Being a Yankee isn’t easy. Somehow, he makes it look so. Jeter is the first player wearing pinstripes to reach 3,000 hits. That’s magical in itself. How he did it — a home run in Yankee Stadium on a day he went 5 for 5 and drove in the winning run — was even more magical. It was sensational. It was memorable.

It was perfect.

Maybe that’s because he reached the perfect number.

Everyone gathered at Johnny Bang Bang’s on Wednesday night to watch the replay of the Quincy Notre Dame-Hannibal football game from last fall knew the outcome.

It didn’t keep them from maneuvering to get a better seat or cheering as the final two minutes unfolded on film.

Live or on video, it’s still a moment that you get lost in.

The owners of Johnny Bang Bang’s want Quincy sports fans to have that opportunity as much as possible. Thanks to their projection screen, the recently opened bar and grill and has the biggest screen in town for watching sports. Until Monday Night Football and college basketball and other made-for-gathering-together-and-watching-the-game events take place, Johnny Bang Bang’s wants sports fans to get a taste of how good big-screen action is.

So throughout the rest of the summer, the owners hope to show replays of classic games. On tap is a replay of the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s 1981 state championship game that culminated a 33-0 season. The date and time has yet to be announced. Both local high schools have been involved in so many classic moments in all sports, the possibilities seem endless. A crowd would undoubtedly gather to see a replay of either or both of the most recent QHS vs. QND boys basketball games.

If you get the chance, check it out. The drinks are cold. The food is fantastic. And watching the game on the big screen, even with knowing what happened, is an enjoyable experience. Wednesday night, it made you want to get the two teams together right now and see how it would play out this time.