So the General Managers meetings are underway in Orlando. According to Peter Abraham, one of the topics being discussed is instant replay. The GMs of the game really have no say in the matter, but could influence a decision of the commissioner.
Personally, baseball needs instant replay. The biggest question to me is, how would you implement it? Are managers going to be responsible to challenge calls on the field, similar to the red flags thrown by coaches in the NFL? Perhaps a new job of 'Replay Official' should be introduced and work with the official scorers of the game in the booth along with monitors to watch replays, signaling to an on-field umpire when it is determined a call should be reversed.
At a minimum, I have felt that MLB needs to at least automate the strike zone. I had a poll running regarding the introduction of instant replay when I started this blog and automating the strike zone was an option. To me, this is the biggest grey area in baseball officiating. Home plate umpires far too often mishandle things in this aspect of the game. Balls are called when a pitcher misses his target, but still throws within the strike zone and strike zones vary depending on who the home plate umpire is.
The strike zone should not change for any situation, other than vertically to compensate for the height of the batter during his swing. Automating the strike zone can be done rather easily, as seen by the pitch location graphics shown on the television replays, and of course QuesTec. A strike or ball call can be relayed to the home plate umpire who would signal for a ball or strike, as he normally does. The job of the home plate umpire would then be a bit simpler. Mike Mussina would agree.
When the technology is available to improve the game, it should be taken advantage of. I hear arguments against instant replay in baseball stating that it would take the human element out of the game. This is ridiculous really. Human Element? By this logic, players should not watch video, pitch velocity should not be looked at, and players would be using bats carved by hand in the off season. Go see a vintage league game if that's what you want. Honestly, I hear they are great!
Showing posts with label Umpires. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Umpires. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
First Post-Season Umpiring Disaster (Well, kind of...)
Okay, so it really wasn't a post-season game. Stats are counted as regular season stats, which I guess is only fair. You can't ignore the stats in such a high pressure game. You can't count them as post-season because they are not on 'post-season' rosters and you can't include the Padres as a post-season team (well, at least now we know that). I thought it was odd when I first heard that these stats would be considered regular season stats. They are getting a 163rd game to accumulate stats, something most players and teams do not get. I guess the best way to look at the game is like an extra-innings game from inning 1. There's also the other case when 'if necessary' rain outs aren't made up.
But enough of that, and on to the actual game itself.
First off, I thought TBS did a great job. They were not shy at pointing out the flaws of the umpires at all, and if you watched the game, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I think other media outlets tend not to point such things out and think it may damage the integrity of the game. I think at that point, it's more insulting to knowledgeable fans than anything else.
Cal Ripken called out the extra outfield umpires for not being in position. They (LF-Fieldin Culbreth, RF-Jim Wolf) were practically positioned just beyond the 1st and 3rd base umpires and coaches. A little redundant, don't you think? It sure seems like a case of them going through the motions to get extra cash for an extra day of work. The purpose of the outfield umpires I would think is to get a better look at questionable home runs and to determine if fly balls were trapped or caught cleanly by an outfielder. These guys looked like part of their job was to possibly get a better angle on a call on the base path. Horrible job. I'm interested to see if this continues throughout the playoffs, even after Cal calling them out.
Now, aside from the umpires being out of position to make the call, I think the right call was made on the non-HR. The ball certainly seemed to bounce off of the top of the railing before coming back onto the field. Due to the outfield umpires being out of position, Tim Tschida at 2nd base was in the best position to make the call. After an argument from the Rockies manager, the umpires conferenced and left the call as is. Perhaps extra cameras should be installed to show such things better. Foul poles may be a good place for them. Then again, that may expose bad calls to the viewers and there still isn't an instant replay in MLB (yet).
The other disaster would be the final play of the game. Once again, I think the umpires got the call right. The execution of the call was is an entirely different story. Matt Holiday was attempting to score on a sac fly, beating a throw from right field. Michael Barrett had the plate blocked and lost the ball as Holiday slid. It's really tough to tell from the replay if Holiday's ever did touch the plate, as every replay had something (Holiday's body and Barrett's foot) blocking the view of the hand and the plate. Honestly, if you saw the slop Trevor Hoffman was dealing, it probably wouldn't have mattered either way.
There's really no excuse for why Tim Mcclelland took so long to make the call though. The same can be said for his strike calls throughout the game. This is just stupid. You are an umpire Tim. If you want to make a name for yourself in the industry, come up with a unique way to call strikeouts or something. We don't have time for your quirks.
But enough of that, and on to the actual game itself.
First off, I thought TBS did a great job. They were not shy at pointing out the flaws of the umpires at all, and if you watched the game, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I think other media outlets tend not to point such things out and think it may damage the integrity of the game. I think at that point, it's more insulting to knowledgeable fans than anything else.
Cal Ripken called out the extra outfield umpires for not being in position. They (LF-Fieldin Culbreth, RF-Jim Wolf) were practically positioned just beyond the 1st and 3rd base umpires and coaches. A little redundant, don't you think? It sure seems like a case of them going through the motions to get extra cash for an extra day of work. The purpose of the outfield umpires I would think is to get a better look at questionable home runs and to determine if fly balls were trapped or caught cleanly by an outfielder. These guys looked like part of their job was to possibly get a better angle on a call on the base path. Horrible job. I'm interested to see if this continues throughout the playoffs, even after Cal calling them out.
Now, aside from the umpires being out of position to make the call, I think the right call was made on the non-HR. The ball certainly seemed to bounce off of the top of the railing before coming back onto the field. Due to the outfield umpires being out of position, Tim Tschida at 2nd base was in the best position to make the call. After an argument from the Rockies manager, the umpires conferenced and left the call as is. Perhaps extra cameras should be installed to show such things better. Foul poles may be a good place for them. Then again, that may expose bad calls to the viewers and there still isn't an instant replay in MLB (yet).
The other disaster would be the final play of the game. Once again, I think the umpires got the call right. The execution of the call was is an entirely different story. Matt Holiday was attempting to score on a sac fly, beating a throw from right field. Michael Barrett had the plate blocked and lost the ball as Holiday slid. It's really tough to tell from the replay if Holiday's ever did touch the plate, as every replay had something (Holiday's body and Barrett's foot) blocking the view of the hand and the plate. Honestly, if you saw the slop Trevor Hoffman was dealing, it probably wouldn't have mattered either way.
There's really no excuse for why Tim Mcclelland took so long to make the call though. The same can be said for his strike calls throughout the game. This is just stupid. You are an umpire Tim. If you want to make a name for yourself in the industry, come up with a unique way to call strikeouts or something. We don't have time for your quirks.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Angel Hernandez and Crew
August 30th, Red Sox at Yankees. Big Game.
Watching the game, I was thinking about making a post here praising the umpiring crew for the effort made in getting a call on the field right, after calling a brief conference on the field. A missed tag of Kevin Youkilis was initially called safe at third by 3B umpire Mark Carlson. However, Kevin clearly went out of the basepath, stepping onto the grass while avoiding the tag of Alex Rodriguez. Now how Mr. Carlson was watching for a tag, and was right on him not being tagged, but missed somehow didn't see how far Youkilis strayed from the basepath. After a brief Torre arguement, and a brief conference of the umpiring crew, I applaud the fact that the call on the field was reversed and correctly made in the end.
As for Terry Francona: he did what he needed to do. As a matter of fact, if any manager does not exit the dugout to protest after a call is reversed, he probably shouldn't be managing in the first place, regardless of whether the final call on the field was correct.
But anyone who watched this game should realize that I am not writing to applaud the overturn of the initial disasterous call on the field.
Joba Chamberlain, 100-MPH pitching Yankee sensation, enters the game and pitches a scoreless 8th. After several runs were tacked on by the Yanks in the bottom of the 8th, most fans were wondering who would pitch the ninth. As it turns out, it seems Torre made a nice gesture by leaving Joba in the game, with an opportunity to earn his first major league save on what may be one of the biggest regular season stage's possible.
What happened from there is now history. After retiring Ortiz and having the third pitch to Kevin Youkilis sail over his head and into the wall, another pitch was thrown in the exact same location, with the exact same velocity of 98 MPH.
What happened then is unexplainable. Rather than issuing a warning, a rookie pitcher with less than a month of major league time under his belt is tossed from the game without any hesitation by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez. The word ludicrous comes to mind. Was he throwing at him, trying to knock him down, or did he somehow just lose control 2 times in a row? Who knows. There didn't seem to be any motive for retaliation, but honestly, we as fans don't know everything that happens on the field and no player will ever admit intent during a post-game interview. But to eject the young man is absolutely inexcusable and shows a complete lack of common sense in enforcing the rules of the game.
Meanwhile, Joe Torre says it right:
Torre's words: priceless!
Update 9/4/2007
I've been away for the weekend, but I'm sure you've heard the news. Adding insult to injury, Joba has been suspended 2 games by MLB. (source) This coupled with Roger Clemens' suspension after incidents on August 7th in Toronto seem to indicate that any priorities in MLB are a joke. Angel Hernandez was also the behind the plate in that game. Coincidence?
Watching the game, I was thinking about making a post here praising the umpiring crew for the effort made in getting a call on the field right, after calling a brief conference on the field. A missed tag of Kevin Youkilis was initially called safe at third by 3B umpire Mark Carlson. However, Kevin clearly went out of the basepath, stepping onto the grass while avoiding the tag of Alex Rodriguez. Now how Mr. Carlson was watching for a tag, and was right on him not being tagged, but missed somehow didn't see how far Youkilis strayed from the basepath. After a brief Torre arguement, and a brief conference of the umpiring crew, I applaud the fact that the call on the field was reversed and correctly made in the end.
As for Terry Francona: he did what he needed to do. As a matter of fact, if any manager does not exit the dugout to protest after a call is reversed, he probably shouldn't be managing in the first place, regardless of whether the final call on the field was correct.
But anyone who watched this game should realize that I am not writing to applaud the overturn of the initial disasterous call on the field.
Joba Chamberlain, 100-MPH pitching Yankee sensation, enters the game and pitches a scoreless 8th. After several runs were tacked on by the Yanks in the bottom of the 8th, most fans were wondering who would pitch the ninth. As it turns out, it seems Torre made a nice gesture by leaving Joba in the game, with an opportunity to earn his first major league save on what may be one of the biggest regular season stage's possible.
What happened from there is now history. After retiring Ortiz and having the third pitch to Kevin Youkilis sail over his head and into the wall, another pitch was thrown in the exact same location, with the exact same velocity of 98 MPH.
What happened then is unexplainable. Rather than issuing a warning, a rookie pitcher with less than a month of major league time under his belt is tossed from the game without any hesitation by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez. The word ludicrous comes to mind. Was he throwing at him, trying to knock him down, or did he somehow just lose control 2 times in a row? Who knows. There didn't seem to be any motive for retaliation, but honestly, we as fans don't know everything that happens on the field and no player will ever admit intent during a post-game interview. But to eject the young man is absolutely inexcusable and shows a complete lack of common sense in enforcing the rules of the game.
Meanwhile, Joe Torre says it right:
"That's absolutely ridiculous," Yankees manager Joe Torre said about the ejection. "Unfortunately, in a lot of situations, the umpires do not apply common sense. And I've seen it too many times. And something has to change. Either they have to school them or do something that certainly gives them a feel for the game better than they showed today." (source)
Torre's words: priceless!
Update 9/4/2007
I've been away for the weekend, but I'm sure you've heard the news. Adding insult to injury, Joba has been suspended 2 games by MLB. (source) This coupled with Roger Clemens' suspension after incidents on August 7th in Toronto seem to indicate that any priorities in MLB are a joke. Angel Hernandez was also the behind the plate in that game. Coincidence?
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Umpires Have It Easy
Imagine an umpire. Any umpire.
Now imagine a referee from the other 3 major professional sports standing next to him.
Okay, now which of these 4 guys is not like the others, leaving striped shirts and whatever protective gear out of this?
The umpire, of course.
If you're like me, the basketball and hockey referees in your mind are probably middle-aged, slim, and maybe even slightly athletic with the football referee maybe one notch down on the slimness and athletic scale. These guys are pretty much chasing players down on a rink, field, or court non-stop in between making their ludicrous calls.
Now to the Umpire: I'm guessing most of you pictured an overweight, out of shape balloon waddling around like a penguin on the base paths. Why? Because they can. When was the last time an umpire had to move more than 40 feet to make a call? Hardly ever.
The problem with this is that they should not be allowed to be that out of shape, regardless of the square footage they are responsible for. Mobility should not be compromised.
Sure they don't have to move over 40 feet to make a call, but sometimes they need to move 5 or 10 feet to get into position in a matter of seconds, and where they need to move may not be as obvious as up or down the field (as with other sports). These angles are important. But apparently not so important to MLB to have at least a smidgen of some type of fitness criteria when hiring these oafs.
Mr. Selig, things need to change!
Now imagine a referee from the other 3 major professional sports standing next to him.
Okay, now which of these 4 guys is not like the others, leaving striped shirts and whatever protective gear out of this?
The umpire, of course.
If you're like me, the basketball and hockey referees in your mind are probably middle-aged, slim, and maybe even slightly athletic with the football referee maybe one notch down on the slimness and athletic scale. These guys are pretty much chasing players down on a rink, field, or court non-stop in between making their ludicrous calls.
Now to the Umpire: I'm guessing most of you pictured an overweight, out of shape balloon waddling around like a penguin on the base paths. Why? Because they can. When was the last time an umpire had to move more than 40 feet to make a call? Hardly ever.
The problem with this is that they should not be allowed to be that out of shape, regardless of the square footage they are responsible for. Mobility should not be compromised.
Sure they don't have to move over 40 feet to make a call, but sometimes they need to move 5 or 10 feet to get into position in a matter of seconds, and where they need to move may not be as obvious as up or down the field (as with other sports). These angles are important. But apparently not so important to MLB to have at least a smidgen of some type of fitness criteria when hiring these oafs.
Mr. Selig, things need to change!
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