Thursday, June 3, 2010

Perfect-no!

How does Selig not come out today and change the official scoring to an error? They change official scoring days later all the time after looking at replays. They just need to see that the ball beat the runner to the bag. If the ball was there, the only reason that the runner would be safe is if the pitcher made an error. It would be circumstantial, but give him the error and no-hitter. Nobody would even question it, and it would be within current baseball rules.

I do have to fault Jim Joyce a little for not reversing his call. Leyland (I assume. Joyce mentioned "Tigers") came out and told him he was out on the replay. Can't he huddle with the other umpires at that point? With the four of them, come up with some line...Joyce was blocked a bit from seeing the bag but the second base guy could see that Galaraga beat the runner to the bag so I'm reversing the call. They don't have to tell anyone that they reversed it because of the replay. They could stand by the story that another guy had a better view. (It wouldn’t be the first time Jim Joyce was in a better position but was overruled by another umpire. Right Mr. Bellhorn?) Joyce states he knows that the pitcher had the ball in his glove before he got to the bag, and the second base guy knows that the pitcher beat the runner to the bag. Reverse it right there on the field.

I'll restate my desire for them to add the fifth umpire in the booth. I don't want replay slowing down the game. I don't want "challenges" like in football. But, by the time Leyland was on the field to argue the call, the replays had already shown that the guy was out. Why not have the fifth umpire already in the booth. If he quickly sees a replay that solves the problem, he radios down and fixes it. It would be no different than asking another umpire if he had a better view. They’d just be asking another umpire with the best view. If the replay guy can't make an overrule in 2 seconds, he stays out of the way.

After the 2004 ALCS, when umpires huddled and reversed two crucial calls, they were praised. They made the wrong call, but took the time to get it right. They ignored what was done in the heat of the moment, and used all the information they had to make the correct call. It was promoted as exactly how umpiring should be done. Would it have been any less correct if one of the umps glanced at a TV camera before making the correct call?

Why can’t they just get every call right that they can?

1 comment:

  1. I like the 5th umpire idea, the problem that still persists is the refusal for any other of the umpires to go over to Joyce and tell him what they saw..the old "that's not my call" stuff that umps have been getting away with since the dawn of baseball.

    p.s...welcome to my blog, and thanks for being a great baseball fan.

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