Hate to say this: More replay
Everyone here knows that I am not a big proponent of instant replay in baseball -- heck, I don't really like it that much in the NFL, either -- but if you're going to have umpiring crews that do not work in concert and are not willing to confer and overrule obvious bad calls, then Bud Selig's going to have to do what he did with the weather delays. Change the rules on the fly.
Tim McClelland took his medicine after two horrendous calls in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series last night. He took part in the postgame news conference -- which you can watch here courtesy of MLB.com -- and admitted his mistakes. That's fine. Guys make mistakes. That's part of the human element of the sport, and I don't want to install contact sensors and laser beams all over every stadium to take human judgment out of the game.
But the two calls -- both of which could have been very important to the outcome of the game if the Yankees had not blown out the Angels in the late innings -- might have been corrected in real time if McClelland had been willing to confer with home plate umpire Jerry Layne to make sure he got each of them right.
The most damning aspect of the call in which Nick Swisher was ruled out for leaving third base too soon on a tag-up play is that the replay shows that McClelland was not in great position to see the runner at the time. He clearly was looking out toward left field to see the catch and depending on his peripheral vision to pick up the departure of the baserunner as he backpedaled toward Swisher.
That's what the third base ump has to do to see both ends of the play, but he was late getting into position to be able to get a decent look at both players and may have been fooled by Swisher's shoulder movement before he left the bag. McClelland mildly disputed the validity of the split-screen replay after the game, but it's hard to make that argument when you're head is turned so far away from the runner.
The second play, in which Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano were both caught off third base on a rundown play, was totally obvious on replay and should have been pretty obvious on the field. Again, McClelland can be forgiven for not being able to keep his eyes on both tags and both sets of feet around the base, but Layne should have been able to see the play from home plate. Cano was well to the right of the base when he was tagged, which was visible to all, but Posada was the only guy called out.
Turned out that it didn't have much of an impact on the outcome of the inning or the game, but that's not the point. In the end, the Angels actually got the better end of the two bad calls, but the point is to get all of them right. There should have been an umpire conference on the double tag. It's the postseason.
The replay monitor is already available for the border calls. There's no good reason not to use it on plays like these if the opposing manager requests a review. If you're concerned about slowing down the game, consider that it doesn't take all that much more time for the crew chief to look at a replay than it does to listen to 40 seconds of expletives from an angry manager who knows he got the short end of a bad call.
We all knew when MLB approved limited replay that it would be a slippery slope. Might as well enjoy the slide and get those calls right.
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Comments
There is a common denominator for most of Major League baseball's problems, from the lack of competitiveness save for the perenially rich teams, to the lousy umpiring:
Unions...the players union and the umpires union.
The players union would cancel a season rather than agree to a hard salary cap.
The umpires union promotes tenure and security for the incompetent at the expense of the integrity of the game.
Posted by: Gil | October 21, 2009 11:45 AM
Swisher shoud not have been at third base.... he was clearly out on the pick-off at second.
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Pete's reply: Yep, but that was more forgiveable, in my opinion.
Posted by: Nashville O's Fan | October 21, 2009 12:26 PM
I'm like you in the sense I really don't like to see replay used since it just slows things down and often calls cannot be corrected (in the NFL anyhow).
However, the blatant missed calls in the post season makes it necessary. How could anyone miss that fair/foul call in the NY/Minn series? The umpire just almost on top of the ball and still called it wrong.
Instead of wasting money on 2 OF umps who still get things wrong, use someone off the field to review the plays and correct them.
This whole postseason has been horrible in umpire calls, bad baserunning, errors, and blown saves (9?). Serious lack of fundamentals on all parties.
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Pete's reply: I agree.
Posted by: rich | October 21, 2009 12:37 PM
These playoffs, especially in the AL, really seem like a scripted argument for expanding replay.
Posted by: tomvons | October 21, 2009 12:43 PM
Rich, I was just going to post the exact same thing. I agree 100%. That ump in the Twins game was 15 ft. from the ball staring, unobstructed, straight at the play. (and that's all he is required to do).
It seems to me that baseball is perfect for instant replay for plays in the field. The blown calls are much more obvious than in football and wouldn't take as long to review.. I don't think they should ever allow it on pitches though. That would slow the game down terribly.
Posted by: Bob F. | October 21, 2009 12:47 PM
I agree. It looks like the umpires are going to force Bud's hand. They are giving us too much ammo to not go to replay. Stinks though. Next will be ball/strike reviews. I'm just sick that I rooted for the AL in the all star game. I need to pull for the NL for now on (or until the O's have a legit chance of making the series). yanks don't need the home field advantage when they bring their own umps.
Posted by: Big Al | October 21, 2009 12:53 PM
Worst umpiring I've ever seen in a playoff.
I'm not much of a replay fan myself, but when the bad calls are so egregious something has to be done. I don't get upset when an ump. misses a razor thin bang-bang play, but the fair/foul call and the Cano/Posada call at third were not even close. Treat it like football and give each manager one or two calls a game.
Posted by: Roy | October 21, 2009 12:53 PM
Pete
Don't forget about the blown call at second in which Aybar had Swisher tagged out on Kazmir's pickoff throw.
I heard Buck Showalter a couple weeks ago say that MLB should get the calls right, bottom line! Forget the bruised agos of the umps, the integrity of the game is the most important thing, bottom line!
Posted by: James Doss | October 21, 2009 2:47 PM
Hey Pete, I attended Wendelstedt's Umpire school a few years ago, and at least one of the Umps from last nights game was one of our major league instructors (Jerry Layne). And while they are all nice guys, they all have some major league egos. Umpires don't like to admit they're wrong (even us amateur guys), but I think you're right that there needs to be at least more communication from the umps if not instant replay because they are blowing calls left and right. Part of me feels like they are doing it on purpose, but I just can't figure out why. Maybe they want instant replay? And it is inconsequential to my post, but Paul Nauert is a hell of a nice guy. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
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Pete's reply: Don't get me wrong. I think almost all of the umps are great guys and most do a great job. This has just been an unflattering postseason for them.
Posted by: Daniel | October 21, 2009 3:04 PM
That's rich.
We have over an hour's worth of commercials in a 3½-hour game and we're worrying about a couple time-outs to get a call right.
Those time-outs wouldn't be all that long if there was a dedicated video umpire snacking on Doritos until he was needed.
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Pete's reply: I don't think the replay judge should be allowed to eat Doritos. The monitor will get all smudged.
Posted by: waspman | October 21, 2009 3:10 PM
Pete:
I’ve never been a fan of the six man umpiring crew, or for that matter, post season crews who haven’t worked together as a unit during the regular season. During the season, each crew should be graded for the possibility of post season work instead of only grading each umpire individually for the post season.
The NFL used to have similar post season problems with their officials. Several years ago, they switched from selecting all-star type crews to work post season games to selecting entire officiating crews to do playoff games. Frankly, their post season officiating has become stronger because of it.
Much like the players develop timing with their mates over the course of a season so do the officials. Each umpire learns the tendencies of his partners which leads to each umpire getting in the best possible position to assist on timing calls and catch no catch calls. You see this almost daily during the season when one of the officials heads out towards the outfield while his partners rotate around the bases to ensure each bag is covered where a play could occur.
I would like to have seen a replay on McClellend from the start of the botched tag up play. In four man crews, one umpire usually goes out toward the outfield to see if the catch is made while another (usually the home plate umpire) lines himself up to see catch and tag up. In a six man crew, the third base umpire can stay put to see both. I wonder if McClellend was used to the four man system during the regular season so that it was habit for him not to run behind the bag to see both catch and tag up.
You reasoning for the blow double tag out call is dead on. McClellend was probably too close to the bag. Same reasoning can be applied to the Phil Cuzzi missed fair foul call during the ALDS, he was too close to the play to see it in its entirety. You can see more of the play the farther you are from it. Which brings me back to question why MLB asks their officials to do something in the post season that they don’t do during the regular season.
Posted by: mapitall | October 21, 2009 3:12 PM
Pete,
Two items. You are at the games sometime. You can attest that the umpires walk in like they are star players, have a huge attitude, don't work to get the right call often, but to protect their partners. The basic problem is laziness. This entitlement is clearly seen when you watch the hustle of minor league umps. It's like term limits with politicians.
Baseball takes the status quo. The philosophy is to keep the human element and if the right call is made, all the better.
College football and the NHL have it right. The on-field/ice
officials do not have input in the replay process. Even in the NFL the ref should not be part of the 'jury' deciding his own case.
Secondly, and related to the salary cap issue in baseball. Not counting Hideki Matsui, who had been a star in Japan, there are 12 players who entered pro ball with the Yankees: Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Melky Cabrera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Brett Gardner, Phil Coke, Alfredo Aceves and David Robertson are all from the Yankees farm system. Percentage of homegrown players on each team's 25-man roster AMERICAN LEAGUE Team Pct. New York Yankees 56% Detroit Tigers 52% Los Angeles Angels 52% Boston Red Sox 48% Minnesota Twins 48% Seattle Mariners 40% Oakland Athletics 36% Cleveland Indians 32% Texas Rangers 32% Toronto Blue Jays 32% Baltimore Orioles 28% Chicago White Sox 28% Tampa Bay Rays 28% Kansas City Royals 20% AL Average: 38% Get better players, win more, get more revenue from attendance, TV and marketing and compete. It's not all that simple, but the fact remains, you start with a foundation.
Posted by: GregB | October 21, 2009 5:05 PM
Smells like the Quiz Show Scandals revisited to me. The difference this time around is that the networks (FOX, TBS & ESPN) are doing the dirty work instead of the sponsors. Never knew Tim McClelland was getting it under the table until last night's fix. I guess it's now been proven that ALL MLB UMPIRES HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIBILITY WHATSOEVER!
Posted by: Attila the Hon | October 21, 2009 7:20 PM
Pete,
be honest. Most players don't have any idea about the rule when two runners occupy the same base. They both stand there light deer in the headlights until the ump tells one to leave. We see this all the time and they all get so confused.
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Pete's reply: That's probably true, but the umpires ought to know.
Posted by: EC | October 21, 2009 9:35 PM
Pete,
MLB needs to stick to 4 umpires in the infield and put a fifth behind a video screen. All umps should be wired so they can talk to each other and get the call right when one of them is wrong or confused. Video Replay, as practiced by the NFL, may get the call right but it is tedious and the last thing MLB needs is 5 minute breaks in the top of the second inning so the umps can figure out who's on third.
The replay system in tennis is what MLB needs. It is fast, definitive and it does not require the referees to leave the field and stick their head under a hood.
Make it fast, make it seamless and get the call right!
Posted by: Dan | October 21, 2009 10:38 PM
The problem with the umpires is there's no accountability. I mean, yea they hear it from the fans, players, teams and media. But if a player or manager doesn't perform, they get fired or demoted. An umpire declines to comment and moves to the next city.
Posted by: dave | October 22, 2009 10:34 AM