2012 Umpire Performance/Venting Thread

[Yanks4eva1]

Hey we're all human and in saying that you often wonder if some of these umpires are betting on baseball or they grew up fans of a certain team and have a bias towards them. Just wondering. Instant replay is needed.

[Mr Coffee]

Hey we're all human and in saying that you often wonder if some of these umpires are betting on baseball or they grew up fans of a certain team and have a bias towards them. Just wondering. Instant replay is needed.

I'd settle for 'phone a friend.'

[-tz]

Second-base umpire: “The call was incorrect” :

Second-base umpire Jeff Nelson admitted that his eighth-inning call was incorrect.

“The hand did not get in before the tag,” he said. “The call was incorrect. … I had the tag late and the hand going into the bag before the tag on the chest.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi spent much of his postgame press conference arguing for instant replay, saying that his team’s chances of scoring a run in the last two innings would have changed significantly if it were a one-run game instead of a three-run game.

“We’re looking into (additional replay),” MLB vice president of baseball operations Joe Torre said. “We’re not saying it can happen, but right now we haven’t really come to any conclusion on what’s the best way to go about it and not make the game drag and go longer than they are going already.”

[Chacon]

In between innings, Nelson had balls to walk in the outfield towards the bleachers where he was greeted with thousands of middle fingers and a-hole chants. Was quite the experience and unfortunately one of the very few highlights of my afternoon in the Bronx.

The bleachers became incensed when the replay was played on the TV's on the side of the Sports Bar

[89FoxBody]

I am so sick of this "game being longer" argument. everyone said that about the NFL and instant replay too and they were full of chit.

[YankeePride1967]

I am so sick of this "game being longer" argument. everyone said that about the NFL and instant replay too and they were full of chit.

Simple solution. Once a replay is done, if any one argues it, automatic ejection. The time spent in reviewing it will be offset by the time saved in arguing the call.

[Mr Coffee]

I am so sick of this "game being longer" argument. everyone said that about the NFL and instant replay too and they were full of chit.

Does anyone care if a game goes ten minutes longer?

[Carsten Charles]

Making the game longer.

First of all, if MLB actually thinks longer games are more of a problem than bad calls, everyone that is employed there should be fired.

Secondly, that 8th inning went another 20 minutes. THAT MADE THE GAME LONGER.

This is a stupid, stupid league.

[False1]

Second-base umpire: “The call was incorrect” :

"We're looking into it"... what does that even mean anyway? TV stations broadcast 20 different angles of every single play. The technology is there. Come up with some policies of what is/isn't reviewable, give the "replay ump" 30 seconds to review and call down whether the evidence supports overturning the call. Have mustard, relish and ketchup race from home to first to pass the time. Really MLB??? You can't figure out a way to move past "we're looking into it" after all this time?

Even if replay only overturns blatantly obvious calls in a very quick manner, that would be a huge win. Huge. Not looking for perfection here, and don't need a team of rocket scientists reviewing each play through quantam physics glasses. Get some guy a six pack of beer and let him get one look at a few angles and if it's obvious, reverse the call. If not, cest la vie - call stands.

[wat]

I saw Torre on the postgame podium. He said what you would expect him to say. Kellog thought he got his arm in before the tag (obviously) and saw he made the wrong call watching the replay (obviously). What else is he going to say?

How about "We understand the impact of incorrect calls on the game as well as the challenges the umpires face in getting them right. Therefore, we intend to institute instant replay on safe/out calls on the bases starting next year."

Instead, it seems Torre is going to do pretty much what he did in his last few years with the Yankees...sit on the bench and snooze.

[Mr Coffee]

BTW, the TBS video crew makes me really appreciate the YES guys.

I guess it's a different thing since YES is partially owned by the Yankees and can pretty much wire the place and set up cameras however they want.

Still...

[snapple]

"We're looking into it"... what does that even mean anyway? TV stations broadcast 20 different angles of every single play. The technology is there. Come up with some policies of what is/isn't reviewable, give the "replay ump" 30 seconds to review and call down whether the evidence supports overturning the call. Have mustard, relish and ketchup race from home to first to pass the time. Really MLB??? You can't figure out a way to move past "we're looking into it" after all this time?

Even if replay only overturns blatantly obvious calls in a very quick manner, that would be a huge win. Huge. Not looking for perfection here, and don't need a team of rocket scientists reviewing each play through quantam physics glasses. Get some guy a six pack of beer and let him get one look at a few angles and if it's obvious, reverse the call. If not, cest la vie - call stands.

W-we...we don't?

[YankeeFan1421]

"We're looking into it"... what does that even mean anyway? TV stations broadcast 20 different angles of every single play. The technology is there. Come up with some policies of what is/isn't reviewable, give the "replay ump" 30 seconds to review and call down whether the evidence supports overturning the call. Have mustard, relish and ketchup race from home to first to pass the time. Really MLB??? You can't figure out a way to move past "we're looking into it" after all this time?

Even if replay only overturns blatantly obvious calls in a very quick manner, that would be a huge win. Huge. Not looking for perfection here, and don't need a team of rocket scientists reviewing each play through quantam physics glasses. Get some guy a six pack of beer and let him get one look at a few angles and if it's obvious, reverse the call. If not, cest la vie - call stands.

Yeah, the delay of game thing is silly given they have 20 minutes it seems like between innings in these games. All of the arguing could be eliminated and that saves time right there.

There can't be a perfect replay system...the NFL's isn't perfect. Some calls probably should be deemed not reviewable, but for those that can be reviewed, give them 45 seconds or whatever and make the quick call. If it takes more than 45 seconds then it's not definitive enough and can't be overturned.

And for the argument that not every play is going to have the right camera angle....so what? then those calls can't be overturned. the replay system shouldn't have to be perfect, it should however be able to overturn 80% of the blatantly wrong calls like the one last night.

They have to get out of this mentality that if not EVERY bad call can be corrected then none of them can be. That makes no logical sense.

Also, we've heard the umpires don't want it because it somehow shows them up. I don't understand that thought at all. Umpires make mistakes. Do they want to live with those mistakes forever, or do they want them to be corrected and in the process take them off the hook? Is it about the umpire's self of importance or about getting the calls right?

[JDPNYY]

It's a perfect opportunity to jam another 2 or 3 commercials into the game. You'd think TV would be begging for instant replay.

[gold23]

Simple, simple solution. Do what the NHL does. Have a control room in NYC where three to five people are situated during games. As soon as a controversial play occurs, have them review the play immediately. By the time an umpire can get to a phone in the home team dugout, he'll have the correct call. Literally would take all of two minutes to complete, and in many cases would SPEED UP the game as there would be no arguments.

It will also have the positive effect of lessening the tension between umps and managers/players.

[35Knucklecurve]

What the powers that be don't seem to get is that we aren't asking for them to come up with a way to get the call right - we've already got that. They just refuse to use it. In the time it took Girardi to race out to 2nd base and argue, the play could have been reviewed and a correct decision made. The human element that leads to a fair ball being called foul or vice versa is the same human element that leads to a blown call on a tag. You can't say one is more important to get right than the other.

[JfromJersey]

Everyone knows expanded replay is inevitable..and it shouldn't take years of botched calls to finally implement it.

[effdamets]

OK.

First - MLB messed up the strikezone when they instituted Questtec.
Each ML umpire had a strikezone they were comfortable with. Each umpire is taught how to position themselves behind a catcher, get into the "slot" (the space between the batter and the catcher) and determine strikes and balls.
Each umpire's perspective of the stirkeszone may have been different but at least it was consistent.
Once Questtec showed up, it created a huge mess.
Let's face it, the positioning and perspective of the stirkezone will be different when you are standing behind Russell Martin (5'10") than when you're standing behind Matt Wieters (6'5").

Second - why didn't Nelson simply ask for help on the call at 2nd base? This is something that doesn't make sense to me at all.
The mantra of these umpires is to get the calls right. It seems to be true except when the umpire making the call gets it wrong. Then there's no allowing him to go back on his word.
There's an issue with replay. Not that it doesn't work but with equipment in every stadium.
MLB has to make sure every stadium is well equipped enough to give all the same angles on every play in every stadium. I think once that's done, we'll see replay on calls like that debacle at 2nd last night.
But until then, why can't the umpires huddle and at least discuss it? I mean, there's 5 other umpires on the field. No one else saw it? 47,000 people in the stands saw it...
It's just ridiculous.

Third - Selig is a huge tool. MLB is bringing in 9+ billion and they can't afford to have an extra umpire or two sitting at each stadium for things like that? Especailly in the playoffs? Something so obvious? Game changing plays that get muffed by a stubborn, pompous, protected crew of umpires? All this falls on Selig's shoulders. And I totally hate that guy.

[False1]

There's an issue with replay. Not that it doesn't work but with equipment in every stadium.
MLB has to make sure every stadium is well equipped enough to give all the same angles on every play in every stadium. I think once that's done, we'll see replay on calls like that debacle at 2nd last night.

MLB might not settle for less perfect solutions, but I don't think many fans would agree with this. I watch a lot of baseball from a lot of stadiums, and the types of egregiously bad calls that really frustrate fans can almost always be seen as blatant misses on one of the views from the existing TV feeds. I don't think anyone is looking for 3D Hologram Cold Fusion replay or anything. And I agree with MLB that whatever the solution is it can't slow down these games.

But if you accept that you might only get enough evidence to correct 50% of the blatant misses with an immediate, <1 minute review that has to prove unequivocally the call was incorrect or just move on, isn't that better than 0%?

[gold23]

MLB might not settle for less perfect solutions, but I don't think many fans would agree with this. I watch a lot of baseball from a lot of stadiums, and the types of egregiously bad calls that really frustrate fans can almost always be seen as blatant misses on one of the views from the existing TV feeds. I don't think anyone is looking for 3D Hologram Cold Fusion replay or anything. And I agree with MLB that whatever the solution is it can't slow down these games.

But if you accept that you might only get enough evidence to correct 50% of the blatant misses with an immediate, <1 minute review that has to prove unequivocally the call was incorrect or just move on, isn't that better than 0%?

Again, not sure why they can't just have a control room in NY watching all the games like hockey, with control of replay angles. A controversial call is made, by the time they get to the dugout phone the control room will have had the ability to review the play. Worst case scenario, this takes 3-4 minutes.

Love the hypocrisy of a league that complains about the potential length this would add when they allow the FOX network to add 20-30 minutes of extra commercial time to every big game.

[ymike673]

Why can't they at least do it for the post season. At most you have 4 games and maybe only two going on at the same time. A replay official or two sitting in a room in NY should be able to watch all the playoff games on a given day.

[effdamets]

MLB might not settle for less perfect solutions, but I don't think many fans would agree with this. I watch a lot of baseball from a lot of stadiums, and the types of egregiously bad calls that really frustrate fans can almost always be seen as blatant misses on one of the views from the existing TV feeds. I don't think anyone is looking for 3D Hologram Cold Fusion replay or anything. And I agree with MLB that whatever the solution is it can't slow down these games.

But if you accept that you might only get enough evidence to correct 50% of the blatant misses with an immediate, <1 minute review that has to prove unequivocally the call was incorrect or just move on, isn't that better than 0%?

Oh no - I agree with you.
But MLB (stoopithead Selig) is going to shovel this BS about all stadiums created equal...

[AnA-bombforA-rod]

The Yankees suck but holy crap how is it that every damn game they get screwed. This damn strikezone is a joke.

[2JAY]

Who knew that the RH batters box was part of the strikezone.

[b-ball-lunachick]

where is that strikezone plot thing for tonight's HP ump?