When is MLB going to wake up?

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

Umpires have been blowing key calls during this playoff.

Jermaine Dye's call is the latest. The White Sox have been the beneficiaries of two calls in games they have won this post-season.

There is too much on the line. Adopt instant replay if only for the playoffs.

[JayP]

I missed both games.

Can someone please elaborate?

[CaramonLS]

the AJP play was one of the worst calls in history... Instant replay wasn't the issue there (but it would have helped) the ump was 100% at fault for that.

[Weiser Wonder]

Originally posted by CaramonLS@Oct 23 2005, 11:48 PM
the AJP play was one of the worst calls in history... Instant replay wasn't the issue there (but it would have helped) the ump was 100% at fault for that.

From the interviews with AJP (I can't spell his name), he seems like an ass for that reason I'm cheering for the Astros. "The ball hit the ground! The ball hit the ground!" No it didn't you ass.

[evman150]

Originally posted by CaramonLS@Oct 23 2005, 10:48 PM
the AJP play was one of the worst calls in history... Instant replay wasn't the issue there (but it would have helped) the ump was 100% at fault for that.

It wasn't the umpire's fault at all. You are taught as a catcher that, when in doubt, tag the guy. There's nothing to be lost if you tag the batter when you didn't need to. But there is everything to lose if you don't tag him and he gets to first. AJ Pierzynski is a catcher and knows this and the third string guy for Anaheim botched the play. It is 100% his fault.

Ball in the dirt, tag the guy. Ball low, caught with glove against the ground, tag the guy. Don't put the umpire in a difficult situation needlessly.

I was a catcher for 13 years and am the umpire-in-chief of the local park. I know both sides of the story. In this case it was the catcher's fault.

As for instant replay, I am vehemently against it. It takes away from the human element of the game. Plus I just don't think it is needed. There are really not a lot of disputes in the game. Out/Safe, Ball/Strike and Fair/Foul are about it, and all three are pretty easy to discern.

As for the hit batter tonight, you probably wouldn't know, but the sound a ball makes hitting bone at 95MPH is almost indistinguishable from the sound of a ball hitting the knob of the bat. The umpire though should have looked at the batter, who obviously wasn't in pain, and realized that it hit the bat and not the hand/wrist.

[flamesrule14]

Definetly agree with Evman. The Angles catcher should have tagged AJ. If Bengie Molina is in the game he probably makes the play. The ump could have communicated a bit better though, but still the catcher has to make that play.

And really baseball is slow enough as it is. Do we really want instant replay to slow it down even more?

[Resolute 14]

Yes, when in doubt, you are supposed to tag the runner. Problem is, Paul was not in doubt. He knew he caught the ball, and the umpire did not give any signal that he hadnt. The umpire is supposed to signal "no catch" or something similar to indicate that the ball is still in play. Instead, he motioned a strike call, and said nothing. What was Paul supposed to think?

The umpire screwed up that play, absolutely no doubt about it.

I missed the play that Fuzzy is complaining about from last night though. What happened there?

[habernac]

Ump sent a batter to first when it was very clear that the ball didn't hit the batter, it hit the bat. Konerko was the next guy up and hit a grand slam. The ghost of Shoeless Joe is giving the Sox a helping hand in this playoffs for sure.

[Mike__]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Oct 24 2005, 08:38 AM
Yes, when in doubt, you are supposed to tag the runner. Problem is, Paul was not in doubt. He knew he caught the ball, and the umpire did not give any signal that he hadnt. The umpire is supposed to signal "no catch" or something similar to indicate that the ball is still in play. Instead, he motioned a strike call, and said nothing. What was Paul supposed to think?

The umpire screwed up that play, absolutely no doubt about it.

I missed the play that Fuzzy is complaining about from last night though. What happened there?

Jermaine Dye was given a free pass to first base after the ump thought he was hit in the hands/wirst with a pitch. The pitch actually hit the bottom of the bat and eventually lead to a grand slam.

[Resolute 14]

Did it perhaps hit his hand before the bat? Or both at the same time?

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Oct 24 2005, 09:38 AM
Yes, when in doubt, you are supposed to tag the runner. Problem is, Paul was not in doubt. He knew he caught the ball, and the umpire did not give any signal that he hadnt. The umpire is supposed to signal "no catch" or something similar to indicate that the ball is still in play. Instead, he motioned a strike call, and said nothing. What was Paul supposed to think?

The umpire screwed up that play, absolutely no doubt about it.

I missed the play that Fuzzy is complaining about from last night though. What happened there?

In the first case where Josh Paul didn't tag AJ Pierzynski, there was no reason why he should think the play was in doubt. The home plate ump raised a clenched fist in the air, suggesting the batter was out. That alone would suggest the inning was over. Replay would have removed all doubt.

Replay would have also solved the play in Game 2 of the World Series. No offence to Jermaine Dye, but as a pitcher I'd rather face him with runners on base than Paul Konerko. Maybe Dye comes through in that situation, but that's not really the point either.

I agree instant replay removes human element from the game. But Flames fans are well aware of what happens when controversial plays are not reviewed (maybe that Gelinas shot in Game 6 of the SC final was in, maybe it wasn't ... but the play never never went to review).

Houston fans (and maybe the Astros) now have a built in excuse if their team loses. If it's a 4-game sweep, this play doesn't loom as large. But if the Astros bounce back and lose a close series, they can always wonder "what if" the umps or a replay got it right.

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Oct 24 2005, 10:09 AM
Did it perhaps hit his hand before the bat? Or both at the same time?

Nope. Replay clearly shows the ball hit the bat and not Dye's hands.

[Cowperson]

I guess people will call me crazy but the human element of baseball has always added to the interest of the sport for myself.

I can certainly see the argument for getting the right call 100% of the time and can certainly see the application in other sports . . . . . for me, that argument just doesn't quite fit into my vision of pure baseball.

I know umpires make mistakes. I know their mistakes impact the outcome of a game. I know one umpire has a different strike zone than another umpire.

Still . . . . I don't care. I like it without instant replay.

Then again Mrs. Cowperson blew a gasket last night when the Sox, whom she labelled "cheaters," had the grand slam homer!!

I guess some of us are more patient than others. Then again, I was cheering for the Sox so I didn't care.

Cowperson

[CaramonLS]

Originally posted by evman150@Oct 24 2005, 07:59 AM
It wasn't the umpire's fault at all. You are taught as a catcher that, when in doubt, tag the guy. There's nothing to be lost if you tag the batter when you didn't need to. But there is everything to lose if you don't tag him and he gets to first. AJ Pierzynski is a catcher and knows this and the third string guy for Anaheim botched the play. It is 100% his fault.

Ball in the dirt, tag the guy. Ball low, caught with glove against the ground, tag the guy. Don't put the umpire in a difficult situation needlessly.

I was a catcher for 13 years and am the umpire-in-chief of the local park. I know both sides of the story. In this case it was the catcher's fault.

As for instant replay, I am vehemently against it. It takes away from the human element of the game. Plus I just don't think it is needed. There are really not a lot of disputes in the game. Out/Safe, Ball/Strike and Fair/Foul are about it, and all three are pretty easy to discern.

As for the hit batter tonight, you probably wouldn't know, but the sound a ball makes hitting bone at 95MPH is almost indistinguishable from the sound of a ball hitting the knob of the bat. The umpire though should have looked at the batter, who obviously wasn't in pain, and realized that it hit the bat and not the hand/wrist.

According to the MLB rule book the umpire is supposed to yell "Trap, trap" if the ball hits the ground on the 3rd strike call.

The umpire is completely at fault on that play because he didn't alert the catcher that he thought the trapped the ball instead of clean catching it.

I'm pretty sure the umpire thought it was a clean catch too, but AJP ran down to first base and put the pressure on the ump. He changed his mind on the fly.