TwitterA Joke Call
27 Jun 2012
If you haven’t seen the incredibly bad call from last night’s Yankees’ game, here it is. The umpire has to make that call correctly, but people who are screaming that this is another reason to expand replay are missing the point. That call gets made correctly if the umpire simply asks Wise to show him the ball.
Look at the replay, Wise jumps into the stands as the ball is falling into his glove. It is understandable that the umpire, running up the line, might not see the ball glance off the side of Wise’s glove. But, here is where it gets silly. You see a guy on the left side of the frame pick up the ball and hold it over his head as the umpire is running into the frame. You see the guys friend slap him and laugh over the fact that he is holding the ball over his head. You see Wise get helped up, looking a little dazed, with his glove completely closed. Even on TV you can see the glove is flat, how could the ball be in it? All the ump has to do is ask to see the ball and the call is made correctly. That’s umpiring 101, not a need to expand replay and further slow down the pace of the game.
What makes this all worse in my mind is the subsequent ejection of Jack Hannahan. Hannahan tried to discuss the call with umpire Mike DiMuro, but got ejected despite the fact that he didn’t curse at the umpire. If Hannahan is telling the truth, MLB should suspend DiMuro for at least a game because he is the one who escalated that argument.
Look at the video again and watch when Hannahan comes out to argue. DiMuro wags a finger in his face and then chucks him. What happened to the days when umpires turned their backs and walked away? More and more we are seeing umpires who not only refuse to ignore an angry player, but choose to escalate it. Two mistakes were made by DiMuro last night. As bad as the call was, the ejection was worse. Let’s see what MLB does about it.
And it looks like Joe Torre and his guys will be busy this morning….
Jun 27, 2012 @ 10:59:22
I don’t think the ump should be suspended…he should be fired. The ball popped free within his field of vision, granted he was running towards it and we don’t know what he was looking at during that split second but shouldn’t he have been looking at the player/ball? Even the guy grabbing the loose ball could have been in his field of vision.
Then to throw the player out?
Jun 27, 2012 @ 12:35:12
I know you don’t want to hear this, and I’m not sure how I would feel if it were a Sox player, but it was a bush move to run off the field after the out was called.
Lucky for him it was the third “out”.
Jun 27, 2012 @ 14:20:58
Bad calls, really bad calls. I think what’s happened here is that the umpires are “victims” of multiple/simulataneous camera recordings and super slo-mo playback. NO ONE can compete with that, nor should they have to. It’s completely wrong, at this point to expect an ump to be infallible or immune to the sort of pressure under which they now make their livings. I think that a simple, encrypted headset arrangement between the on field umps and an in-booth ump can only benefit the game and everyone in the game.
Would I agree to firing the ump? Nope, a little conflcit management coaching can fix most of these guys until they get the instant replay go-aheads from all parties. Imagine you have to be all seeing at all times in front a few million eyes – not a job I would ever want … I would wilt under that pressure.
And as far as calling a player bush league for running off the field – I can’t agree with that characterization either. It’s called selling a play – a little bit like what batters do when they start trotting to 1B trying to buy a BB or the catcher jumps up and heads to the dugout trying to sell the K to the home plate ump. Happens all the time, has been happening that way for a 100+ years, it’s the nature of the game.
Jun 27, 2012 @ 15:23:11
I disagree with equating it to a bb or K sell job.
I think calling it bush was perhaps too strong but imagine after taking a few triumphant steps towards the dugout the ump had come to his senses and asked to see the ball…would have been a chump (the player not the ump, that already has been established)
Jun 27, 2012 @ 17:17:27
BL
I don’t think Wise did a thing to sell that call. He got helped up and didn’t hold his mitt up or anything. The ump looked right at it and didn’t ask for him to open it. What’s he supposed to do there? If he says to the ump, I didn’t catch it, he would be a truly honest player who would be destroyed for that very honesty.
Jun 27, 2012 @ 17:20:17
Mitchell
I really like the headset idea. And I agree about the multiple angles in the Mets-Cubs situation, but in the Yankees’ game last night he just needed to ask to see the ball in the glove. No replay or technology needed.
And a conflict management course would be an excellent idea.
Jun 27, 2012 @ 17:42:44
Peter – you’re surely right about the Wise “non-catch”. That wasn’t missing technology, that was just a really bad brain cramp from an ump who should have known better. At least the guy had the decency to admit he was wrong. Its not Wise’s job to do the ump’s job for him. You take an out call when you get one.
And yes, it really does seem to me that umps used to walk away more frequently from a player who was pushing the envelope a bit too far. I think patience and tempers are wearing thin and the replay will help restore some of that patience.
The headset would be SO easy to implement … I’m just curious to see how coaches (or an in-booth ump) are going to be able to request a review and if the number of reviews will be limited somehow.
By the way, do you think that MLB would be interested in technology that would call balls, strikes and foul tips? It’s certainly do-able.
Jun 27, 2012 @ 18:26:15
Mitchell
However they ultimately decided to do it, I only hope that they leave the challenge flags to football.
And I think the umpires’ union will fight the balls and strikes technology to the death because that would open the door to the elimination of them completely.