Yeah I don't know what the fuck the umps were doing last night. But jesus christ those were some horrible calls.
MLB needs instant replay.
In game 4 of the ALCS, who had a worse night, the LA pitchers or the Umpires? In a span of a couple of innings, the umpires blew 3, count 'em, 3 plays that were not even close.
First, Swisher got picked off second base.
Second, Swisher did not leave early from third on the tag play. Although in this case, perhaps the umpire was making a make-up call since Swisher should have been out at second earlier in the inning. Or maybe the ump was checking out the blonde with the big boobs in the stands.
And finally, while Posada and Cano were showing what they learned at the Minnesota Twins school of baserunning, the LA catcher tagged both runners while they were STANDING off the base, and Cano was called safe. It's not as if it were a bang-bang play. Neither runner was moving! At least the umpires got it half right when they called Posada out.
I'll admit that the umps have a tough job. They have to make a split second decision without the benefit of replay. I can understand missing a call when there's a one-tenth of a second difference between a player being safe or out. But the 3 incidents in this game were not one-tenth of a second issues.
So bring on replays! Obviously not for balls and strikes. There are too many close calls and they tend to even out over the course of the game. As long as the umpire is consistent, it's OK. But the replay needs to be used for fair/foul calls as well as safe/out calls, such as the ones that occurred last night.


What I don't understand is why the umps still call balls and strikes. 99% of the time I can see exactly where the pitch was through the thing on the screen before the ump even makes the call. Why not a handheld device that shows exactly what we all see and the ref calls it from there?
If sense were common, everyone would have it.
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I had to continue watching it after it was 7-1 just to see if those morons would blow another call.


The call on that Posada/Cano play was SO HORRIBLY BAD! Seriously, how could the ump get that wrong? Was the ump even looking when he made the call?
From yahoo sports:
Here's what McClelland had to say about the play after the game:
"On the play with Cano and Posada, I thought Cano was on the base. I was waiting for two players to be on the base, and when there was never the situation where both of them were on the base at the same time. When he tagged Cano, I thought Cano was on the base, and when Jorge touched the base and continued and tagged Posada out, I thought Posada was out ...
"(The replay) showed that Cano was off the bag when he was tagged. I did not see that for whatever reason ... I'm just out there trying to do my job and do it the best I can."
If he thought Cano was on the bag, he needs to resign right now and get his eyesight checked. Also, if you read the rest of what he said, it doesn't even make sense.
If he thought he may have messed up then its very simple, ask another ump. God they are suppose to be the best of the best in the postseason and thats just not the case.


Wasnt he the crew chief?



Isn't obvious we're also paying the umpires.![]()


I love the quote about how he went with his "heart" on the Swisher leaving early play.
The replay clearly shows that the umpire is staring directly into the outfield and would have not a clue as to whether or not Swisher left early or not.
This whole replay situation is becoming way more newsworthy than it has to be.
It doesn't have to be time consuming and drawn out like it is in football. Have one more umpire watch the game on television from an upstairs booth who can call down to the umpires on the field to give the correct call.
It's not a knock on the umpires (except you, CB Bucknor, you walking fucking joke), it's just the evolution of the game.