MLB Umpires

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Is it just me, or has the umpiring this year in MLB just been atrocious ??

Particularly at first base, just terrible....

And I'm talking all around MLB, not focusing on Buccos' games...

As PA mentioned, at a play at first base in Boston, all of the umpires conferred after a close call, and changed the call !!!

Unbelievable !! I thought Pinellas was going to have a coronary.....

But as I said, it's not just 1st base, it's all of them....

Bad calls at home, bad ball/strike calling, all of it...

[superdave]

Ron Gardenhire went off on the local radio this morning about umpires, saying that they should be fined and thrown out of games like players/managers

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I agree with that...

In addition, I think too many umpires nowadays are very confrontational, they actually confront the manager and get in THEIR faces....

[Bob_R]

Funny you should mention this VA. Bernie Williams was just called out at first and he was safe.

I had the luxury of seeing a replay about 3 times though.

[Dave's PA Rental]

So im at the game last night...and it looked from where my dad and I were sitting like it was very close...maybe even a tie.

So they called him safe...very close, but as a fan of baseball as well as of the home team, you gotta live with the close ones that dont go your way...they do even out over the course of a season...

So Schilling goes crazy, you could read his lips on the replay: "You fucking blew that one, (insert umps name)"
Francona runs out and asks the first base ump to ask for 'help' on that call.

Here's my question: Is there a rule that explains out when an umpire can ask for help on a call? Or is it arbitrary?

My biggest complaint is the postage stamp size of a strike zone. I'm an old schooler, so I LOVE a good pitchers duel. But no, MLB has to pander to the ADHD/Playstation II generation and make the game offensive.

They are shooting themselves in the foot by alienating the core fans, just like the NHL did...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Dave's PA Rental
Here's my question: Is there a rule that explains out when an umpire can ask for help on a call? Or is it arbitrary?

My biggest complaint is the postage stamp size of a strike zone. I'm an old schooler, so I LOVE a good pitchers duel. But no, MLB has to pander to the ADHD/Playstation II generation and make the game offensive.

Umpires are not "supposed" to overturn judgement calls, i.e. a safe/out call..... Just in the same respect, you can't ask for an appeal anywhere on a judgement call, only on a call which was a interpreting of the rules....

In terms of the strike zone, I want to go on record right now and swear that I had nothing to do with it (this is for Pojo).....