Jump to content

MLB Umpires Gone Wild! - Bleacher Report

Umpire-Empire Reporter
 Share
Umpire-Empire locks topics which have not been active in the last year. The thread you are viewing hasn't been active in 6321 days so you will not be able to post. We do recommend you starting a new topic to find out what's new in the world of umpiring.

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 15
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Nate

Nate

Posted
Posted

I'll bang a kid out on a tie any day. Gotta love people that have no idea what they're talking about. haha

BrianC14

BrianC14

Posted
Posted (edited)

The author of this should be writing for the "Home & Garden" section. :D

" I’m still somewhat of a novice when it comes to the rules and details of the sport."

Gee, ya coulda fooled me, Sparky. :(

I checked the box score for the game that this clown is whining about:

Ed Rapuano was at first that night.

Let's see, this guy claims he became a "fan" of baseball what - 16 years ago?

Take a look at Rapuano's career:

Ed Rapuano – 19

MAJOR LEAGUE SERVICE TIME: 18.5 Years

Became a member of the Major League staff in 1991...has worked the All-Star Game (1995, 2008), Division Series (1997, 98, 2001, 03, 06, 08), League Championship Series (1999, 2000, 02, 04-05) and World Series (2001, 03)...worked the Miami round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic...

Clearly, this Rapuano chap just doesn't know anything about baseball. :)

And it was Joe West that tossed Uggla that night.

Yeah - Joe West - another 'nobody' in this dim bulb's puny mind. Ha!

From the story at MLB.com (which the author of this garbage should consider reading):

"It's not an easy job what they're doing," Uggla said of the umpires. "They're having to make bang-bang calls at the drop of a hat. You've got to call it the way that you see it. A lot of people take for granted how hard that is. The Bonifacio play could have gone either way. I couldn't tell if he was out or safe. I was watching it on TV. Those plays come, and they do the best job they can making the calls."
Edited by BrianC14
BrianC14

BrianC14

Posted
Posted (edited)

I"m sorry, but I can't get enough of this article.... ROFL....

Our manager was gone, our home run hitter was gone and the call remained as first ordained.

:)

Uggla? Home run hitter? As of that night 5/15/09, Uggla was hitting a whopping.182. Wow, look out, Bob Uecker, this guy's after your record!

As of today, he's powered his way up to .206, with 7 HRs. :D

Criminy, just go ahead and get this guy on the Hall ballot now! After all, in just over 3 season's he's a career .258 hitter. :(

Edited by BrianC14
Umpire in Chief

Umpire in Chief

Posted
Posted

Now that you mentioned it was Rap making the call I remember seeing the play on MLB network waaay too early in the morning. It was an incredible banger and on MLB Tonight Harold Reynolds was amazingly arguing the call in favor of Rap. It took super slow mo and zoom to show that the call was incorrect. Then even more amazingly Harold Reynolds said something to the effect of 'Well when it's that close you better believe the umpire is going to call out, and I can't blame him. I looked at the play a dozen times including slow motion and thought he was out. It took me seeing it in frame by frame super slow motion for the 3rd or 4th time to finally see he was safe. The umpire doesn't have the advantage of super slow motion replay on the field and it was a good call by Ed Rapuano.'

My jaw dropped :D

Majordave

Majordave

Posted
Posted

so good that I thought we should see it on this site and save it for use whenever we hear/read similar whiny drivel by "fans" of the game who don't know the rules.

"Angel,

First, I want to commend you on acknowledging that as you wrote, "I’m still somewhat of a novice when it comes to the rules and details of the sport." And I must say I did not see the plays you referenced so I can not go into detail about those specifically. But I want to discuss a few generalities of the game, umpiring and the rules.

You, wrote, "I’m no Peter Gammons, but it’s my understanding that when there is a tie between the defensive player and a runner on a bag, the tie goes to the runner." Please stop regurgitating this myth. It is not true. Baseball has many rules myths which are frustrating to players and fans until they know the real rule. Rule 7.08(e) states " A runner is out when he fails to reach the next base before a fielder tags him or the base..." Therefore a tie, if there were such an animal, is an out. It may have been a really close play and may have been one of those that needs to be replayed in super slow motion to see accurately, but an umpire needs to make the call based on what he saw without that benefit. Also, never rely on a TV commentator for rules information, they're all clueless. The day any of them can tell the difference between a foul and a foul tip will be the day I die. BTW there is a huge difference.

You also mentioned instant replay. Instant replay has encroached into baseball and I have no doubt it's use will ultimately be expanded. But as much as I love the game it lasts too long now and to add additional stoppages would be too much. Plus there's not a counter measure to prevent coaches from frivolously throwing the red flag in baseball we can't take away a time out, take 15 seconds off the clock, give a technical foul etc. There needs to be a balance in there like the NFL has to keep managers from frivolously challenging plays.

You wrote you've been a baseball fan for the past 16 years, I would suggest getting involved with a local high school umpires association and get a glimpse of what umpires go through, the rules that you've never known about and learn how difficult it is to not only make the calls on close plays, but to learn the rules of baseball which are complex, confusing and at times can contradict themselves. You will gain a new appreciation of the sport you never thought possible.

You could also suggest reading Baseball's Narrowest Door or As They See 'Em to get a better understanding of what umpires go through the training and scrutiny they go through from the "higher ups" just to make it up the ladder. Believe me they are held accountable for their calls it's just not generally done in the public eye.

I also want to address you claims of umpires being "Gods, "Giants," "Lords" and such and are not approachable by coaching staff. This couldn't be further from the truth. There have been many calls which have been reversed when correctly brought to the umpires attention. These generally go unnoticed, because fans and coaches don't get inflamed when they get their way. But once again these are fewer and further apart because for the most part the umpire is correct. Umpires overall don't mind when coaches/managers come out to discuss calls with them but when coaches/managers get personal, obnoxious, attempts to 'show up' the umpire, or prolongs the argument the coach will eject themselves. Think of the number of umpire and coaches meetings that you see going on where both leave mostly satisfied. I will tell you it is the vast majority of them, they just don't make it onto Sports Center. The problem is that the managers and players don't know the rules well at all. A few years ago there was an article which stated umpires were correct in their calls the overwhelming majority of the time (I believe it was well over 90%). In the words of Leo Durocher, "I made a game effort to argue but two things were against me: the umpires and the rules." A coach would do very well to become intimately familiar with the rules and forget about the myths. The problem is as has been said, '80% of baseball is played with 20% of the rules' so it has never been a priority for coaches.

Blaming the umpire for the teams mistakes has become a second national past time. I would love the opportunity when a coach comes out to argue a call to say something witty, but am professionally unable. I find that all too often heated arguments come from coaching or player mistakes and the umpire is just the whipping post. I bang a runner out, who is clearly, out stealing third with 2 outs and down by a run and the manager comes out to argue with me. I'd love to say, "I'm sorry skip, I shouldn't have told him to steal."

Take Care,

Warren"

I plan on saving this as a document and using it to refer to whenever I encounter someone arguing similar crap.

Thanks Warren and great job.

DC Teater

LMSANS

LMSANS

Posted
Posted

Thanks Dave...We found a way to give one of Warren's great posts it's due reward.:):D

Majordave

Majordave

Posted
Posted

Hey Larry, You read my mind. Get out the word. I don't want the honor but Warren definitely deserves it. Since he won't accept an award on his own behalf I will do so for him using his words and giving him (Warren) full credit.

therefump

therefump

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hey Larry, You read my mind. Get out the word. I don't want the honor but Warren definitely deserves it. Since he won't accept an award on his own behalf I will do so for him using his words and giving him (Warren) full credit.

You guys have ALL fallen into the trap. :nod:If you've watched the series "Mad Men" it's above 1960ish guys who do advertizing. They're sitting around the room waiting for a meeting to start when one of them begins discussing the Volkswagen ads in Time Magazine. The ads are self deprecating. True ads, BTW, that ran in the early 60s introducing the car. Everyone agrees that they're "terrible ads" until the guy who runs the meeting comes in and listens for 30 seconds and then says "if the ads are so terrible, why have you guys been discussing the car for 15 minutes". POINT?

Newspapers, even on the Internet are required to SELL. If you agreed with the article it would not have gotten 10% of the coverage and no discussion on this web site. DON"T ENCOURAGE THESE GASSHOLES. By getting your dander up, you're encouraging this gashole to continue writing against umpires.:D The way newspapers are working today they count HITS on their web pages. Tabloid journalism at it's finest.

Edited by therefump
BrianC14

BrianC14

Posted
Posted

You guys have ALL fallen into the trap. :nod:If you've watched the series "Mad Men" it's above 1960ish guys who do advertizing. They're sitting around the room waiting for a meeting to start when one of them begins discussing the Volkswagen ads in Time Magazine. The ads are self deprecating. True ads, BTW, that ran in the early 60s introducing the car. Everyone agrees that they're "terrible ads" until the guy who runs the meeting comes in and listens for 30 seconds and then says "if the ads are so terrible, why have you guys been discussing the car for 15 minutes". POINT?

Newspapers, even on the Internet are required to SELL. If you agreed with the article it would not have gotten 10% of the coverage and no discussion on this web site. DON"T ENCOURAGE THESE GASSHOLES. By getting your dander up, you're encouraging this gashole to continue writing against umpires.:D The way newspapers are working today they count HITS on their web pages. Tabloid journalism at it's finest.

I disagree.

We should not remain silent and allow the 'gasshole' (love that bit) to continue to espouse such garbage.

The problem with 'gassholes' like the author, is that they will continue to repeat things like that ad nauseum, until it becomes accepted as fact. No way should that be allowed to happen. :)

Majordave

Majordave

Posted
Posted

On behalf of Warren Workman, the creator and power that be of this great website and community of umpires trying to get better together I accept this award.

DC Teater

I like the way you posted this one Warren. Majordave/Me! It's all you buddy. Congrats. I still think it is one of the best written letters about rules and umpiring I have seen. I hope more people than just us umpires get to read it sometime.

MCLEOD36

MCLEOD36

Posted
Posted

Ed is one of the good ones. He does a lot of camps and is always there to lend a hand or add value, whether you are a rookie or a pro. So a call gets questioned and on ESPN the 6 different camera angles and speeds show an umpire making an error.

For the guys that have never taken a 80+ mph fast ball off and arm or even mask for that matter, guess what limit comments to Home and Garden. Put a mask on, cause when you are a fan (and believe me, there are some days I love being a fan and having a beer at a game) you are not an umpire.

 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...