Baseball Today – Major League Baseball Weaseles out of Replay Expansion Again!

 Baseball Today  No Responses »
Mar 162012
 

Major League Baseball

Is anyone surprised that Major League Baseball (MLB) has put off expanding replay? There will be no expanded replay this year. MLB says expanded replay will have to wait at least another year. They won’t even commit to changes for next year. “We weren’t able to come up with an acceptable set of agreements between the three parties,” MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred told the Associated Press on Tuesday. “We hope we’ll be able to do it in time for the 2013 season.”

The reason this isn’t going to happen this year and who knows how many more years is the unions. The additional replay requires the approval of MLB and the unions representing the umpires and the players. MLB executive Rob Manfred told The Associated Press that all three sides weren’t able to come up with an agreement.

The sport’s new labor deal provides for the opportunity to expand on that. The question is when?

The Umpire Union is the Current Roadblock

For implementing technology that would make an umpire’s job easier and less stressful, the umpires would like something in return — maybe additional retirement or disability benefits, or perhaps a seventh umpire for postseason crews so more umps could get a chance in October.

The salary for a full-time MLB umpire ranges from $120,000 as a rookie to about $350,000 for the most experienced umpires. Based on their 162-game

Well what did you see; I'm not sure, how about you?

schedules, the most experienced umpires average $2,160 per game in salary compensation. That’s about $540 an hour. In addition MLB umpires receive full health benefits, as well as first-class air travel, and a $357 per diem (per day) for hotel and meals. Plus they get about four months vacation.

So again, thanks to the union, its members won’t agree to improve the sport and help them do their jobs better because they want more. Now the other union, the players union wants to wait to weigh in until after MLB and the umpires reach an understanding. Don’t hold your breath.

Unions have far outreached their original intent. Today, the people running the unions get rich while telling their members to go on strike losing more money in lost wages than they will ever makeup in whatever increase in salary they should get. Today, unions are roadblocks to change and progress.

The hope was that MLB would increase video reviews this season to include trapped balls, fair-or-foul calls down the lines and fan interference all around the ballpark. Since baseball initiated replay late in the 2008 season to let umpires check potential home run balls, there hasn’t been any changes.

After several minutes under the stadium, the umpires return to the field with a decision

Even the Current Replay was Implemented Wrong

Baseball couldn’t get the current replay system right. One of the reasons some people think expanding replay will lengthen the games is because in order to review a potential home run umpires have to leave the field to go to a room under the stadium. I propose a solution to this problem towards the end of this post.

Umpires were concerned the television feeds they received to review calls were not equal at every ballpark. Why isn’t this a problem when checking for home runs under the current system?

Also at issue is how calls would be made under expanded replay and who would ask for a challenge. Would umpires still make the final decision, as they do now? Or would there be an NHL-style conference room with an MLB executive making the ruling?

Addressing the Issues (a.k.a excuses)

This is just more proof that MLB isn’t doing anything in regards to expanding replay. All of these issues should have been addressed long ago. So I’m going to try and help out by giving MLB solutions to these issues.

1. Issue: Different levels of television feeds throughout baseball

Solution: Find funds from the billions of dollars MLB takes in each year and upgrade the below standard parks. The fans watching those teams on TV would also benefit.

2.  Issue: Who would ask for a challenge?

Solution: This one is easy. Only the managers could ask for a challenge. You could limit them to three challenges per game.

3.  Issue: Would umpires still make the final decision?

Solution: The umpires would still make the final decision after reviewing the play. I would also suggest that a fifth umpire be added to a crew so that one of them would be in the replay booth and could review the play in a matter of seconds and relay his decision to the umpires on the field. The review booth would be added to the current umpire rotation. This adds an additional umpire for the whole year, not just the playoffs.

Now for you idiots who think instant replay will make games last longer, take

This scene can be eliminated with instant replay

your stop watch out and hit start when a manager leaves the dugout to protest a call. Now stop the watch when he returns to the dugout. The watch will show the minutes the game was delayed by a manager making a futile attempt to get the call overturned. In some instances if the argument gets too heated the manager and potentially a player gets ejected. All of this wasted time would eliminated with instant replay. In a matter of seconds the umpire in the replay booth could review the play and make the right call in far less time and without any ejections.

 Posted by mickey536 at 10:25 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Baseball Today – The Worst Umpire Ever?

 Baseball Today  1 Response »
Oct 032011
 

Tim McClelland, MLB Umpire

I must confess up front that I’m not a big fan of Major League Baseball (MLB) umpires. What I dislike most all is that MLB allows each umpire to define what he thinks the strike zone should be for any given game. I watch a lot of baseball and I’m so sick of seeing batters screwed out of an at-bat because of a strike being called on a pitch that never touched any part of the plate. It didn’t take catchers long to figure out that an umpire will give you a strike if you just move your glove a little to the side or up or down. Another thing that really bothers me is that a player is not allowed to show-up an umpire, which is fine; however, it is perfectly okay for an umpire to show-up a player. A perfect example is the excessive third strike call. Is that really necessary?

I understand umpires are a necessary evil and for the most part they do a good job calling plays in the field. Although with instant replay we are seeing how many times calls are made incorrectly, many times in game changing situations. In this post I want to focus on the “blown call king”; Tim McClelland.

If you do a Google search on the worse blown calls in baseball you will find several top ten lists. In each version, our featured umpire has earned three spots.

The Pine Tar Episode

George Brett, center, is restrained after his bat, held by umpire Tim McClelland, right, who ruled the bat illegal

McClelland’s first entry occurred on July 24, 1983; yes he has been doing this for a long time. This of course is the famous Pine Tar incident during a game the Royals were playing the Yankees. The short version is George Brett hit a game winning home run. Yankee manager, Billy Martin protested that the pine tar on Brett’s bat extended further than18 inches from the knob. After a short umpire conference, McClelland confirmed that the pine tar extended higher up the bat than allowed, finding 24 inches of pine tar on the bat. As a result of this judgment, and at the insistence of Billy Martin, McClelland nullified Brett’s home run and called him out. This concluded the game and resulted in a Yankee victory. One minor problem; the rules dictate that the only proper punishment for breaking this pine tar regulation is the removal of that particular bat from the game. In the aftermath of this controversial umpiring decision, the Royals lodged an official protest, which was subsequently upheld by American League President, Lee MacPhail. Pine tar which is used for gripping the bat has never been shown to alter a bat’s hitting characteristics. McClelland was officially deemed incorrect for ejecting Brett and canceling his home run. Finally, it was ordered that the game be re-played, beginning after the Brett home run. When the game resumed a month later, the Royals again won 5-4. Tim McClelland had demonstrated his utter ignorance of the rules.

A Call the Padres Will Never Forget

Let’s skip ahead to 2007 and Tim McClelland’s second entry on the top ten blown calls. We can only imagine how many

2007 Rockies vs Padres Play-in Game

more potential entries there were since the 1983 Pine Tar incident. In the 163rd game of the 2007 season, the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres played a one game tie-breaker to see who would be the Wild Card team representing the National League. In the bottom of the 13th inning, with the Rockies down 8-6 to the Padres, outfielder Matt Holliday hit a triple to tie the game at 8-8. With no outs and Holliday on third, the Padres intentionally walked Todd Helton to bring the more average Jamey Carroll to bat. Carroll hits a line drive to right field, which was caught by the Padres’ Brian Giles.

After the catch, Holliday tagged up at third and tried to beat Giles’ throw to home. The throw was on target and landed in front of Padres’ catcher Michael Barrett, who blocked the plate and applied the tag to the sliding Holliday. Then, everyone’s favorite umpire, Tim McClelland, made the delayed safe call, resulting in the 9-8 Rockies’ victory and their entrance into the postseason. Unfortunately for the Padres and their fans, replays show that Holliday clearly never touched the plate.  This would have extended the game, and the Rockies may not have made it to the playoffs.  The Rockies made it through the first round, beating the Phillies, and we will never know what may have happened if the call had been made correctly.

How Do You Miss This Call?

Moving onto the 2009 American League Championship Series. During the game between the New York Yankees and the

Horrible call 2009 ALCS

Los Angeles Angels, McClelland really demonstrated why he is the “king of blown calls”. To get warmed up our boy missed a call with Nick Swisher tagging up on third base. McClelland ruled Swisher out for leaving third base too soon after a fly out when it appeared otherwise. Not only did the replay show that Swisher didn’t leave early, it also showed that McClelland wasn’t even looking at Swisher when he left the bag. It was such a blatantly bad call that not even McClelland could say why he missed it

“I’m not sure I believe the replay, because in my heart I had him leaving too soon, but the replays showed that he didn’t,” McClelland said.

It gets better; McClelland blew an obvious call on what should have been a double play at third base in the fifth inning. In the top of the fifth innings of a game, Melky Cabrera hit a ball back to Angel’s pitcher Darren Oliver with runners on second and third.  Oliver threw home to catch Jorge Posada in a run-down between third and home. During the play, Robinson Cano came from second to take third but was standing off of the bag (see photo) for some reason. Angel’s catcher Mike Napoli ran Posada down around third, and, seeing Cano off the bag, tagged him then Posada who was also off of the base. This should have led to a double play, but McClelland called Cano safe at third in a play that was ruled as the worst call in history at the time. After the game, McClelland said: “[The replay] showed that Cano was off the bag when he was tagged. I did not see that for whatever reason.” The reason; maybe the reason is that you are incompetent! When a veteran umpire like McClelland shows a complete ignorance of baseball’s rules, baseball fans everywhere should be horrified.

Yankee Prejudice?

What actually triggered the writing of this post was McClelland’s blown calls during the Yankees/Red Sox game on 9/25. Boston’s Dustin Pedroia was ruled by first-base umpire and crew chief Tim McClelland to have beaten third

Girardi was ejected by McClelland

baseman Ramiro Pena’s throw with one out and nobody on in a game tied at 4. Replays showed that Pedroia was out. Nick Swisher, who was playing first base in the 10th inning — and Girardi weren’t happy with McClelland’s reaction toward Swisher after the play. Girardi was ejected by McClelland. Said Girardi: “Pedroia was clearly out, Swish was clearly safe on the double-play ball. I wasn’t happy about it.”

In the third inning, Swisher was called out by McClelland at first base on a double-play ball that replays showed was also an incorrect call. Maybe McClelland’s reaction to Swisher in the 10th innings was driven by quilt. On second thought, I don’t believe McClelland ever feels guilty about any of the many mistakes he has made.

If there is a poster boy for instant replay, this guy is definitely it. There should at least be a league official in a video booth who can quickly overrule an obvious mistake. For more on my thoughts regarding instant replay, check out all my posts regarding instant replay.

Thanks to MLB for having the insight to leave McClelland of the post season roster. He has embarrassed baseball enough over the past 28 years.

 Posted by mickey536 at 7:25 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Baseball Rules – Another Game Changing Blown Call

 Baseball Rules  No Responses »
Aug 182011
 

The Umps Get it Wrong Again

The day I post my third chapter documenting why baseball needs to expand the use of instant replay I watch the Yankees/Royals game where there was a disputed home run call that turned out to be game changing. This is yet another

In this view from directly above the outfield fence, the padded upper rail is shown at the right of the photo. Directly to the left of the rail is the 9-inch thick padding that covers the main wall, which essentially creates a small ledge. Billy Butler's drive struck a spot on that ledge. Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger

example of why baseball needs to implement instant replay and I emphasize instant.  

Kansas City Royal Billy Butler hit a fly ball to left that bounced off the top of the wall back onto the field. The umpires call it a home run. Yankee manager Joe Giradi comes onto the field (tic toc) and asks the umpires to review the call. The umpires

Joe Giradi tries to understand how a ball that doesn't leave the park is ruled a home run

grant the request and three of them walk off the field (tic toc) into a room under the stadium. Time passes (tic toc) while the players and fans wait for the three umpires to return to the field.

Various replays showed that the ball hit a barrier at the top of the wall and bounced back onto the field. It was as clear as could be that the ball did not go over the barrier, which the grounds rules call for to make it a home run. Finally, the triumphant returns to the field and reviewing the play and upheld the original call. The camera shows Butler in the Royals dugout as he notices the umpires coming back and reaches for his batting helmet because he knows he hasn’t hit a home run. When he sees the home run signal he makes a face that says okay if you want to give me a home run, I’ll take it.

Five Minutes!, Are You Kidding Me

Rivera can't believe the umpires upheld the home run call

Giradi comes back onto the field (tic toc) to argue the call. Mariano Rivera, the epitome of cool and collected  had to be physically restrained from going on the field because he has been watching the replay in the club house and knows it wasn’t a home run. Giradi’s appeal is denied and play resumes…five minutes later!

Interviews with Frank White, former Royal great and current announcer and an unidentified Royal executive both concurred that the hit was not a home run. So under the current version of baseball’s replay, it took the umpires five minutes to blow another call. By the way, the Yankees lost by one run.

This is just one play in one game, but these game changing blown calls happen on a daily basis. How much longer will Major League Baseball continue to ignore this disgraceful performance by its

Instant Replay falls on deaf ears

umpires? Bud Selig are you listening?

 Posted by mickey536 at 4:42 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Baseball Rules – Instant Replay Part Three: The Solution

 Baseball Rules  1 Response »
Aug 172011
 

The Beginning of Instant Replay 

First Unofficial MLB Replay

In a game on May 31, 1999, involving the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins, a hit by Cliff Floyd of the Marlins was initially ruled a double, then a home run, then was changed back to a double when umpire Frank Pulli decided to review video of the play. The Marlins protested that video replay was not allowed, but while the National League office agreed that replay was not to be used in future games, it declined the protest on the grounds it was a judgment call, and the play stood.

Major League Baseball (MLB) officially introduced instant replay on August 28, 2008, the last of the four major North American sports leagues to use instant replay, mostly over the objections of baseball purists who believe that replays break the longstanding tradition of putting each game’s fate in the hands of the umpires on the field. Others object to replays lengthening an already long game.

Are Baseball Games Too Long?

During the 2000 season, the average length of a major league game was 2 hours and 58 minutes, according to MLB.com. The length of the average MLB game has come down slightly over the past decade. It was 2 hours and 54 minutes 2001; 2 hours and 52 minutes in in 2002 and 2 hours and 46 minutes in 2003. The figures continued to stay close to that through the 2006 season. However, in 2007, the average length of the game increased to 2 hours and 51 minutes, and it has not been below 2 hours and 50 minutes through the 2010 season. Okay, so a game today is 6-8 minutes faster than it was 11 years ago. Has anyone noticed?

The primary focus needs to be not on how long games last but rather on eliminating “dead time” between the action on the field.  I saw a statistic where someone had calculated the actual time there was action in nine inning game and it was between 12-14

Nomar Adjusting Gloves

minutes. Ironically, it is about the same for a football game, however, in baseball the ball is almost always in play. The average NFL game is around 3 hours 10 minutes long and 3 hours and 21 minutes for a college football game. Is anyone complaining that football games take too long?

MLB officials thought that 2:58 was too long and told the umpires to speed things up. Umpires were supposed to not grant time when batters wanted to step out of the batter’s box without a good reason (how does an umpire know what the reason is?) and demand that pitchers throw the ball in more rapid succession. How many times have you seen these enforced? I would also suggest that you can shorten games by having hitters stay in the batter’s box between pitches. It might cut 5-10 minutes out of a game. How many times do you have to adjust your batting gloves?  Also, limit the number of times a catcher can go to the mound in an inning.

The Official Beginning of Restricted Replay

A restricted use of instant replay review was introduced into MLB for reviewing disputed home run calls – whether they are fair or foul, in or out of the ballpark, or if fan interference was involved. MLB doesn’t seem to be able to implement any type of change correctly. For instance, in the current limited use of instant replay there is no need to have four umpires leave the field

Umpires returning to the playing field after reviewing a disputed home run call

and walk into a dark room to review the play, which can take anywhere from 2-4 minutes. By having a replay official up in the booth close plays can be reviewed and the umpiring crew notified within seconds of what the correct call is. There’s no need to waste everyone’s time waiting for the umpiring crew to come back onto the field.

Everyday we see examples of blown calls. The following is an example of what happens without replay.

Red Sox vs. Mariners – August 13, 2011 – With Jacoby Ellsbury on third, Dustin Pedroia hit a fly ball to right field. Ichiro threw a one-hop strike to catcher Josh Bard. Ellsbury slammed his left knee into Bard’s headgear and was initially called safe by home umpire Mark Ripperger. The Seattle Mariners argued the call saying the runner was out.

Ripperger, keeping his eye primarily on Bard’s empty glove, believed Bard had lost control of the ball during the collision. To his credit, he

He's safe, no he's out

conferred with the other umpires and changed the call to an out. Then as expected, Red Sox manager Terry Francona argued fiercely and was ejected.

“Ichiro made a great throw. It’s my job to catch the ball and make the tag. That’s all I did.” Bard said.

Francona said he was simply upset that Ripperger didn’t just explain the situation to him initially. He said he expected to get tossed. “It’s a run off the board,” he added, “but that’s the way the game goes.”

That’s right Terry; that is the way the game goes. Minutes wasted while two managers argue and four umpires discuss the call. How long did that take? With instant replay, the correct call would have been made in seconds and Francona wouldn’t have been tossed. Continue reading »

 Posted by mickey536 at 2:53 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,
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