tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post3026756076705216369..comments2023-11-02T03:56:06.817-04:00Comments on FeinsteinOnTheBrink: Can’t Stay Away from the Hot Topic ---- Umpiring and ReffingJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10418812412651310398noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-23698909615022245762009-10-25T13:19:34.206-04:002009-10-25T13:19:34.206-04:00Could you imagine how many of Babe Ruth's sixt...Could you imagine how many of Babe Ruth's sixty homers may have been either foul or ground rule doubles in 1927 if they had instant replay? How did they even play the game back then?<br /><br />Also, Earl Weaver would never have been famous if they had IR to prove he was either right or wrong. Can you imagine telling Earl he cannot argue the call because the replay says the umpire was right? He was putting his cap on backwards before Snoop Dog was born. <br /><br />Eliminate instant replays in every sport. It drags the game out and takes away from the 'game' part of the game. Let the league police the umpires and refs.Vince Spencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10761454912786879102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-4110392101676084892009-10-24T10:19:41.628-04:002009-10-24T10:19:41.628-04:00Thanks for remembering Perry H.'s call; one of...Thanks for remembering Perry H.'s call; one of the worst of all time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-9070548213329708202009-10-23T18:06:52.451-04:002009-10-23T18:06:52.451-04:00john,
it's not that tim mclelland blew the c...john, <br /><br />it's not that tim mclelland blew the call, which he did, it was that he wasn't in the correct position to MAKE the call. he should have been 10' closer to home plate with swisher and the 3rd base bag clearly in line with the outfielder catching the ball. <br /><br />blowing the call is human. not being in position is indefensible.nocurlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13585409049948027881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-63129997014312700352009-10-23T16:39:03.182-04:002009-10-23T16:39:03.182-04:00While I agree with almost all of what John says, I...While I agree with almost all of what John says, I do have a bit of an issue with suspending officials for making mistakes as a general policy. You have to take in to account the general quality of the official and the situation. <br /><br />If Peyron Manning throws a late interception that costs his team the game, will he be benched for Jim Sorgi the following week? Of course not. There was a large outcry last year from many that Ed Hochuli should be suspended for the blown call in the Denver\San Diego game. The best players will make mistakes, and so will the best referees. That one mistake didn't make Ed Hochuli not be the best ref in the league, just as one bad pick doesn't make Peyton Manning not be the best QB (and the point of this is not to create a debate about who the best QB is, please just go with me on this if you're a Pats fan).<br /><br />Now, in the case of these SEC refs, or the MLB umps in the LCS, these are more like the case of a Brady Quinn, or Tavaris Jackson. If you get a chance, and continually show you don't have what it takes, then we bench you. That's fine. <br />These organizations need to understand that generally, suspending a ref (or crew) for a week won't make them better refs, which should be the long term goal. These organizations need to assess WHY is this happening? Do they need better training? Are they not being clear on points of emphasis? Are they not hiring the right people? Are they arrogant men with an overinflated sense of self-worth? Are they on a power trip? Is is possible that there just aren't enough good referees to manage 50 some-odd college football games a week, or 16 NFL games a week, etc...? <br />I guess my question still is (as it was when John first posted this topic a week or so ago), why is it ok to hold referees to different standards than players? They are just as human, with, in many cases, less preparation and certainly less compensation, etc... Yet they are expected (demanded) to be absolutely perfect or else. Why is this double standard ok? And why do we carry this double standard all the way from not just professional leagues, but through college, lower amateur, and youth sports?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-34793208782057324332009-10-23T16:01:41.852-04:002009-10-23T16:01:41.852-04:00There have been many new advocates of instant repl...There have been many new advocates of instant replay born in the last few weeks based on the poor showing by MLB umpires this postseason. It is interesting to think of how different the postseason would have been if all these blown calls had gone the right way.<br /><br />The interesting thing with instant replay in any sport is that there is still a human element involved. Some person - referee, coach, replay official, etc. - is deciding to review an event based on their judgment of how the play was called in the first place. To some extent it seems that there are new questions that pop up, like "Why didn't they review that play?" or "Why didn't that coach throw the challenge flag?" ...and we would also miss out on really entertaining base-throwing tirades when Lou Piniella calmly walks out to home plate to ask for a video review.MrBennettarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17365378036057750443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-48581474616454659592009-10-23T13:34:52.854-04:002009-10-23T13:34:52.854-04:00it's simple, you have a 5th (or 7th in postsea...it's simple, you have a 5th (or 7th in postseason) umpire upstairs with a buzzer.... if he sees something EGREGIOUSLY wrong, he buzzes down for a replay.<br />key word: EGREGIOUS.<br />if he has to look at 17 angles for 5 minutes, it's not egregious.<br />if it's "close" or "could've gone either way" or "tough to tell," it stands.<br /><br />as for the BCS, agree with everything you said.<br />the current system makes a lot of people a lot of money.<br />when they figure out a way for a playoff system to make those same people EVEN MORE money, we'll get a playoff.<br />and not a moment sooner.cd1515https://www.blogger.com/profile/13442641020639066876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-51091528923338472262009-10-23T12:46:03.592-04:002009-10-23T12:46:03.592-04:00Since MLB ostensibly controls the umpires now (and...Since MLB ostensibly controls the umpires now (and not the union), some sort of promotion system similar to European soccer should be put into place. <br /><br />Combine the managers' daily ratings, Questec for balls and strikes, and supervisors' ratings to rank the umpires top to bottom for the season. The bottom 10% to back to AAA, to be replaced by the top AAA umpires next year. The demoted umpires could still come up to cover vacation breaks like other AAA umps, and would be eligible for re-promotion if their rating warranted it when the time came to replace the bottom 10% next year.<br /><br />As for the post-season, take the four best crews--not 24 individuals--and supplement them with the next best eight umps so each crew has 6. Then the best crews advance through the playoffs, just as the players do.<br /><br />There would be enough disparate inputs that no one could claim bias, and accountability would be ensured. (If the Questec scores aren't suitable, they could just check the stats on how many walks/strikeouts, or called balls/called strikes each umpire has compared to the league average. Outliers one way or the other are too strongly either pitchers' umps or hitters' umps.Dana Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350344882342624735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-42122255629903839212009-10-23T12:20:15.213-04:002009-10-23T12:20:15.213-04:00Thanks Ed --- while we, the FOTB Staff, wanted to ...Thanks Ed --- while we, the FOTB Staff, wanted to stick with "in our hearts, we thought it was 'Steve'", John wins out. He said "I got it wrong no matter what the video shows!"FOTB Staff -noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-84953635517872388182009-10-23T11:22:26.241-04:002009-10-23T11:22:26.241-04:00I think you mean Steve's brother Nick Swisher!...I think you mean Steve's brother Nick Swisher! Goes to show anyone can make a bad call.ed - bethesdanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-84183657540816062882009-10-23T10:59:24.097-04:002009-10-23T10:59:24.097-04:00Baseball has the most selective postseason of any ...Baseball has the most selective postseason of any of the major sports just 8 of 30 teams advance. <br /><br />Just the opposite is true for their umpires. More than half receive a post-season assignment. 24 in the divisional round (6 of whom advance to the World Series) and an additional 12 for the LCS, out of 68 (17 crews of 4) regular season umps.<br /><br />The players don't even work every day during the post season why do the best umpires need a two week break to prep for the World Series? What kind of sense does in make to purposefully employ poorer umpires for the LCS than the divisional round?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-47207955412510028942009-10-23T10:54:28.754-04:002009-10-23T10:54:28.754-04:00John,
Why should we care if someone is a "g...John, <br /><br />Why should we care if someone is a "good guy" before you drop the hammer on them?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com