I understand that umps are going to miss calls from time to time.

I have a real problem with McLelland calling Swisher out when he wasn’t even looking at him.

Also, when umps start missing 3+ calls in 1 game, it’s a bit of a problem.

While I understand the reasoning behind that, that it may help keep corruption from the calling of the games, it seems it also can mean that you don’t have the best umpires calling the WS games.

I think this will end up being a very hot topic of discussion at the winter meetings. Umpiring has always been argued, but lately the calls seem to be worse and more frequent than ever before.

Aside from balls and strikes, which are bad enough, there are some calls that make you think the umpire is being paid to be that bad. Buckner is one such case.

I think it could lead to more replay coming into the game, which I don’t like because of many reasons, some highlighted in the earlier post. I can see some compromise where set types of calls (pick offs, leaving too early on a fly ball/tag up, stolen bases) are reviewable. Foul balls? I see that opening a whole can of worms that will never resolve the arguing and complaints.

I think replay will cause the manager’s job to become less significant because it takes away one of their tools for changing a mood of a game. (Tough to get worked up and thrown out of a game on a reviewed call).

Yes, we want to see all the calls be made right, but at what cost to the game?

In football replays have become a crutch, and even then they aren’t always made right. It has made it more complex than before.

So we are all indignant right now why, because McClelland came out and admitted he was wrong where other umpires end up being wrong via the replay but never say a word about it?

How about all the hideous balls and strikes called behind homeplate that sometimes end up meaning the game for the wrong team? Where is all the indignation about those?

I guess I can’t get too shook up by this since when I get really irate by bad calls in games, those things seem to be considered “part of the game” by the general populace and just go by the wayside.

Those calls last night did not affect the outcome of the game. So be it.

As an aside, there are only two times that I have ever seen an umpire call a player out for leaving too early, though I have seen a lot of players ask for the call. Both times it was Swisher, and both times he hadn’t left early!

true. I suppose it’s fair to assume that you’d have to be a complete idiot to not be standing on 3rd in that case.

Sorry Cano…

I expect McLelland to be alert and on top of his game for the rest of the series. Another bad mistake would be brutal.

i realized that after I posted it.

the swisher play at 2nd was not as close as 90% of most tagout plays.

he was “out by a mile” in terms of those plays.

if they cant get that call right, it’s not good. but yes, at least he was looking at the play and umpires make mistakes.

McLelland should be suspended for the Swisher leaving 3rd play, IMO.

if you aren’t looking at the play, you absolutely cannot make a call on it.

he was not looking, period.

ok but humans are never going to be as accurate as technology

it just will never happen.

if an ump was in a room with the proper tools the calls will be almost 100 percent correct

you & i with our own tvs got these calls right to almost 100 percent accuracy

only review fair,foul & calls at the 3 bases if the coach wants to challenge

Wow, that was a great song! The tune is familiar, but I never realized what the lyrics were. Thanks, I just emailed it to a friend of mine who is a pretty serious Buddhist.

“Countdown to Ecstasy” is an apt song title for the Yanks, too .