tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554256078924292106.post8438645269765468078..comments2008-11-02T07:53:26.931-08:00Gabriel Schechterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996629557540672071noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554256078924292106.post-25992856076679932762008-11-02T07:53:00.000-08:002008-11-02T07:53:00.000-08:00Gabriel, your complaints about the umpiring in the World Series this year are well-taken and certainly not without merit, but I would like to point out a key inaccuracy in your dissection of the Carl Crawford bunt play in game 3. You say one of the reasons first base umpire Tom Hallion may have incorrectly ruled Crawford safe on the play is that he was "staring at the base to watch Crawford's foot hit it while listening for the sound of the ball hitting the glove, the usual way a first-base ump decides who got to the bag first, and because he never heard the ball hit Howard's hand he called Crawford safe."<BR/> <BR/>I can't say I have total mental recall of the play, but I would be very surprised if Hallion was "staring at the base... while listening for the sound of the ball hitting the glove..." In fact, from the time professional umpires are trained at umpire school, we are taught to keep our eyes everlastingly on the BALL. The trick, of which not too many casual observers are aware, is for the umpire to not get too close to the play; being too close will significantly reduce one's range of vision and make it much less likely the entire play will be seen and judged holistically. On bang-bang plays at first, those whackers where out/safe really is a matter of nanoseconds and millimeters, umpires are NOT technically "watching" the first base bag, although it most definitely should be within their range of vision. Depending on his or her position on the infield or the foul line when the ball is pitched, the umpire charged with making calls at first base will get a ninety degree angle on the play, follow the BALL with his or her eyes, and follow it all the way into the fielder's glove. What we LISTEN for is the sound of the batter's foot hitting the bag, which makes a distinct kind of whooomfing sound, distinguishable from the hard smack of the ball hitting the glove. That is the opposite of the way you say Hallion judged the play, and diametrically opposed to what you contend is the "usual way a first base ump decides who got to the bag first." So if Hallion was indeed looking at the bag rather than the ball, I can't imagine why, and that was probably the reason for his error right there.<BR/> <BR/>By the way, Don Denkinger is a great guy and a wonderful human being who can hold his head high even though he made a similarly memorable mistake in the 1985 Series. It happens to the best of us, sometimes inevitably at the worst possible time. I don't think replay beyond its current usage will solve any more problems than it will engender; camera angles don't always reveal the truth, and the "eye in the sky" who would be overruling a decision made on the field can be just as wrong as the one who made the original judgment. Who would overrule THAT umpire? We don't ask for do-overs when an infielder kicks an easy ground ball, or an outfielder drops a can of corn. Why should we tamper with umpires' mistakes if we don't do the same with the players? You and I obviously need to talk!<BR/> Fascinating stuff, Gabriel; your insights are provocative and thoughtfully articulated.Perry Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508564357418157432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554256078924292106.post-76142909151883948232008-10-30T18:52:00.000-07:002008-10-30T18:52:00.000-07:00Overall, I have to say, "Boo." I have a lot to say on this, but it's your blog. In short, let the players play and the umps ump. I do agree with the issue of not having the best umps work the Series every year, and hopefully MLB reworks the next CBA with the union to get that fixed. Otherwise, let the mistakes fall where they may. Sometimes I think a lot of people want replay just so they don't have to listen to Buck and McCarver whine about bad calls. The solution isn't replay - it's getting rid of Buck and McCarver. (I actually like Buck, but could do without McCarver just fine.)<BR/><BR/>And finally, I may not be the sharpest tool in the baseball shed, but I have seen the "balk" a dozen times now, and I still don't see a balk. And whether his move was or wasn't legal, Pena wasn't hanging around long enough to be deceived by the move, so the spirit of the rule was left intact by the non-call (which I endorse as a handling of rules generally).Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707739187458453446noreply@blogger.com