[Phil A]

not to mention they called Howard safe and he never touched home.  But the home plate umpire as been consistently terrible all night calling strikes for both pitchers

[twitch54]

You know what would be really funny........... seeing half the guys on this forum out there trying to ump a World Series game ! To me what is equally as bad as some of the bad calls is having to endure FOX broadcasting.....again !

[Bill Baker]

Being a little league coach for the past 6 years, I have umpired a good number of games. It is not as easy as it looks. I can understand the bad calls on difficult plays but the balls and strikes? These guys are getting paid far too much not to get this part right.

 My 11 year old twins have been yelling at the TV the past few days. I guess they know what it's like to be on the receiving end of bad calls

[MaxCast]

It is not as easy as it looks. I can understand the bad calls on difficult plays but the balls and strikes? These guys are getting paid far too much not to get this part right.

I agree with that 100%.  The difficult plays in real time...you have to go with what they call.  I know I wouldn't get it right all the time. But they have to tighten up the tolerance on the balls and strikes.

I think I'd be in favor of an electronic grid calling balls and strikes.

[vinyl_lady]

I beleive this is still true; I know it was a few years ago. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Unlike the NFL and NBA where officials are graded after each game and only the officials who grade out the highest advance to the playoffs, the umpire's union negotiated a clause that rotates officials for the playoffs and World Series, so eventually every umpire gets a chance to umpire a playoff or World Series game, regardless of their ability or experience.

I have umpired a lot of fast pitch softball games so I know there are a lot of tough calls and human beings make mistakes, but at least the playoffs and World Series deserve umpires who graded out the best during the season. The players and owners should insist that only the best qualify to ump the playoffs & World Series.

[Bill Baker]

Electronic plate umpires would take the game to a level most would not be comfortable with. Unfortunately, we have to grin and bare it sometimes. As has been mentioned, they are human.

 My only gripe is to see a seasoned umpire making upwards of $350,000 a year make so [many] bad calls behind the plate. It wouldn't be so bad if they were at least consistent.

 Oh well. It's not worth complaing about any further. GO YANKS!!

[vinyl_lady]

not to mention they called Howard safe and he never touched home.  But the home plate umpire as been consistently terrible all night calling strikes for both pitchers

We don't know if the home plate umpire missed this call. It is an appeal play so unless the Yankees appeal, which they did not, Howard is safe even though he missed the plate. If anyone missed "the call" it was the Yankees catcher.

I completely agree that the home plate umps have been awful calling balls & strikes.

[zybar]

not to mention they called Howard safe and he never touched home.  But the home plate umpire as been consistently terrible all night calling strikes for both pitchers

We don't know if the home plate umpire missed this call. It is an appeal play so unless the Yankees appeal, which they did not, Howard is safe even though he missed the plate. If anyone missed "the call" it was the Yankees catcher.

I completely agree that the home plate umps have been awful calling balls & strikes.

I am guessing that you aren't a Yankees fan...

The fact that the Yankees didn't appeal the play, doesn't change the fact that the umpire missed the call.  We all saw the replay and it was extremely clear that Howard never touched home.

Does anybody know if it is in the rule book that the umpire should not signal safe until he sees the runner touch home?  When umpiring, I was taught not to signal safe unless I saw the runner touch home. 

On this play, I thought that the umpire signaled Howard safe.  If he did, not sure what good an appeal would do.

George

[lcrim]

If the player leaves the baseline, that is if he goes back to the dugout following the missed tag and missing homeplate w/ his slide, the ump is to call that player out.  The sight impaired ump on home that game, swears he saw him touch home.  So the point is moot.  Posada could have tagged him later and appealed but the point is moot in that the ump already blew the call.

[vinyl_lady]

not to mention they called Howard safe and he never touched home.  But the home plate umpire as been consistently terrible all night calling strikes for both pitchers

We don't know if the home plate umpire missed this call. It is an appeal play so unless the Yankees appeal, which they did not, Howard is safe even though he missed the plate. If anyone missed "the call" it was the Yankees catcher.

I completely agree that the home plate umps have been awful calling balls & strikes.

I am guessing that you aren't a Yankees fan...

The fact that the Yankees didn't appeal the play, doesn't change the fact that the umpire missed the call.  We all saw the replay and it was extremely clear that Howard never touched home.

Does anybody know if it is in the rule book that the umpire should not signal safe until he sees the runner touch home?  When umpiring, I was taught not to signal safe unless I saw the runner touch home. 

On this play, I thought that the umpire signaled Howard safe.  If he did, not sure what good an appeal would do.

George

George,

Actually, I don't care who wins the World Series this year since I am a Rockies and Cardinals fan and both of my teams bit the dust early.

I played competative fast pitch softball for 19 years and umped fast pitch for about 12 years and you are right, an umpire is not suppossed to call a runner safe if he/she sees that the runner missed the base/plate. I only saw the replay on Sports Center and Howard clearly missed home plate. What I can't remember is whether the umpire called him safe or made no call. If the ump called Howard safe, then he clearly blew that call and an appeal would have made no difference.

I don't remember the umpires being this bad in the playoffs and WS before. Time to tell the union to start putting up the umpires who grade out the best during the season, just like the NFL & NBA.

Laura

[maxwalrath]

After a 3-4 second delay the ump called Howard safe.

[vinyl_lady]

He blew the call then

[rodge827]

You know what would be really funny........... seeing half the guys on this forum out there trying to ump a World Series game ! To me what is equally as bad as some of the bad calls is having to endure FOX broadcasting.....again !

AGREED!!

[Lyndon]

I think it was the game on Sunday night, with Sabathia pitching, and Posada went out 8 times in a single inning.

Posada and pals visited pitcher CC Sabathia eight times ? in a single inning ? on Sunday night, grinding Game 4 of the World Series to a standstill. Agitated Phillies fans booed each trip.

It killed the inning for the Phillies, and for the next two games, oh, the ump was out pronto, but it ticks me off that it was allowed that time.  Isn't there a delay of game rule?

I know the umps are getting a ***load of criticism, but that one really irked me.  Though I watched the Yanks
for 12 years.  (t was so easy on the 4 line from 28th street up to the Bronx.)
I gotta go with the Phillies to repeat and send George Steinie to Al Davis retire-land.   

[zybar]

I think it was the game on Sunday night, with Sabathia pitching, and Posada went out 8 times in a single inning.

Posada and pals visited pitcher CC Sabathia eight times ? in a single inning ? on Sunday night, grinding Game 4 of the World Series to a standstill. Agitated Phillies fans booed each trip.

It killed the inning for the Phillies, and for the next two games, oh, the ump was out pronto, but it ticks me off that it was allowed that time.  Isn't there a delay of game rule?

I know the umps are getting a ***load of criticism, but that one really irked me.  Though I watched the Yanks
for 12 years.  (t was so easy on the 4 line from 28th street up to the Bronx.)
I gotta go with the Phillies to repeat and send George Steinie to Al Davis retire-land.   

There is no rule on the books regulating the number of visits to the mound by players on the field.  If there are two visits from the bench, the pitcher must be taken out.

George

[Lyndon]

That's what I thought, George.
But I still think it was ridiculous.
The home plate ump was out there moving things along the next two games, eh?

Lyndon

[MaxCast]

They are back at it again.  I just turned on the game and saw Arods called third strike in the bottom of 3. 

[zybar]

They are back at it again.  I just turned on the game and saw Arods called third strike in the bottom of 3. 

Yep...consistently inconsistent!!

George

[MaxCast]

Might not matter  Yanks are are a hitting machine tonight.