Armando Galarraga

[BlueSoxSWJ]

Maybe this belongs in the Soapbox because I'm about to open a real can of worms with some people ...

 

Tonight is the perfect example of why baseball needs to stop worrying about the "purity" of the game and just institute replay review already. Ideally, I'd like them to set up a system where there's a replay umpire watching the game, who can reverse an obviously blown call as long as he does so before the next pitch. Even if you only allowed it for fair/foul, safe/out, trap/catch, and homerun/in-play calls, you could make the officiating much more accurate AND speed up the game. I know people think replay will slow everything down, but if players/managers know that obviously missed calls are subject to replay, there will be a lot less arguing with umpires and fewer ejections. Currently, for an on-field umpire to go into the tunnel and review home run calls, the average delay is about 3 minutes. Really MLB, it's not 1900 anymore, and we don't need to call the game like it is.

 

[Mark Arbour]

That was one of the most ridiculous calls ever. I agree. Why not use technology to make the game fairer?

[PrivateTim]

Imperfection is part of the beauty of baseball. They don't need a plate umpire, they can have machines call balls and strikes perfectly as defined by the rules of the game, but the human element of each ump having different strikes zones, some being a pitcher's ump and some being a hitter's ump is part of the 19th century charm of the game. It is too bad Galarraga lost a perfect game on the last out, umpires are supposed to go the opposite in a situation like that, to give more benefit of the doubt to the pitcher, not less. But how many other outcomes of games or no hitters have been disrupted early in the game by bad calls, not just bad calls on the final out. Baseball is slow enough already, they don't need more to slow it down.

[Mark Arbour]

I see nothing charming at all. So a strike for one hitter is a ball for another? That's charming? Sounds unfair to me. Dump those old bastards and hook up a machine.

[BlueSoxSWJ]

Imperfection is part of the beauty of baseball. They don't need a plate umpire, they can have machines call balls and strikes perfectly as defined by the rules of the game, but the human element of each ump having different strikes zones, some being a pitcher's ump and some being a hitter's ump is part of the 19th century charm of the game. It is too bad Galarraga lost a perfect game on the last out, umpires are supposed to go the opposite in a situation like that, to give more benefit of the doubt to the pitcher, not less. But how many other outcomes of games or no hitters have been disrupted early in the game by bad calls, not just bad calls on the final out. Baseball is slow enough already, they don't need more to slow it down.

 

A close pitch going either way is fine, but a guy being called safe when he was out by more than a step? A runner not being called out when tagged standing off the base because the umpire was distracted and didn't see the play (yes, this happened last year)? "Beauty" is not quite the word I'd use for these situations. The point also isn't to go back and change the prior game, the point is that going forward, how many games will be changed by a blatant miscall? MLB could easily make that number very close to 0, but for the sake of "19th century charm" we're supposed to just accept that sometimes, the team that won according to the rules will take a loss?

 

And you totally blew off my final point, which was that a well executed replay review is far faster than an argument between the umpire and player/manager. Even now, with an on field umpire running to the clubhouse and back to review a call, it takes less than 3 minutes to get a disputed home run call correct. If you had a designated replay official instead, you could review safe/out, catch/trap, fair/foul, and hr/in-play calls within a minute, and cut down on argument delays and ejections.

[Graeme]

An option that they've recently added to International Cricket is to allow the captains a certain number of 'challenges' that then go to a video umpire.

 

That should work for baseball, too, with a minimal impact on the game. eg. Give each team three challenges, say. If they challenge a call, there's a delay while it's checked. That means a maximum of six such challenges per game. It would also help improve umpiring overall -- if an umpire is challenged by a team three times, and all three challenges are upheld, you can be pretty sure that umpire won't be umpiring again any time soon....

 

This doesn't eliminate that human aspect of the game that Tim mentioned. It merely brings it under control, and introduces an additional level of strategy -- should they challenge a call in the third innings, or should they try to hold onto their challenges for any likely candidates in a later innings? They'll need to make a judgement call on how likely they think they'll need those challenges closer to the end of the game.

[Hoskins]

Galaragga is a stand up guy who displayed real sportsmanship in the way he's dealt with this whole thing. I've got a lot of respect for the way he's handled himself (baseball players handling themselves..get it?)

The umpire has owned up to his part of it and I don't think he's going to be an umpire for much longer. Selig is a jerk for not reviewing the situation and giving Galaragga his due.

 

And Galaragga got a new car out of it!

 

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/06/03/sports/doc4c08397d2ff5d967042412.txt

Edited June 4, 2010 by Hoskins

[jon-jon]

Normally I wouldn't even touch this, but I have to give the guy credit for his sportsmanship. If it had been me I would have gone postal.

What is absurd about the whole baseball purity thing is that the ump knew at the time his call was wrong. He admits he made the wrong call. Why can't they allow him to change it? NPR did a story awhile ago about umpire training. They are trained to never ever admit they are wrong. Even when they know they are (wrong). It's absurd. Mistakes happen. So make allowances for it when they do.

Just to add a little oil to the water, I think baseball is boring. Except for those cute butts in those tight pants!

[BlueSoxSWJ]

Normally I wouldn't even touch this, but I have to give the guy credit for his sportsmanship. If it had been me I would have gone postal.

What is absurd about the whole baseball purity thing is that the ump knew at the time his call was wrong. He admits he made the wrong call. Why can't they allow him to change it? NPR did a story awhile ago about umpire training. They are trained to never ever admit they are wrong. Even when they know they are (wrong). It's absurd. Mistakes happen. So make allowances for it when they do.

Just to add a little oil to the water, I think baseball is boring. Except for those cute butts in those tight pants!

 

He actually said he thought he got it right until he saw a replay after the game.

 

I love baseball and loved playing it, but I can't just sit and watch a game. Unless I'm at Fenway, I need to be multitasking to get through a Red Sox game.

[TetRefine]

Imperfection is part of the beauty of baseball. They don't need a plate umpire, they can have machines call balls and strikes perfectly as defined by the rules of the game, but the human element of each ump having different strikes zones, some being a pitcher's ump and some being a hitter's ump is part of the 19th century charm of the game. It is too bad Galarraga lost a perfect game on the last out, umpires are supposed to go the opposite in a situation like that, to give more benefit of the doubt to the pitcher, not less. But how many other outcomes of games or no hitters have been disrupted early in the game by bad calls, not just bad calls on the final out. Baseball is slow enough already, they don't need more to slow it down.

 

I agree with you Tim. I like the much more human element of baseball. I was pissed when they implemented video review for home runs. Honestly, all other major sports leagues are taking the human element out of it by having instant replay this, instant replay that, blah blah blah. Did he get screwed out of a perfect game? Of course. Does everyone know he pitched the third perfect game in a month? Yes. Should they overturn the call even if it's against MLB policy? No.

[Matthew k]

9999 times out of 10,000 I would say MLB shouldn't have over turned this, but this is the one instance where they can and not change the outcome of the game. If it had been the first or second out of the 9th inning it wouldn't even be an argument because you would have had to replay the game from that point, BUT since it was the last out and it wouldn't effect anything else, they should overturn it and award the perfect game because in fact he did pitch a perfect game.

 

I seem to recall games where the official scorer changed hits to errors and vice versa long after the game because they didn't effect the outcome.

[BlueSoxSWJ]

9999 times out of 10,000 I would say MLB shouldn't have over turned this, but this is the one instance where they can and not change the outcome of the game. If it had been the first or second out of the 9th inning it wouldn't even be an argument because you would have had to replay the game from that point, BUT since it was the last out and it wouldn't effect anything else, they should overturn it and award the perfect game because in fact he did pitch a perfect game.

 

I seem to recall games where the official scorer changed hits to errors and vice versa long after the game because they didn't effect the outcome.

 

The official scorer of a game has 24 hours to change on-the-spot scoring decisions based on replays he sees later.

[Conner]

This is a fascinating agrument, uhmmm, discussion.

 

Keeping the human element in the game versus getting the call right.

 

Personnally, I'm all for getting the call right, particularly in regard to this particular play. But I must say I don't want a machine calling strikes and balls. Besides, the home plate umpire makes other calls as well. The issue for me here is are they being consistent in their strike zone.

 

One thing I know for sure, I would not like to be videotaped 24/7 when doing my job. That would totally suck. Even I have off days.

 

So, who's excited about right-hander Stephen Strasburg getting his first major league start tomorrow night with the Nationals?