MLB FanHouse

MLB GMs Pass on Expanded Replay Talk

Jeff Fletcher — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:55:00 EST

CHICAGO -- Major league general managers either have no interest in expanding the current replay system or they realized the futility in debating something that ultimately owners and commissioner Bud Selig must decide.

Either way, they concluded their first day of formal meetings without any discussion of expanding the system.

Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, presided over the Tuesday morning meeting and said that there was discussion about tweaking the current system, but nothing about adding more use of replay.

"We just put instant replay in the end of August in 2008," Solomon said. "We only have a season and a couple of months worth of experience. Now there are those who clamor for more and more. I think we need to digest what we've got. We need to look at his technology and the commissioner has to talk to a lot of people before he makes a decision that would change our sport."

The call for expanded instant replay grew louder during the recent postseason because of a number of blown calls by umpires. Solomon said that there was some discussion about the way that umpires are selected for the postseason. Currently there is a system that is party merit-based, but also based on spreading the postseason assignments among the umpires.

That would need to be collectively bargained. Solomon said negotiations on a new contract with the umpires are ongoing, and he was optimistic that they'd reach an agreement.

Other than replay and the umpires, the general managers discussed revising the draft order to reflect postseason performance. Currently, the draft order is based only on regular season victories. Solomon said the GMs also talked about making some changes to the Arizona Fall League to accommodate more younger players.

The formal portion of the meetings will conclude with a morning session on Wednesday. Solomon said the main item on the agenda for that meeting was the format of the meetings themselves.

MLB GMs Pass on Expanded Replay Talk originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't Hold Your Breath for News on Replay at GM Meetings

Jeff Fletcher — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Umpires

CHICAGO -- Expansion of instant replay is expected to be one of the topics discussed when baseball general managers begin their formal meetings on Tuesday, but one of its longtime proponents is not optimistic that his group can effect any change.

"Whatever the instant replay discussion is, I'm going to raise my hand [in favor]," said White Sox GM Kenny Williams. "However, I don't know at the end of the day that vote is going to mean much."

This postseason was full of mistakes by umpires, leading to a national debate about whether the use of replay should be expanded beyond its current scope. Williams said he's been pushing for the use of replay for seven or eight years, but he's come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter what he or other general managers want.

"It's the owners and the commissioner's debate," Williams said. "It's not our debate to have. I'd rather go to Starbucks and talk about NFL Sunday."

Commissioner Bud Selig said during the World Series that he remained against any expansion of instant replay, because it would slow down games. However, he said that the issue would be addressed in the offseason.

Williams said he didn't think this postseason drastically changed the minds of the decision-makers, but he added that it would be "interesting to see."

Mets GM Omar Minaya said he's in favor of the current system but, "I'm not too much for expanding it."

Don't Hold Your Breath for News on Replay at GM Meetings originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Selig Says Replay Will Be Reviewed

Jeff Fletcher — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:46:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Umpires

NEW YORK -- Bud Selig said he has not changed his opinion on expanding the use of instant replay, but baseball's commissioner left the door open a crack, saying the issue would be addressed in the offseason.

"I think there are other ways we can make corrections," Selig said. "During the offseason we'll review everything."

It could come up at the GM Meetings, Nov. 9-11 in Chicago.

Selig, speaking after he presented Derek Jeter with the Roberto Clemente Award before Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday, has maintained that he did not want to expand the use of replay beyond home-run boundary calls because it would impact the pace of the game. The question has come up again because of a string of mistakes made by umpires this postseason.

"I understand we have had some incidents that were most unfortunate," Selig said. "They were controversial and beyond controversial. There is no sense in hiding that, nor would I."

Although Selig said he hasn't seen enough to convince him to change his opinion, he said he has thought about the subject.

"I take this more seriously than anybody will know," he said, "but there will be a time and place to think about all this."

Selig also responded to criticism that there are too many off days in the playoffs under the current format. Selig said "it's a valid point," but that there is no way to avoid it because you don't know how long the playoff series will go when the schedule is done. He also said that shortening the season is not an option.

"If the clubs want to consider going to 154 games, we can reduce that, but they don't want to do that, unanimously," he said. "Big markets, medium markets, small markets. They just don't want any part of it."

Selig was asked about the Dodgers situation, given the impending divorce of owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie, but he said it wasn't appropriate for him to comment.

He also said that he was happy to see Mark McGwire get back into the game as the Cardinals' hitting coach.

"When he comes back you will all have a lot of opportunities to talk to him," Selig said. "The fact that he's coming back gives him an opportunity you wouldn't have had."

Selig Says Replay Will Be Reviewed originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playoff Pulse: Umps Get One Right on Rollins' Accidentally Brilliant Double Play

Andrew Johnson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Phillies, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, MLB Umpires, World Series, Playoff Pulse

Playoff Pulse is our morning rundown of the night that was and the night that will be during the MLB postseason.

Looking Forward ...

If you're going to criticize the umps when they blow a call, you have to praise them when they get one right, as they did in the fifth inning on Jimmy Rollins' shoestring catch and double play (details below).

The crew initially didn't rule that Rollins doubled off Hideki Matsui but huddled and eventually got the call right, a good moment for the men in blue in a month where it has seemed to be all bad and for a crew that was picked specifically because of its World Series experience.

Still, isn't the main argument against expanded instant replay that it would disrupt the flow of the game? The umpires' conference over the play was plenty disruptive to the action. A replay impresario sitting in the press box probably would have taken less time to get the call right.

In Their Own Words
"If you guys win again, I'll be there." -- Michelle Obama to Jimmy Rollins, after Rollins told the First Lady that the players' wives were disappointed not to meet her when they were honored at the White House for winning the 2008 World Series.
By the Numbers
6 Walks allowed by Yankee pitchers in Game 1. Seven of the last eight teams to hand out that many free passes in the first game of the Fall Classic wound up losing the series. *-- Ed Price*
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Mariotti: Lee Dr. October Moore: Yanks Lackluster Fletcher: The Utley Show Price: CC's Big Burden

Looking Back ...

The strangest play of Game 1 of the World Series looked like a brilliant move by Rollins, but it wasn't the move he intended.

With Matsui at first and no outs in the fifth, Robinson Cano hit a shallow pop toward Rollins. Rollins lowered his glove to the ground and caught the ball just above the dirt, confusing Matsui and easily doubling him off first (once the umpires figured it out). But Rollins said that wasn't his plan.

"I was trying to let the ball bounce, but I wasn't going to let it bounce away," Rollins said. "When [umpire Brian Gorman] said it was a catch, I was disappointed."

Just to play it safe, the Rollins and the Phillies got "outs" four ways. He caught the popup, then stepped on second, then threw to first baseman Ryan Howard, who stepped on first for the force there and also tagged Matsui.

-- Jeff Fletcher

Scout's Eye View ...

Good pitchers mix pitches and change speeds. Cliff Lee has taken those skills far beyond the ordinary and made pitching an art form this postseason. Lee is by no means lacking in stuff, but his ability to mix and change speeds makes him close to impossible to hit when he's right. Perhaps what was most impressive, however, is how well he handled the red-hot Alex Rodriguez and the rest of the powerful heart of the Yankee order in Game 1.

Against Rodriguez, Lee was able to do what just about no other pitcher has been able to this October. He was able to throw the fastball inside for strikes, opening up the outer half as a result. Other pitchers have tried and failed to thread that inside corner, allowing A-Rod to sit and wait for the ball out over the plate. He finished Rodriguez off twice with devastating changeups down and toward the outer part of the plate. When you can force him to honor the fastball on the inside corner, he will not be nearly as lethal on the pitch away. Lee's approach is a good blueprint to beating Rodriguez, but the reality is few pitchers have the pinpoint command and plus secondary pitches to pull off such a strategy.

-- Frankie Piliere

Thursday's Tale of the Tape ...

Phillies (Pedro Martinez) at Yankees (A.J. Burnett), 7:57 PM ET: Martinez has a long and storied history against the Yankees. If you don't believe us, just ask him. But Pedro hasn't been the same pitcher he was when he did most of his tangling with the Bronx Bombers, so let's look at a more recent sample. Since he left the Red Sox in 2004, Martinez is 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA in 27 2/3 innings against New York. He's 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA in the postseason against the Yankees. If there's a bigger wild card than Pedro, it might be Burnett. The right-hander has the stuff to dominate, but if he's looking for a break from these Phillies he won't get one. Current Philly hitters are slugging .481 against him, with Game 1 hero Chase Utley having a ton of success against him. Look for Matt Stairs to get the start at DH Thursday night. He's 3-for-11 with two home runs in his career against Burnett.

Playoff Pulse: Umps Get One Right on Rollins' Accidentally Brilliant Double Play originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sparked by Controversy, MLB Makes Umpire Switch for World Series

Andrew Johnson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:38:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Umpires, World Series

Several weeks worth of blown calls by its umpires has prompted Major League Baseball to make a switch in the way it staffs its signature event. Rather than use at least one umpire who has never worked a World Series -- something it has done in 24 of the last 25 seasons -- MLB's crew will be composed entirely of umps with previous experience in the Fall Classic.

Crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis will work the World Series, which opens next Wednesday in either New York or Anaheim, along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson and Mike Everitt.

MLB normally draws from the pool of 24 umpires that worked in the Division Series for the World Series (umpires can not work two consecutive rounds of the postseason), and C.B. Bucknor, who missed two high-profile calls in Game 1 of the Red Sox-Angels ALDS, was in line to work the Fall Classic this year until the switch.

The series of controversial calls by the men in blue -- most notably Phil Cuzzi's incorrect foul call in Game 2 of the ALDS in New York and the double play Tim McClelland missed in Game 4 of the ALCS -- has intensified the cries for expanded instant replay.

Currently, Major League Baseball only uses replays on boundary calls (home runs).

Implementing expanded replay at this stage in the season is obviously not realistic, leaving MLB to respond to the sharpened scrutiny in the best way it can, by going the best umpires at its disposal rather than breaking in inexperienced ones.

That may not solve all of its problems. An experienced crew doesn't guarantee fewer (or no) blown calls; McClelland is widely considered one of the game's best umpires and he was at the center of one of the biggest controversies during this postseason. And it doesn't answer the exhortations for further replay or even begin to decipher how such a system would work without disrupting the sport's rhythm.

But it is something, Give credit to MLB for recognizing a problem and doing the best it can in the situation.

Sparked by Controversy, MLB Makes Umpire Switch for World Series originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playoff Pulse: Howard or A-Rod?

Andrew Johnson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Phillies, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, MLB Umpires, American League Championship Series, National League Championship Series

Playoff Pulse is our morning rundown of the night that was and the night that will be during the MLB postseason.

Looking Forward ...

With the World Series matchup almost a foregone conclusion, here's a question to ponder. A-Rod or Ryan Howard? Who's having the better postseason?

Rodriguez joined Howard and Lou Gehrig as the only players to drive in a run in eight straight postseason games Tuesday night, making it a perfect time to draw the comparison.

Howard is hitting .379 this postseason, Rodriguez . 407; Howard 14 RBI, Rodriguez 11; Howard has a .457 on-base percentage, Rodriguez .469; Howard has seven extra-base hits (two homers), Rodriguez six (five).

A-Rod has played one fewer game than his Phillies counterpart. He's also got a bigger body of work in the clutch so far, hammering home the idea that he has, at times, had to carry the normally potent Yankees offense to the brink of the World Series (Game 4 was obviously an exception).

So for now, give the nod to Rodriguez, but only slightly so and with the knowledge that they'll probably meet in the World Series and have a chance to settle the score once and for all.

In Their Own Words
"When I grow up I want to be Alex Rodriguez." -- Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher
By the Numbers
6 Teams that have come back from a 3-1 deficit in the LCS since it was turned into a best-of-seven series. Four of the six teams did it in the ALCS, most recently the Red Sox in 2007.
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Fletcher: A-Rod, CC Boost Rep Moore: In a New York Moment Piliere: Scouting Notebook

Looking Back ...

Once again, umpiring was a major story in Game 4 of the ALCS. There were multiple questionable calls, but none more egregious than the fifth-inning double play that wasn't.

With Jorge Posada stranded between third and home and Robinson Cano hurtling toward the hot corner, Angels catcher Mike Napoli chased Posada back up the third-base line. Posada and Cano both ended up around third base, but neither was standing on it. Napoli thought quick and tagged both, but the umpire on scene, Tim McClelland didn't rule a double play.

McClelland, one of the very best in the business, did admit he blew the call.

"I'm just out there trying to do my job and do it the best I can," he said in a post-game statement. "And unfortunately there was, by instant replay, there were two missed calls."

(The other missed call came the inning before when McClelland called Nick Swisher out for tagging up too early.)

FOXSports.com's Tracy Ringolsby did shed some light on why the umpiring might be particularly poor this October:

The quality of the umpiring has taken a hit because at least a dozen umpires, including seven crew chiefs, were left out of postseason assignments this year due to injuries.
...
While federal laws prohibits Major League Baseball from discussing injuries of employees, FOXsports.com has learned that the sidelined umpires include crew chiefs John Hirschbeck (testicular cancer), Charlie Reliford (back), Jerry Crawford (back), Tim Welke (concussion), Ed Montague (concussion and neck), Gary Darling (ankle and foot) and Rick Reed (stroke).

That's a lot of umpiring talent, but when McClelland, widely considered one of the best umpires in the game, has a bad night it just reinforces the idea that expanded instant replay should come sooner rather than later.

Scout's Eye View ...

New York's lineup is difficult enough to navigate without giving them any assistance, and assistance is exactly what Scott Kazmir gave them. If you intend to have success against them, you must establish a secondary pitch in the early innings. Especially given the issues their lineup has had against the breaking ball in the early part of the ALCS, Kazmir's ability to locate his slider was going to be crucial to his outing.

There's one thing about beating the Yankees that just can not be said enough. You stop their hitters by using their patient approach against them. They feast on pitchers that get behind in the count and can't throw anything but the fastball consistently for strikes. If you can put them in an immediate hole in the count, their approach can quickly be neutralized. Kazmir was unable to do that. Although he wasn't hammered, by the time the fourth inning rolled around he was completely worn down.

-- Frankie Piliere (Scouting Notebook)

Wednesday's Tale of the Tape ...

Dodgers (Vicente Padilla) at Phillies (Cole Hamels), 8:07 PM ET: Do the numbers even matter with Padilla at this point? The run he's been on since the Dodgers picked him up off the scrap heap is one of the best of his career. Here are the digits that matter: Padilla has allowed one earned run in two postseason starts, and since he joined the Dodgers (those two starts include) he's 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings. Hamels has been shaky in two postseason starts, hardly flashing the form he showed last October when he was named World Series MVP, but his career numbers against these L.A. hitters are strong. Only two hitters -- Ronnie Belliard and Casey Blake -- have lifetime averages above .250.

Playoff Pulse: Howard or A-Rod? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Save Your Sport, Commissioner; Expand Replay Now

Jay Mariotti — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Playoffs, MLB Umpires

Let's hold hands and pray. Someday soon, when Bud Selig finally is removed from the commissioner's chair like a rotting tree, we can only hope his successor realizes October is waning. Pro and college football continue to tickle the American consciousness on every demographic level -- male and female, old and young, reality and fantasy -- and reduce our national past-its-time to secondary programming. And when we do see gripping story lines develop, from a possible Yankees-vs.-Joe Torre matchup in the World Series to the Angels and the inspiration they draw from the late Nick Adenhart, what gets in the way?

Wretched umpiring.

A day barely passes without another missed call influencing a playoff series and renewing widespread pleas for expanded instant replay. Just when we were recovering from the Phil Cuzzi gaffe in New York, where a ball that was fair by several inches was called foul and led to a national referendum on why six umps can't get a play right, we now have an even lamer sequence that had direct impact in determining a series winner. Late Sunday night in Denver, in weather more conducive to the Iditarod, Philadelphia's Chase Utley checked his swing in the ninth inning and fouled a ball off his right knee in the batter's box. Except the plate ump, Jerry Meals, didn't see the ball hit Utley and let the play resume. Unlike the preponderance of umpiring mistakes in recent days, this situation wasn't confined to one screw-up. As Utley advanced down the line, he was thrown out by Rockies closer Huston Street -- a replay confirms that first baseman Todd Helton dragged his leg across the bag for the out -- but first-base ump Ron Kulpa called Utley safe. You know the rest: Utley scored the winning run in a 6-5 victory, and when the Rockies blew a two-run lead in the ninth Monday evening and lost their National League divisional scrum to the Phillies, some might say this series was lost the previous game by two clueless umps.

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MLB Postseason Photos

DENVER - OCTOBER 12: Carlos Gonzalez #5 of the Colorado Rockies walks off the field as the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate the victory in Game Four of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Coors Field on October 12, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carlos Gonzalez

Getty Images

Getty Images North America

2009 Baseball Playoffs

DENVER - OCTOBER 12: Matt Stairs #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies congratulates teammate Ryan Howard #6 after Howard scored the go ahead run against the Colorado Rockies in the top of the ninth inning giving the Phillies a 5-4 lead in Game Four of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Coors Field on October 12, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Stairs;Ryan Howard

Getty Images

DENVER - OCTOBER 12: Yorvit Torrealba #8 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates his go ahead RBI double against the Philadelphia Phillies to give the Rockies a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game Four of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Coors Field on October 12, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Yorvit Torrealba

Getty Images

DENVER - OCTOBER 12: Jayson Werth #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits the game winning single in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies in Game Four of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Coors Field on October 12, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jayson Werth

Getty Images

DENVER - OCTOBER 11: Troy Tulowitzki #2 of the Colorado Rockies strikes out to end the game against the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game Four of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Coors Field on October 12, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Troy Tulowitzki

Getty Images

Philadelphia Phillies' Jayson Werth sprays teammates in the clubhouse as they celebrate their 5-4 win over the Colorado Rockies in Game 4 in a National League baseball division series in Denver on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. The Philadelphia Phillies will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

DENVER - OCTOBER 12: Brad Lidge #54 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with catcher Carlos Ruiz #51 after defeating the Colorado Rockies in Game Four of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Coors Field on October 12, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brad Lidge;Carlos Ruiz

Getty Images

Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki walks back to the dugout after striking out to end the game as Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz heads to join teammates in celebration as the Phillies beat the Rockies 5-4 in Game 4 in a National League baseball division series in Denver on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

"Yeah, the ball came up and grazed off his leg and continued rolling up the line," Meals told the Associated Press after viewing a replay. "No. 1, it wasn't seen by myself or anybody. If you look at it, you'll be able to see it. Off the front leg, got him up in the knee-thigh area. It just grazed him and the ball continued to roll the way it was rolling. I just saw a ball hit and rolling out there and that's it. Utley took off like it was nothing. He gave no indication to us that it hit him. Whatever percent of the time, you're going to get a guy that's going to stop if it hits him."

Uh, not when you're a clever gamer like Utley and trying to win a playoff series. How dare this umpire try to blame Utley for his own oversight. "The ball might have caught me," said the Phillies second baseman, playing coy a day later. "Nobody said anything, so I ran hard. I check swung. The ball checked up in front of me. It might have hit my leg. But nobody made a call."

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"Chase probably felt it but he said, 'Hey, I'm going to take off, nobody is saying anything,' " said Shane Victorino, Utley's teammate. "And it turned into a pivotal play in the game."

If not the entire 2009 postseason, which finds the Phillies trying to make history as the first NL team to repeat as World Series champions since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.

So when history is being altered by human error, isn't it the ultimate no-brainer to expand replay? At the moment, videos are reviewed only on potential home-run calls, but as long as MLB is adopting technology for its slow and backward sport, Selig and the old farts should immediately extend replay -- preferably before the two League Championship Series, but more realistically for next season -- to include fair/foul calls and even tag plays. It's not healthy for the sport's future when playoff drama is haunted by perpetual anxiety over the next umpiring blunder. If baseball wants high credibility, not the current crudibility, Selig and his men will act swiftly for a change and recognize their crisis at hand. Even Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, a purist who fought the concept of replay when it was implemented last year, now thinks it needs to involve more than debatable home run calls.

"I mean, they've been missing calls ever since baseball has been 100-something-years-old or whatever. They've been missing them that long," Manuel said. "But at the same time, if they want to get them right, then getting it right is getting them right."

Thank you, Yogi Berra. No matter how he voices his concerns, he's correct. So is Torre, the Dodgers manager, who is more eloquent in his pro-replay argument. "The fair-foul thing I think could be expanded. For plays where maybe umpires are blocked out, they're human," he said. "Am I saying they're making more wrong calls now than they did years and years ago? I think we have more ways to scrutinize and look at it now than we did then, so I can't say that. In terms of where [an umpire] may be blocked by the call, something like that it may be the future."

Replay works in the NFL in a wide assortment of ways. Replay works in the NBA, which expanded it recently to include shot-clock situations and, in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime, which player touches the ball before it goes out of bounds. Replay works in the NHL. It works in tennis. And it would work in expanded form in baseball, a sport that has clung too long to a traditional refrain that human beings make mistakes. "I think the first thing I ever said was that the absence of replays would not bother me. I've been around too long," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, whose team wasn't burned by anything but its own ineptness in being swept by the Dodgers. "Part of the game is umpires making their best calls. I mean, you watch us play, you watch me manage, nobody's perfect."

Look, it's 2009, gentlemen. Getting plays right in the computer age is much more sensible, progressive and responsible. Very simply, you position another umpire/league observer in the press box with a high-definition, big-screen TV in front of him -- hopefully, someone fairly young with sharp vision -- and have him buzz down to the crew chief when it's obvious on replay that Cuzzi misses a play. Or Meals and Kulpa miss their plays. It needn't be a long, time-consuming ordeal. As quickly as a viewer sees a mistake on a replay, the man in the booth can inspect the same video and react instantly. Agree to place TVs in both dugouts so managers can view the same plays and don't feel the need to spend five minutes arguing. The last thing I want to do, as one bothered by the dreadful length of games and post-midnight finishes, is turn replay into an agonizing exercise. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who was victimized by Cuzzi's call but also benefited in the divisional tiebreaker game when umpires didn't see when Detroit's Brandon Inge was grazed by a pitch, wants to wave a red flag. That won't work.

"I didn't see the [Cuzzi] play, so I would have had to have coaches up in the booth calling into my ear on my headset," Gardenhire said. "Give me a headset and give me a red flag and we can fix this stuff, but I would have to have somebody calling me saying, 'Throw your flag, let's question this call. If you use it and you're wrong, you don't get to use it the rest of the game. If you use it and you're right, you get your red flag back, and that would save a lot of money [for ejections]."

In total disagreement is Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose team might be good enough this postseason to overcome any umpiring mess. "That might be dangerous with that red flag. I just think it really breaks the rhythm of the game," he said. "You know, during the course of the year, everything is going to balance out. In the playoffs, it's different, and how many red flags would you be allowed to throw? The rhythm is important to your pitchers, and I just think it would really hurt that."

A day barely passes without another missed call influencing a playoff series and renewing widespread pleas for expanded instant replay.
I propose a compromise: One man in the booth, one minute to make a complete judgment, one minute for the crew chief to make a correction. Now how hard is that, people?

The Cuzzi scenario revealed a problem with umpires down the left- and right-field lines, the fifth and sixth men in an expanded postseason rotation that started in 1947. "We're not used to playing that far down the line," Cuzzi told the Newark Star-Ledger, his hometown paper in a state across the Hudson River from Yankee Stadium. "The instant the ball is hit, we usually start running. I think I may have been looking too closely at it. I never had a feel for where the left fielder was on the play. There is no excuse. I missed the play. It's a terrible feeling. As badly as many people on that field may have felt [Friday], I don't think any of them had a worse night's sleep than I did."

Funny how we never heard umps complaining about monitoring the postseason foul lines in the '90s, '80s, '70s and '60s. "The challenges in working the foul line: No. 1 is we don't do it a lot. It's a tough one to practice," said Tim Tschida, chief of the crew on the night Cuzzi erred. "Your first movement is always to get out of the way because we're not accustomed to having fielders come from the side."

Fellas, that's why you make the medium-sized bucks. Deal with it, have seminars, do simulated situations, whatever it takes to get the calls right. Or get out of the business. Too much is at stake.

When asked about expanding replay by FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, Selig offered up one of his pseudo-intellectual, no-action responses. "Baseball is not the kind of game that can have interminable delays," he said. As usual, Bud Light is dismissing something out of hand instead of looking into it, just like steroids in the mid-'90s. I hope the owners urge him to join the 21st century, with the rest of us, and rectify the latest problem ravaging his slowly dying game.

It's October. We're supposed to be having fun.

We're not.

Save Your Sport, Commissioner; Expand Replay Now originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twins Villain Cuzzi Once Fired as Minor League Ump

Ed Price — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:41:00 EST

Filed under: Twins, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, MLB Umpires, American League Division Series

MINNEAPOLIS -- Phil Cuzzi, the umpire who missed a call down the left-field line that helped cost the Twins their game Friday night at Yankee Stadium, was fired as a minor league umpire in 1993.

According to a June 1999 story by The Associated Press, Cuzzi was working at a hotel bar in July 1999 when he approached National League president Len Coleman and asked for a chance to get back into umpiring.

Coleman allowed Cuzzi to work his way back from the low minors, and Cuzzi was one of 25 new umpires hired in 1999 as a response to mass resignations that were part of a failed labor ploy.

More Coverage: Blown Call Costs Twins | Yanks Take 2-0 Lead

Cuzzi, working the left-field line in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, ruled Joe Mauer's 11th-inning drive foul from about 15 feet away. But the ball clearly hit in fair territory, and it would have been a double for Mauer. He later singled, but the Twins failed to score and went on to lose in the bottom of the inning.

As Twins closer Joe Nathan told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: "I had a tough night the inning before, and [Cuzzi] made a bad call there. So we both blew one tonight."

And Cuzzi, 44, had yet to speak about the call until a Saturday night interview with the Newark Star-Ledger. After the game, crew chief Tim Tschida addressed the missed call in lieu of Cuzzi, which is standard practice.

"Some things are correctable," Tschida said. "Some things can be overturned. Some things are just -- you have to go with what the guy closest to the play had and you live and die with the decision.

"We just feel horribly when that happens to us, you know? There's a guy sitting over in the umpire's dressing room right now that feels horrible. I've been there. ... Nobody feels it worse than the umpire."

Cuzzi told the Star-Ledger he felt horribly about missing the call.

"Unless you umpire, you can't possibly understand," Cuzzi told the Star-Ledger in a phone interview Saturday night. "It happens. It happens at the worst possible time. And it happened to me." ...

"We're not used to playing that far down the line," Cuzzi said. "The instant the ball is hit, we usually start running. I think I may have been looking too closely at it. I never had a feel for where the left fielder was on the play."

But this much he knows: "There is no excuse. I missed the play. It's a terrible feeling. As badly as many people on that field may have felt (Friday), I don't think any of them had a worse night's sleep than I did."

In October 1999, the Mets protested to Major League Baseball that Cuzzi, working home plate for a Mets-Braves game, refused to ask for help from the first- and third-base umpires. A New York Post story suggested it was because the corner umpires were union veterans and he was one of the hired replacements.

This is not Cuzzi's first assignment for a big event; he worked the 2003-04 Division Series, the 2005 NLCS and the 2008 All-Star Game.

The 1999 AP story on Cuzzi read:

Cuzzi began umpiring in 1985 in the New York-Penn League. By 1991, he was a fill-in for the NL, and he worked a total of 95 games in the majors in a three-year span -- ejecting the likes of Bobby Bonilla, Dallas Green and Jim Lefebvre along the way.

Then on the day before Thanksgiving in 1993 came the dreaded call. He had done well, but there were no foreseeable spots for him in the majors, and he was being released -- forever.

Though about a dozen pro umps get dropped each year, "I couldn't believe it," he said.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Saturday instant replay probably isn't a solution.

"Give me a headset and give me a red flag and we can fix this stuff," he said, "but I would have to have somebody calling me up saying 'throw your flag, let's question this call.'

"The great thing about baseball is the human elements involved, and we always want to keep it that way; (it's) not easy when you are in New York. The lines are short and it's not easy, so there you have it. You are going to have a few. We made enough mistakes ourselves and we missed opportunities to win the game ourselves, too. It just goes that way sometimes."

Said Yankees manager Joe Girardi: "I like the way they are doing it, just home run calls. Those are important plays, and there are other important plays, and you could look at the play the other night and say that was an important play, but I think there would be too many things that people would want instant replay, and where would you stop?"

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MLB Postseason Photos

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez follows through with an RBI double during the first inning in Game 3 of the National League division baseball series against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

2009 Baseball Playoffs

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: Manny Ramirez #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms-up before Game Three of the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium on October 10, 2009 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Ramirez

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: Clayton Kershaw #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers signs balls for fans of the St. Louis Cardinals before Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium on October 10, 2009 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Clayton Kershaw

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: Attendees arrive to Busch Stadium for Game Three of the NLDS betweens the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium on October 10, 2009 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: Matt Kemp #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers ismiles in the dugout before Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on October 10, 2009 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Kemp

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: Clayton Kershaw #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers for fans of the St. Louis Cardinals before Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium on October 10, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Clayton Kershaw #

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: An exterior view of Busch Stadium before the start of Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 10, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals cheer for their team before the start of Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs against of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Busch Stadium on October 10, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: A statue of Stan Musial from the St. Louis Cardinals sits outside of Busch Stadium before the start of Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 10, 2009 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 10: A young fan holds a sign to support the Los Angeles Dodgers before the start of Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 10, 2009 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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Twins Villain Cuzzi Once Fired as Minor League Ump originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Umpires Admit Blowing Call in Twins Loss

Andrew Johnson — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:35:00 EST

Filed under: Twins, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, MLB Umpires, American League Division Series

Crew chief Tim Tschida admitted that left field umpire Phil Cuzzi blew a key call in the 11th inning of the Twins' Game 2 loss to the Yankees.

In the half-inning before New York's Mark Teixeira scraped his walk-off home run over the left-field wall, Twins catcher Joe Mauer sent a bloop down the line that deflected off of left fielder Melky Cabrera's glove and then bounced in fair territory. Either way, the ball was fair. Only Cuzzi ruled that it wasn't, stripping a leadoff double from the Twins' MVP candidate.

"[He] saw the ball as foul, called what he saw," Tschida said. "Afterwards, like any close play, we went in and we looked at it and it's a clear indication that an incorrect decision was rendered."

"I think we all know the ball was fair by a long ways," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Mauer soon followed with a single, as did Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer. So while Cuzzi's blown call only ended up costing Mauer a base, it may have also wound up costing Minnesota a crucial lead in extra innings.

When a reporter asked Gardenhire how the game might have changed if Cuzzi had made the correct call, he responded with a question of his own.

Said Gardenhire: "What did the next guy (Kubel) do? ... Next guy got a single. You can figure that out, I think."

"There's a guy sitting over in the umpire's dressing room right now that feels horrible," Tschida said of Cuzzi. "I've been there. Some of you have been through that with me at a time or two when you render a decision and it could have a negative impact on the outcome of the game. Nobody feels it worse than the umpire."

Missed calls by the umpires have become a major storyline early on in the 2009 postseason, but Cuzzi's gaffe is the first to have a direct and significant impact on the outcome of a game.

Major League Baseball introduced instant replay on boundary (home run) calls during the middle of last season, but the clamoring for expanded replay will only grow louder with each missed call.

"It's not my call. I'm just managing a baseball team. I can't make that decision for them. There's not [more replays]," Gardenhire said. "We had six umpires out there. I think, right, six? Six umpires."

"That decision [on expanded replay] is going to be made by somebody at a much higher level than I," Tschida said.

Umpires Admit Blowing Call in Twins Loss originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playoff Pulse: Ugly Umpiring Looms

Andrew Johnson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Red Sox, MLB Playoffs, MLB Umpires, American League Division Series, National League Division Series, Playoff Pulse

Playoff Pulse is our morning rundown of the night that was and the night that will be during the MLB postseason.

Looking Forward ...

Major League Baseball is fortunate the Angels' Game 1 win over the Red Sox was never in doubt after Torii Hunter's gargantuan fifth-inning blast. Hunter's home run and John Lackey's stellar pitching made it a moot point, but the umpiring was beyond brutal.

MLB Playoffs: Manny Isn't Being Manny | Hunter Smashes Sox
Rockies Top Phils, Even Series | SI.com: Yanks' Fake Controversy

First base umpire C.B. Bucknor was at the center of the storm, blowing two calls -- one in the fourth inning and one in the sixth -- that replays showed were clear outs for the Red Sox. The Angels also took exception to one of Bucknor's calls in the fifth, and while it's easy to make a target of an umpire who has been voted the worst in the league by the players on multiple occasions, the entire crew was poor on Thursday night.

Crew chief and home plate umpire Joe West called interference on catcher Jeff Mathis in the third inning. It was difficult to see where he interfered on replays. Boston reliever Takashi Saito limited the damage in a potentially disastrous seventh inning with 5-2-5 double play, only the video on that play showed third base umpire Greg Gibson incorrectly ruled that Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell made the tag on the back end of that two-fer.

Shoddy umpiring is becoming more and more of an issue, particularly in the postseason where blown calls are magnified. Last year's World Series, for example, had its share of questionable calls by the men in blue. Those questionable calls open MLB up to criticism and second-guessing. How does an umpire with Bucknor's reputation end up on a playoff crew anyway? Why isn't instant replay expanded, at least in the postseason, beyond boundary calls?

Baseball isn't the NBA, where the Tim Donaghy scandal was a mere backdrop for near-constant complaining about officiating quality and deafeningly whispered conspiracy theories. But after watching Game 1, it doesn't seem that far off.

Bucknor's gaffes won't be replayed ad nauseum Friday morning, but only because they didn't affect the outcome. You get the feeling we won't make it through the postseason without a blown call that is.

In Their Own Words
"Probably Del Taco. They don't support MLB, do they? They just support the Angels? Yeah, it was Del Taco." -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona on what caused him to miss the pregame ceremonies. Francona was left queasy, but managed the game.
By the Numbers
13 Career postseason hits by Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba. He is one hit shy of the Colorado franchise record, currently held by Kazuo Matsui. *-- Ed Price*
More From FanHouse
Fletcher: Hollywood Ending Krasovic: Halos Go 'Nuts' Price: Rockies Resilient Piliere: Scouting Notes

Looking Back ...

Buried in the celebration of the Dodgers' thrilling bottom-of-the-ninth victory was an unorthodox move by manager Joe Torre that ended up paying off.

Torre, who has established that he is going to go with a do-or-die mentality with his pitching staff, brought in closer Jonathan Broxton in the eighth inning of a game the Dodgers were losing, 2-1. You just don't see that. Ever.

The reason was that Cardinals had the heart of the order -- Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick, all right-handed hitters -- coming up. In order to keep the game at a one-run deficit, Torre went with his best right-handed reliever, regardless of the the fact that "closers" are only supposed to pitch in the ninth inning with a lead.

Bill James would be proud.

-- Jeff Fletcher

Scout's Eye View ...

Essentially, there seems to be a hole in Manny Ramirez's offensive game that wasn't there before, and the Cardinals appear to be pitching to it over and over again. What consistently made Manny one of the most potent hitters over the last decade was his ability to cover and punish the good fastball inside, and also his ability to stay back long enough to drive the pitch away.

He no longer appears to have the incredible bat speed to pull that off. He now needs to sit on or cheat on the fastball inside and open up his front side earlier. By doing so, he is unable to stay on his back leg long enough to drive the outside pitch with any authority. More specifically, by opening up a little earlier to hit the fastball inside, he leaves only his arms and hands to hit off-speed pitches on the outer part of the zone.

-- Frankie Piliere (Full Scouting Notebook)

Friday's Tale of the Tape ...

Twins (Nick Blackburn) at Yankees (A.J. Burnett), 6:07 PM ET: Blackburn finished really strong (2-0, 1.65 ERA with 18 strikeouts to one walk in his last four starts). He faced the Yankees in the Bronx once this year, working 7 2/3 innings and allowing six hits and four earned runs. Mark Teixeira absolutely owns him (6-for-6 with a walk, double, home run and five RBI). Burnett also finished with four solid starts (2-0, 1.88 ERA, 28 strikeouts) and is a much better pitcher at home. In two outings against the Twins this year, he allowed a whopping 23 baserunners in 13 innings, but only four of them crossed the plate (2.77 ERA, but a horrible 1.77 WHIP). Current Twins hitters have a collective .648 OPS against Burnett in their career, but Joe Mauer has had good success.

Red Sox (Josh Beckett) at Angels (Jered Weaver), 6:07 PM ET: Beckett has been measurably worse on the road this season and Angel Stadium was no exception -- he made one start there, and allowed eight hits and four runs in six innings, taking the loss. Howie Kendrick, Chone Figgins, Torii Hunter and Maicer Izturis hit him well, but Bobby Abreu (.708 OPS), Vladimir Guerrero (.242 AVG) and Juan Rivera (.311 OPS) do not. Weaver is nearly two runs better at home (2.90 home ERA to 4.78 on the road) and he owned the Red Sox in 2009, working 13 2/3 innings and allowing just one earned run (0.66). Over the course of his career, though, David Ortiz (1.117 OPS), Kevin Youkilis (.964), J.D. Drew (.918) and Victor Martinez (.958) have hit him very well.

-- Matt Snyder

Playoff Pulse: Ugly Umpiring Looms originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Umpire: Angels Coaches 'Unprofessional'

Ed Price — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:18:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, MLB Umpires

Updated, 10:30 PM:

BOSTON -- Manager Mike Scioscia strongly disputed umpire Rick Reed's description of Wednesday's postgame confrontation between the umpires and Angels coaches.

Told that Reed described Angels coaches as "unprofessional and unbecoming of a professional team," Scioscia said, "It was along the lines of, 'You've got to be kidding me.' I don't think there's any issue there at all.

"That's absolutely wrong. We had an emotional team. We respected their space. ... A lot of it was not even directed at them. It was guys venting.

"Yeah, there's some profanity. You know what? In an emotional game like that, there's going to be some venting that's going to be done."

Reed implied some Angels coaches might be suspended by Major League Baseball. Said Scioscia, "We've talked to the league, too."

Scioscia even fired back at umpire Mark Wegner, whom he said "came back [up the tunnel] to confront one of our coaches. If anything, a little lesson in professionalism for Mark Wegner needs to be discussed."

Reed said Scioscia "made an attempt to quiet his coaches down. He also made a comment that I thought incited the situation."

Responded Scioscia: "I made a quiet comment to Rick Reed, and that's between me and him."

Original story:

After a few calls went against them in Wednesday's 9-8 loss to the Red Sox, especially a ball four to pinch hitter Nick Green that forced in a run, the Angels had some strong quotes about the umpiring.

But what will get them in trouble is what they said on the field.

Fenway Park is one of the few stadiums where the umpiring crew has to leave the field through a dugout, in this case the visitors'. And Angels coaches Alfredo Griffin and Mike Butcher seemed to confront the umpires immediately after Wednesday's game ended.
"Their deportment leaving the field, going through the Angels dugout, left a lot to be desired," Rick Reed, the home-plate umpire Wednesday, said before Thursday's game. "I was disappointed in the coaches. Coaches are usually the guys who try and stop any kind of friction that develops in the course of a game. But they were initiating it last night. I'm not pleased with the way they said things or their presentation. Major League Baseball has been notified, and probably something will come of it.

"I would think there would be a coach or two regretting their actions today."

Without naming the coaches in question, Reed called them "unprofessional and unbecoming of a professional team."

Reed said Angels manager Mike Scioscia "made an attempt to quiet his coaches down. He also made a comment that I thought incited the situation."

In his media session after the game, Scioscia said, "I was surprised. It's a good umpiring crew. We really feel strongly they missed a couple of times. ... What was the count at the end, three-and-four to Green?"

Closer Brian Fuentes, who threw the pitch to Green, intimated that the umpires were intimidated by the Fenway crowd.

"It's a big pitch, a huge pitch," Fuentes said after the game. "I'm buckling down. The hitter's buckling down. [Reed] needs to do the same."

Having looked at replays, Reed said the final pitch to Green was "borderline" and that he called it a ball partly because catcher Mike Napoli brought up the ball after catching it.

"It very well could have been a strike," said Reed, in his 28th season as a big-league umpire. "It was a pitch that was at the bottom of the strike zone."

Umpire: Angels Coaches 'Unprofessional' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A-Rod Calls Marty Foster 'Unprofessional'

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Rumors, MLB Umpires

It seems that there's some kind of feud developing between the New York Yankees and umpire Marty Foster. You may remember back on July 6 when Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was stunned by a comment Foster made to him. Jeter was called out trying to steal third even though he beat the tag. When he informed Foster of this the umpire replied "He didn't have to tag you. The ball beat you."

That little exchange resulted in Joe Girardi coming out to defend his captain and in his ejection. Well, Foster was behind home plate on Sunday during the Yankees' game against Baltimore when he ejected Girardi again along with Alex Rodriguez, and when asked about the ejection after the game, Rodriguez didn't have the nicest words for Foster.

"I thought in that situation, when we need a win today, for him to take it into his own hands with no warning, I thought it was very unprofessional," A-Rod said.

Rodriguez's beef was the result of a called third strike on him in the fourth inning that he obviously did not agree with. Rodriguez also said after the game that Foster spent his entire at bat chatting with Orioles catcher Chad Moeller and that the only thing Rodriguez said to Foster was to "keep talking to Moeller."

That's a story that doesn't match Foster's description of the situation. According to the man in blue, he let Rodriguez have his say while leaving the field, but when Alex kept going into the next inning he decided he'd had enough and tossed him.

I'm guessing that the truth lies somewhere in between, but after publicly calling Foster "unprofessional" I think Alex and the Yankees better hope he doesn't work any of their playoff games this October.

A-Rod Calls Marty Foster 'Unprofessional' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Discipline Coming to Rockies, Umps

Jeff Fletcher — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:23:00 EST

Filed under: Rockies, MLB Umpires

The Rockies' stirring victory on Monday night against the Giants may come with a price, as Bob Watson, MLB's chief disciplinarian, said players and umpires are under investigation for events during the game, with a decision possibly coming as soon as Wednesday.

"We are investigating this, and it's not all against the umpires, it involves players as well," Watson said. "And it is definitely not going away without discipline being handed down, on both sides."

The whole thing apparently began when umpire Bill Miller, who was working at second base, called Yorvit Torrealba a derogatory name while he was running the bases. Miller was sticking up for plate ump Angel Campos, who had irritated players on both sides for his strike zone.

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and closer Huston Street also got involved, by way of defending their catcher. After Colorado won the game in the 14th on Ryan Spilborghs' grand slam, Torrealba and Miller had another heated discussion at the plate.

"I am not going to be quiet after what he said to me. I couldn't say anything during the game because we didn't have any players left," Torrealba said.

Watson would not say if the discipline would involve suspensions, fines or both. If any of those players are suspended, it would certainly have an impact on the Rockies' playoff chase.

Discipline Coming to Rockies, Umps originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beware! Our Robotic Baseball Overlords Have Arrived

Josh Alper — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Umpires

There's been a development out of Japan that makes our obsession with performance-enhancing drugs seem pretty silly. A professor at the University of Tokyo has created a pair of baseball-playing robots whose performance puts the greatest human players to shame.

The pitcher-bot throws 90 percent of its pitches in the strike zone. Not that would help against the hitter-bot, which will never swing at any pitch out of the strike zone and makes contact with almost 100 percent of pitches in the zone. Finally, we'll hear the end of complaints about how quickly baseball games end!

For those of you who fear that the coming robot invasion may be an omen that the human race is obsolete, there are some caveats. The pitcher can only throw a ball 25 miles an hour and isn't capable of throwing breaking stuff, while the batter can't go the opposite way. A human hitter or pitcher could probably make either robot look foolish, at least until professor Masatoshi Ishikawa can correct those problems.

The creator claims that the robotic pitcher never gets tired, but let's let Joe Torre have a crack at it over a 162-game season before we take that to the bank. There's a good chance that come August the robot is visiting Dr. James Andrews. While Torre would love one of these, Tony La Russa is probably in the Sarah Connor camp when it comes to robots. Why make four pitching changes in an inning if the pitcher is incapable of determing what side of the plate his opposition is on?

On a more serious note, what if this technology was adapted for calling balls and strikes? Human players are doing just fine, but umpbots would be a good way to make for a more consistent game. If you threw a laser on the robot's head, it would also make arguments at home plate a lot more entertaining.

Beware! Our Robotic Baseball Overlords Have Arrived originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gardenhire Wants More Instant Replay

Jeff Fletcher — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:41:00 EST

Filed under: Twins, MLB Umpires

After his team blew a 10-run lead and eventually lost the game when Michael Cuddyer, the potential tying run, was wrongly called out at the plate on Monday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was obviously a little upset. A day later, he had a solution: more instant replay.

Specifically, Gardenhire wanted to see an NFL-like system in which managers could throw out a "red flag" to ask for a review.

"I've said all along that I want a red flag [like in the NFL," Gardenhire said. "If you use it and you're wrong, you don't get to use it the rest of the game.
If you use it and you're right, you get your red flag back and that would save a lot of money [for ejections]."

Gardenhire further said he has pushed to have a replay official on-site at each game, just like in the NFL.

The purists and traditionalists are certain to hate that idea, figuring it will simply delay games even more. However, I never believed that the use of replay could be forever restricted to home runs. Once the door is opened, it's hard to justify closing it.

The play on Monday night was clearly wrong, and may have cost the Twins the game. You can't review that, but you can review any random third-inning homer in a 6-0 game, just because Bud Selig arbitrarily said you can use replay for one thing but not another?

Sorry, just doesn't wash.

I like what the NFL does. ( I can't believe I just wrote that.) Let the managers get one appeal -- they wouldn't need a actual red flag -- per game. They could appeal any call except balls and strikes. Since they only had one shot, managers would be reluctant to ask for replays unless it was a critical situation and they were sure they were right.

Gardenhire Wants More Instant Replay originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Umpire's Comment Has Jeter Stunned

Ed Price — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Umpires

NEW YORK - What could make Derek Jeter lose his cool?

We found out Monday.

After being caught stealing third base in the first inning of Monday's game at Yankee Stadium, Jeter yelled to umpire Marty Foster: "He didn't tag me."

According to Jeter, Foster replied, "He didn't have to tag you. The ball beat you."

That caused Jeter - who may debate a called strike on occasion but perhaps never before so visibly confronted an umpire - to turn around and tell Foster, "I was unaware of that rule change."

(Foster declined to be interviewed, asking crew chief John Hirschbeck to address the media instead, which is common procedure with umpires.)

Jeter's stunning display of disagreement caused Yankees manager Joe Girardi to come out of the dugout and argue. Girardi later said he didn't "care for the explanation" he got from Foster - presumably the same ball-beat-you, old-school tenet - and earned his third ejection of the season.

The throw from Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas did indeed beat Jeter, by a good margin. But replays showed Jeter moved his arms on his headfirst slide to avoid Scott Rolen's tag and should have been called safe.

Ah, those replays.

Hirschbeck said with so much attention on the game, and so many camera angles, that "the ball beat him there" no longer suffices.

"It used to be, if the ball beat you, you're out," Hirschbeck said. "And it's really not like that any more. Now you have to make a good tag. You just can't take the glove and lay it down in front of the bag.

"It's not a reason to call someone out, because the ball beat you. It used to be that way. That is true. But it's not like that any more."

Foster, 45, has 10 years of service as a big-league umpire.

Hirschbeck said he could not comment on the Foster-Jeter interchange because he had not spoken to Foster about it.

"I will," Hirschbeck said. "Not here at the ballpark.

"Getting a play right is one thing, but how you handle it and things you say are equally important."

But watching events unfold from over at first base, Hirschbeck was just as taken aback as everyone else to see the Yankee captain do a U-turn to talk to an umpire.

"In my 27 years in the big leagues," Hirschbeck said, "he might be the classiest person I've ever been around in a uniform."

"I do think, like, 'Wow that's unusual.' "

Latest Baseball Images

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Garrett Jones leaps as he tries to catch a two-run triple hit by Houston Astros' Geoff Blum during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 6, 2009 in Houston. The Astros' Miguel Tejada and Lance Berkman scored on Blum's triple. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston Astros pitcher Mike Hampton throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 6, 2009 in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Virgil Vasquez throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 6, 2009 in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

BOSTON - JULY 6: Nomar Garciaparra #1 of the Oakland Athletics tips his hat to the crowds applause during his first return to Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox on July 6, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nomar Garciaparra

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Paula Creamer throws out the first pitch at the Cincinnati Reds Philadelphia Phillies baseball game, Monday, July 6, 2009, in Philadelphia. Creamer is playing the 2009 U.S. Women's Open golf tournament this week at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr.)

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 6, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 6, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brett Anderson delivers against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Monday, July 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Chicago Cubs' Derrek Lee follows through on a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Monday, July 6, 2009, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Cubs' Derrek Lee runs past Atlanta Braves first baseman Casey Kotchman after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Monday, July 6, 2009, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Umpire's Comment Has Jeter Stunned originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Instant Replay Still a Work In Progress

Matt Snyder — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Umpires

Major League Baseball still has less than a year under its belt when it comes to the use of instant replay. Two specific instances this past week outline that the league is still ironing out the kinks in the system.

Last Friday, the umpiring crew in Tampa Bay went to review whether or not a ball off the bat of Pat Burrell -- which had already bounced -- legally went into the crowd for a ground rule double. Under the rules of instant replay, though, this was not a reviewable situation. Thursday afternoon, Miguel Cabrera hit what replays show to clearly be a home run. The umpiring crew ruled it stayed in the playing field, and Cabrera ended up with a double. They did not review it.

Neither play adversely affected the outcome of the game.

On Burrell's double, Carl Crawford was rightfully brought back to third base because he started the play on first. Had the umpires ruled fan interference during the review, though, the Rays would have erroneously been awarded a run because Crawford crossed home plate on the play. All that was really lost in the situation was 1 minute and 36 seconds -- the time it took for the umpires to watch the replay and move on.

In the Cabrera situation, though, it cost the Tigers a run. They still won the game, 6-5, but that would have been a major issue had they lost the game. For the record, Tigers manager Jim Leyland took the blame in the situation, but this isn't the NFL. There is no "manager's challenge." The umpires on the field should know the intricacies of each stadium they work. The right-center field area in Comerica Park has a yellow line atop the wall, but some mesh fencing with a railing above the line before the ball reaches the seats. With the naked eye in fast motion, it looked really close. I was watching the game live, and I honestly rewound it on my DVR because it looked like it left the yard.

An umpire from the second base area doesn't have near as good a view as I do on my TV, which is why they should have reviewed the play. I have no problem with the missed call, because that ball is so small and traveling at such a high speed it is damn near impossible to accurate judge where exactly it hit off the wall. But this is why baseball implemented instant replay. If you have the resources at your disposal, use them.

These types of things are mildly acceptable as a fan because it's June. The umpires and league need to start getting issues ironed out by the stretch run, though, because the whole point of having replay is to ensure there aren't errors like in the Cabrera "double."

Instant Replay Still a Work In Progress originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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