The World Series is set as the Yankees and Phillies have eliminated everyone in their paths. But last week Major League Baseball eliminated someone as well: the umpires.
Because of blown calls, which have been more evident this year than any other postseason in memory, the MLB has decided to stick with only experienced umpires to call the Fall Classic. Usually the World Series crew includes at least one newcomer, but this year the six umps working the World Series all have championship experience.
The MLB may have been correct in their decision. The blown calls have marred this year's playoffs more than any other. It started in the one-game playoff between the Twins and Tigers. In the 12th inning, it was clear that a pitch grazed Brandon Inge's jersey with the bases loaded. That would have broken the tie; instead the Twins did the next half inning. In Game 1 of the ALDS, Kevin Youkilis clearly tagged out Los Angeles's Howie Kendrick, but Kendrick was called safe. Later in the game, it appeared Youkilis touched first before Kendrick did, but once again Kendrick was called safe. In Game 2 against New York, the Twins were on the opposite end when Joe Mauer's fly ball to left field touched down in fair territory, but Phil Cuzzi called it foul. Instead of a double, Mauer singled and the Twins didn't score, and Mark Teixeira hit a walk-off home run in the next half inning. In the NLDS, Chase Utley checked his swing and hit the ball off himself inside the batter's box. The call should have been a foul ball. Instead it was called fair, Jimmy Rollins advanced to third, and Ryan Howard's sacrifice fly won the game.
The umpire's errors carried over in the League Championship Series. In Game 4 of the ALCS, there was a flurry of terrible calls. The first was when Nick Swisher was picked off at second. Erick Aybar applied the tag to Swisher's hand before he got back to second, but he was safe. In that same inning, Swisher tagged up on a fly ball to center, scoring a run for New York. The Angels appealed to third and umpire Tim McClelland called Swisher out. Apparently McClelland did not visit his neighborhood LensCrafters between innings because in the fifth inning, when the Angels' Mike Napoli tagged out Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada at third, he ruled Cano safe when he was clearly off the bag. As awful and head-scratching as these mistakes by the umpires have been, none of these calls have directly blown a game or series.
For example, in the one-game playoff, the Tigers blew their lead several times; the missed call on Inge did not lose the game for them. The Tigers' pitching could not come through in the clutch. A few blown calls in the Red Sox-Angels series may have hurt Boston, but they still only scored one run in the first two games. If the Red Sox remembered to bring their bats to Anaheim, and if Jonathan Papelbon didn't crash and burn in the ninth inning of Game 3, then the missed calls would have mattered. The Twins call is tough. Umps are paid well in the postseason and the MLB carries two extra umps for a reason: to make the right call on balls down the line. But the Twins still had an opportunity that inning to score. They let the call affect them. Instead of looking at the replay in the clubhouse then proceeding to complain to his manager about the call, Orlando Cabrera could have been in the batting cage. He went 0-5 that game and the Twins went 0-3 in the series. The Rockies-Phillies series was affected by that call, but not by much. The Rockies still had a chance to get out of that jam caused by the umpire. But it didn't matter because Huston Street blew a two-run lead the next game, ending the series.
Calls in Game 4 of the ALCS could have affected the outcome of game. The crew calling the game took three outs away from the Angels and essentially a run away from the Yankees. But looking at the box score you realize those two innings of confusion did not decide the game. The Yankees won comfortably 10-1.
It is good that MLB changed to crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis for the 2009 World Series. But I sympathize with umps like C.B. Bucknor who could have had a chance to call his first World Series. We won't get to see his highly animated third strike call in the championship. The two Youkilis calls ruined his chance in a game the Angels won 5-0. I understand that every call matters, especially in the postseason, and if those horrendous calls occurred in a manner that directly affected the result it would be terrible for the game. But changing to experienced umps has a downside. Umpires like Bucknor won't get their chance to experience baseball at the highest level and learn to call the World Series. Learning comes from experience.
The hidden beauty of baseball is the human element. The limited replay in baseball must remain the same. Other sports like football can use extensive replay, but baseball is already a long and slow game that cannot undergo a major change because of blown calls in this year's playoffs.
Baseball consists of individuals playing a team sport. The same can be said for an umpire crew. They are a team, and when one of their own blows a call they all feel terrible.
"We just feel horribly when that happens," said ALDS crew chief Tim Tschida over Cuzzi's blunder. "There's a guy sitting over there in the umpire's dressing room right now that feels horrible."
Instead of letting it go, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire continued to discuss it in the postgame press conference. Gardenhire and the rest of MLB, along with the fans must realize that an umpire has a tough job and we should not let the game hinge on a single call.
Umpires may blow one call, but the players are the ones who let it affect their performance and the outcome of the game.
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