Ninth Inning Challenges ABSOLUTELY NEEDED FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL...

[Alex]

The thing of it is that baseball can be a slow game. So if I am watching the whole game, and suddenly, in the ninth inning, the dumbpire makes a stupid call, why can't the play be reviewed, SPECIFICALLY because it is the ninth and final inning of the game.

If the call isn't changed, start the next batter with one strike or one ball depending on who made the initial challenge.

I just watched Ronnie Belliard beat out a call at first and yet the umpire called him out. It was OBVIOUS that at the very least it was either a tie, or the runner beat it out by one to two video frames, it was obvious watching the play LIVE!

It makes me not want to be a fan if the fun of a comeback can be so easily taken away so late in a game and there is no chance for review.

The same thing happened to Grady Sizemore in the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres earlier this month.

It was the ninth inning and Grady CLEARLY did not go around on a swing, the ball bounced in the ground as it reached home plate. Of course the odds are higher that if a ball bounces in the dirt that the ballplayer probably held up, but on top of that, Grady DID hold up. It was not even close!

To add insult to injury, the punk ump at third made the call from the OUTFIELD GRASS, and then arrogantly threw his gum onto the field!

I bet it was graduation night and the ump had to be somewhere. If I had the money I'd hire a P.I. to find out where that punk ump went, because he was an ump in a hurry.

In general, umps call a fair game, but these two instances happened in the ninth inning of one run games and both quashed rallies.
One was a game-ending call, the one tonight basically killed a possible rally.

I want a pay TV refund equivalent to one game for the ninth inning shenanigans I saw tonight. [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] But what I'd really rather have is ninth inning instant replay.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 24, 2005 11:49 PM: Message edited by: Alex ]</font>

[The RotoTribe]

I don't know about a 9th inning replay. I'd rather see each team be allowed two challenges a game. I doubt that this would ever take place, however. Two reasons: First, baseball umpires reverse calls more than in any other sport. Secondly, fans like it when a manager or player gets in the umpire's face and start screaming.

[Alex]

West made a really stupid call against the Yankees on a play at first base in game five of the playoffs against the Angels.

West should have asked for help, replays showed he was watching Benji Molina go after a strike three passed ball behind the plate and by the time West turned back towards first base he only saw the Yankees runner Cano take the last couple of steps.

Was was obviously fooled by Darren Erstad's position. It was one of the most incredibly collosal stupid calls I have ever seen.

The reason it was such a stupid call was that the base runner has a right to reach first base without getting injured.

If the first baseman chooses to block the baserunners path by standing in foul territory, then of course the baserunner can be slightly inside of the base path to avoid making contact.

It's home plate where one can barrel into the catcher, not first base.

But the kicker to the situation is that Cano was actually hitting the chalk marks of the first base line as he ran towards first.

Clearly the ump never saw Cano's feet and instead saw that he was inside BASED ON Erstad'S IMPROPER postioning in foul territory so the ump assumed Cano must be inside the base path.

The home plate ump barely saw the end of the play and should have huddled with his crew before making a final decision.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 11, 2005 01:55 AM: Message edited by: Alex ]</font>

[Alex]

This was the umpiring crew of the San Diego loss when the ump not only mad the wrong call as to whether or not Grady swung on a pitch, but he was in shallow left field when he made the call AND then he threw his gum ONTO THE FIELD as if to punctuate his arrogant and completely wrong game ending call.

Game Details
Umpires: HP--Gary Cederstrom. 1B--Brian Onora. 2B--Bill Welke. 3B--Tim Welke.
Time: 2:09.
Attendance: 27,149.
Weather: 64 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 10 mph, out to right.