The Umpire Crew of Death

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

I won't be sad to see this umpire crew leave town after tomorrow because they are downright despicable. Tim McClellan refused to give McClung a strike. Calls on the bases were routinely wrong. The strike zones were consistently inconsistent. Does the rest of the league have the same problems with this crew, and if so can the league step in here? This is getting rediculous with these guys.

 

Do you guys notice the same things I do, or am I just crazy?

[TooLiveBrew]

Yeah, this was probably the worst crew the Brewers have had all season. The lack of umpiring accountability in MLB is flat-out embarassing. The call last night where the baserunner overslid 2B, with Weeks holding the tag on him, was the worst missed call I've ever seen in MLB. Definition of making the call before you're sure it's correct... the ump only cared that the runner beat the tag. Hey, he made his call -- the guy was safe! Not his fault if there's something that happens after that... right? I was ticked that Yost had zilch to say on that one, but I'll stop my vent there.

[crossface21]

I would agree that the strike zone in this series has not exactly been the best. I have no problem with he strike zone as long as the ump in consistent, but it's pretty tough to play when you have no idea what a strike is going to be.

[Bluechip]

Yeah, this was probably the worst crew the Brewers have had all season. The lack of umpiring accountability in MLB is flat-out embarassing. The call last night where the baserunner overslid 2B, with Weeks holding the tag on him, was the worst missed call I've ever seen in MLB. Definition of making the call before you're sure it's correct... the ump only cared that the runner beat the tag. Hey, he made his call -- the guy was safe! Not his fault if there's something that happens after that... right? I was ticked that Yost had zilch to say on that one, but I'll stop my vent there.

I could be wrong here because I have to watch the games on my laptop, but I thought that Weeks was touching the runner with his glove, but had the ball in his bare hand. If that was the case, I don't think that is an out.

 

[crossface21]

Weeks' touched him with his glove, but the ball was in his other hand. It was the correct call by the ump.

[TooLiveBrew]

He was, but he tagged him with the ball in his bare hand, too. You could see on the replay that a lightbulb kinda went on for Rickie, and he tagged the runner while he was still nowhere near 2B.

[sheethead]

I think the crew that blew the triple play call today in Boston, and then later reversed it may be a bit worse. At least they got the call right i guess.

 

However, the two pick off plays on Monday were both bad calls. The tag didn't exist on either play. The illusion of the tag fooled the ump into making the wrong call, twice.

[owbc]

I don't think it has been that bad.

 

Rickie did a bad job of selling the tag to the umpire, and he just sort of brushed him with the ball. He should have known that the throw was late and that the runner might over-slide. I'm not sure what the umpire told Yost, but he didn't argue.

 

Cameron was out at 2nd on the SB today, though. There were a few questionable ball/strike calls but overall I thought it was consistent.

 

The main issue is that you're not going to win many games if you dig a 3 run hole by the 7th inning every other night.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Even Uecker and Powell were complaining about it today. You know something's up when two class acts like them say something.

[dadofandrew]

I am on record as saying every crew has been awful this year. I don't see any hustle, any concern about being correct, and any clue as to positioning. Simply put, if it's a close call on the bases, it's probably wrong. How many missed HR calls can you have in a single year...we're already in double digits. They are awful, frighteningly bad, and getting worse every day. Wait 'til it gets hot out.

 

It seems apparent no one is watching the store, as there is no accountability at all. An ump physically runs into a manager, he gets a game off...whoop te frickin' do.

 

The mere idea they still let McClellan work with that slow call is an embarrassment. I'd seriously think about starting over, as I doubt we'd notice a bit of difference. I can make bad calls too, just like the "pros".

[jhart05]

I agree.

 

It's time to get rid of some of these guys and bring up my cousin, who is umping down in AAA. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

It's tough thou, the only way he can is if someone quits or retires.

 

That could be the problem with umpiring. They know they will always have a job no matter what.

[Invader3K]

The problem is the umpire's union. I don't know if MLB could just lock them out and hire new guys, but I doubt it.

[cubfan1126]

The call last night where the baserunner overslid 2B, with Weeks holding the tag on him, was the worst missed call I've ever seen in MLB.

I think we've been through this before. Hands down, the worst ever was the 1985 World Series blown call by Don Denkinger. The guy still gets death threats about it.

[Gobias Industries]

Yunel Escobar being called out on a bunt attempt while being a couple steps past the bag was the worst I've ever seen.

 

Like Al said, more often than not the crew's have been doing an awful job. It needs to be addressed in the offseason.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

The Cuzzi, Lane crew is the one I can't stand. It's like they actively start going after players and teams. They are a horrible crew and would all be canned if it wasn't for the umps union. This crew has been a little inconsistent behind the plate during the series. Tight or loose...just be consistent.

 

The Weeks call at second was tough the other night. It was tough to tell on TV whether Rickie had the ball in contact with his glove hand or not. I thought he was out, but the TV view was not conclusive. In that case I'll default to the ump...he was in the correct and best position to see it.

[TooLiveBrew]

Simply put, if it's a close call on the bases, it's probably wrong.

 

That's gross overstatement, even though I agree with you that the umping has been even worse this season than last... never though that possible.

 

 

I think we've been through this before. Hands down, the worst ever was the 1985 World Series blown call by Don Denkinger. The guy still gets death threats about it.

 

I was too young to see this. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

 

Yunel Escobar being called out on a bunt attempt while being a couple steps past the bag was the worst I've ever seen.

 

Yeah, that was bad... forgot about that one. That probably edges the Weeks non-call, but honestly not by much imo.

 

 

The Cuzzi, Lane crew is the one I can't stand. It's like they actively start going after players and teams.

 

Yes, the 'HEY?1!?1! WHUT'D U SAY TO ME!' attitude is a big-time problem imo. The funny thing is that it's typically the same umps (as you note) that have this little-man syndrome.

 

When I heard Sandy Alderson was in charge of the umpiring, and that Bruce Froemming was going to be involved this season, I naively hoped for better umpiring. Unfortunately I was wrong.

[2008 world champs]

The Umpiring Crew of Death umped the Brewers/Braves series last year... I youtubed bill s. going off in the broadcast booth over and over again. I thought "man this is unprofessional of Bill" but at the same time i was pretty ticked off too. Ever notice how mellow he is now about bad calls.

[Postseason2006]

My biggest beef with umpires is when they look for a fight. That is why baseball needs to grow a set and start fining and suspending them. If someone instigates anything in the real world, that person is going to get something out of it. These guys are making NFL officials look better each day.

 

I don't know about anyone else but the guys we had in the Houston series at the Homer Dome were the worst of the year. Horrible calls, missed strikes, not telling Berkman to run the bases like a human instead of an old woman(couldn't resist), etc.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

The Umpiring Crew of Death umped the Brewers/Braves series last year

 

That was the Cuzzi, Lane crew I was referring to.

 

When I heard Sandy Alderson was in charge of the umpiring, and that Bruce Froemming was going to be involved this season, I naively hoped for better umpiring. Unfortunately I was wrong.

 

I think we all want to believe Froemming is a good egg since he's a Milwaukee guy, but I have heard enough anecdotal evidence that he had that little man syndrome himself when he umped to believe it.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

And then to cap off the series the umpires reverse a call that and get it wrong because Clint Hurdle convinced them. These guys get paid $200,000 a year to screw up this much?

[dadofandrew]

The Rivera HBP or not was stranger than strange...what did Hurdle say that got the call switched?

 

Awful and terrible, and they're getting worse every day.

[logan82]

Umpiring crew K gets my vote as the crew of death.

[jeffy]

dadofandrew[/b]]The Rivera HBP or not was stranger than strange...what did Hurdle say that got the call switched?

You would think someone would report something on that. Unless I missed something due to only seeing the "squeeze play" broadcast, I have never seen anything like it, umpire makes a call and then reverses it after an argument from one of the managers, without even asking another umpire (or looking for shoe polish http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)...just bizarre.

[moofnelson]

MLB umpires are sinking to the level of NBA refs. Especially the ball and strike calls. But, just like sterioids, if the league doesn't address the problem, then the problem doesn't exist.

[molitor fan]

If you get a chance to watch the recap of the O's/Red Sox game from Friday, take a look at the call on Julio Lugo after he hits a ball to Kevin Millar at first. Simply amazing.....Lugo was called out, and beat the throw by a significant amount....it is truly startling to see.