Have we been screwed over by the umps more than the average team?

[byrdz]

That probably has a lot to do with it. I watch the Red Sox somewhat regularly, as I live in NESN country, as well as watching other teams on mlb.tv. There are plenty of blown calls against other teams but the good teams, like the Yankees and Red Sox, are going to find ways to win games. A blown call against a team that can explode for 7 or 8 runs isn't as detrimental as a call against the O's, who have to scrape by for wins.

This is a good point and this really boils down to the Orioles and their best case scenario theories. Hey, if we put these C type players on the field and the stars align, maybe we can compete. When they set themselves up with no buffer for injuries and slumps then they end literally fighting for wins. They need some buffer and these types of calls won't matter.

[jdccb]

I would never expect an umpire to make a call right 100% of the time.

That however, still does not mean that I am going to excuse them for it being wrong when it is. Because the bottom line is, it's their JOB to make the right call. When I screw up at my job, I get yelled at. It's my job to do my job properly, I make mistakes, I get yelled at.

[Mackus]

He was past the base when Mientkeiwicz caught the ball.

Thats ridicuous, he hit the bag just a split second before the ball hit Mientkeiwicz' glove. Theres no way he was past the bag, it was a very close play.

Mientkeiwicz made the play on this one with an incredible stretch. He cut off probably 5 feet of the distance on that throw. ARod made a good play Doug M. made a fantastic play to make it close enough to where its a tossup as to what the umpire is gonna call.

Roberts was definitely safe, but it was very, very close. Close enough that any criticism of the umpire on that play is horribly unjustified.

[byrdz]

As far as the Roberts play it was close but I would expect umps to get this call. They have the benefit of being right on top of the action and the sounds of the ball in mit and the foot on bag. This is routine stuff for umps and it was blown big time, but it was close.

[Frobby]

If you are willing to concede and accept an umpire accuracy rate below 100%, then this is precisely the type of call you should expect will occasionally be missed.

I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone here.

I have gone back to look at the play again after reading your post. I do think that the perception that Roberts was past the bag is an illusion, caused by the angle of ARod's throw and the fact that Mentkiewicz was stretched far to the home plate side of 1B. It was a closer play than it appeared at first. Nevertheless, I still don't judge this to be as close a play as you do. I'd say umps get this one right 19 times out of 20.

[davearm]

But you could say that about any missed call. I don't understand what's so "Twilight Zone" about a bunch of fans of a team being upset over missed calls against that team. Then again, maybe when you watch the Cubs play, and calls get blown against them, you just go "oh well, since I accept that the human error involved in officiating baseball games results in a less than 100% accuracy rating, that's the way it goes" and are perfectly content with it.

As a matter of fact that is my attitude.

If you simply go in expecting a few borderline calls to go against your team, then it makes it pretty easy to shrug it off when it actually happens.

If you go in expecting the umps to get every call right, then you're setting yourself up for elevated stress and blood pressure issues.

[Spoonless]

As a matter of fact that is my attitude.

If you simply go in expecting a few borderline calls to go against your team, then it makes it pretty easy to shrug it off when it actually happens.

If you go in expecting the umps to get every call right, then you're setting yourself up for elevated stress and blood pressure issues.

Well, good for you then. As for my elevated stress and blood pressure issues, they're probably more due to the fact that the O's have to depend on getting every call in their favor to have a chance to win a game.

[davearm]

I have gone back to look at the play again after reading your post. I do think that the perception that Roberts was past the bag is an illusion, caused by the angle of ARod's throw and the fact that Mentkiewicz was stretched far to the home plate side of 1B. It was a closer play than it appeared at first. Nevertheless, I still don't judge this to be as close a play as you do. I'd say umps get this one right 19 times out of 20.

I appreciate your openmindedness here Frobby.

I dunno if your estimate is correct, but the umps should be thrilled to be right 19 times out of 20 on a play this close.

It sucks that this time the O's were the victims of the 1-in-20 that gets botched, but it shouldn't really surprise or even upset anyone.

[davearm]

Well, good for you then. As for my elevated stress and blood pressure issues, they're probably more due to the fact that the O's have to depend on getting every call in their favor to have a chance to win a game.

Well to bring this thread full circle then, it turns out the issue isn't with the umpiring at all.

[byrdz]

Well to bring this thread full circle then, it turns out the issue isn't with the umpiring at all.

Found this quote doing the google on the internet machine and it pretty much sums up the situation:

“Despair is most often the offspring of ill-preparedness” Don Williams, Jr

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[DuffMan]

There was a re-play that showed Tejada going down to first. After a step or two he looked at third and saw Rodriguez bobble the ball and took off hard. He just didn't get there in time. In fairness' date=' Rodrigues did a [i']Brooks Robinson[/i] on the play.

Well that statements if false!! Brooks never would have bobbled the ball!!!

[blueberryale77]

As a matter of fact that is my attitude.

If you simply go in expecting a few borderline calls to go against your team, then it makes it pretty easy to shrug it off when it actually happens.

If you go in expecting the umps to get every call right, then you're setting yourself up for elevated stress and blood pressure issues.

A few is one thing. Of course, the flip side of that is that you expect to get a few breaks from the umpires as well. The Orioles have not merely been having "a few" calls go against them lately. It's been ridiculous. The Tejada play was closer and I can live with that one being called wrong because it was legitimately a very difficult call. The Roberts play was not that close. When I said he was "past the bag" I was exaggerating slightly, but his foot was down on the bag and he was in the process of taking the next step by the time the ball was caught. Plus, it was far from the only call that went against the Orioles that day, that week, or that month. At some point anyone is going to cry uncle.

[Mad Mark]

As a matter of fact that is my attitude.

If you simply go in expecting a few borderline calls to go against your team, then it makes it pretty easy to shrug it off when it actually happens.

If you go in expecting the umps to get every call right, then you're setting yourself up for elevated stress and blood pressure issues.

Dave:

The thing that makes the bolded part of your quote harder to live with is the asymmetrical distribution of the blown calls...almost always bunching up in the zones marked as "favoring the Yankee$ over whomever" or "favoring the Red $ox over whomever".

This asymmetry of results suggests something other than mere incompetence as a cause...

[Birds08]

I really think baseball should have instant replay. Each team should get 2-3 challenges per game. I doubt the max would ever actually occur.

[ElToro75]

I really think baseball should have instant replay. Each team should get 2-3 challenges per game. I doubt the max would ever actually occur.

I don't really think that baseball needs instant replay, as the large majority of the calls made are the correct calls. The only instant replay I would like to see implemented, if at all, is when determining if a ball is a home run or not.