Major League Baseball, please get some better umpires. In tonight’s game between the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins they blew a couple of calls that cost the Colorado Rockies. Luckily the Rockies now have a 5-0 lead.
The first blown call, Ubaldo Jimenez was up and he foul tipped a ball into the dirt and into the glove of the catcher with two strikes. It should have been a foul ball, but it wasn’t.
The umpires were not paying attention and ruled it in out saying the catcher caught the ball. Even the first base umpire, Bob Davidson who was out of baseball for a while because of misjudgments, didn’t see it hit the dirt called him out.
Give me a break!
It gets even worse.
With a runner on first base and no outs, Garrett Atkins hit one to center field. The umpire ruled that it was a catch and they doubled off the runner for two outs. The replays clearly showed that it was a short-hop and not a catch.
The umpire who was supposed to get into position to see the play from a different angle, didn’t move and wasn’t in the right position. So when Clint Hurdle came out to question the call, the umpires did the obligatory gathering and still ruled them out.
Umpires never over-rule themselves and will protect the original call. It is just stupid.
Major League Baseball always keeps secret how they deal with umpires, but that should change. They need to be open. They also need to institute instant replay immediately.
The umpires are doing a disservice to the the players, the Game, and the fans. If Major League Baseball should hold the game to the highest standard, when they have umpires who can’t do the same, they should be gone.
In the meantime, let the technology help them out and be used in the games. NOW!
Mile High Soapbox 