An Umpires Biggest Nightmare

helped the White Sox last night. The home plate umpire made a call that had a direct impact on the outcome of the game. The fact that it was a horrible call in more ways than one compounds the nightmare because it hurts the entire profession of umpires.

But then again, the unprecedented post-game press conference of the Blue Wall didn't help either. These guys seemed like a bunch of sanctimonious, braying jack-asses. "We have technology that you mere mortals can't even conceive of. We saw the ball bounce into his glove without kicking up a visible trail of dirt. So there, take our call and like it." Thanks guys for bringing a hint of professionalism to the profession.

I think we would have more readily accepted, "Look folks, it's a bang-bang call that I have to rely on my sense of hearing to make properly, since I certainly can't see the ball what with a 200 pound catcher screening the view you have on TV. And with 40,000 some odd people screaming I had to rely on two players sending body language clues, who for all I know may both be actively attempting to deceive me into making a bad call. And both of whom, I might like to remind you, squat directly in front of me and protect me from errant fastballs. Talk about a dilemma. Then when I ask my other five crew mates for help, all I get is the universal signal for "Don't ask me pal, I didn't see anything". How would you like o make a call under those job conditions? I'd have given anything to have been able to call do-over or flip a coin or whatever." That would have been more believable that the pablum these clowns were dishing out and expecting us to swallow.

It just reminds you of the phrase, "Better to be thought a fool and remain silent than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt."

Anyway, I digress, Pierzysnki swung and missed at strike three and the umpire signals strike three and, for good measure, signals the batter out. At this point, any subsequent action should be moot. But no, Josh Paul, the Angels catcher, instinctively rolls the ball out to the mound, "knowing" that he caught the ball. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose, as events turned out, by doing this. But those darn instincts and reflexes are hard to suppress on the one in a million chance the unforeseen happens.

Now Pierzinski, with nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking off and running, does so. I can't fault A.J. for doing this on the one in a million chance the ump screws up, bails him out of a bad at bat and for whatever reason, rewards him for taking a shot at fooling the umpire.

After the game, the umpire says the mechanics he used in this situation were the same he had used all game, but those situations as ESPN showed, did not include a dropped third strike or a subsequent reversal of the "batter out" signal. We would have to see his prior "mechanics" on a dropped third strike to know if he was consistent in this regard.

Plus, he says "My interpretation of my mechanics were....blah,blah,blah". Who Talks Like That!!!! That's his mouthpiece pulling the strings while the dummy talks.

Also, the ump stated that he was watching Josh Paul for a clue as to what had happened on the call, since he could not see the ball hit the ground, likely couldn't hear it (both indications or clues that a dropped third strike didn't occur). That's fine, but the clue that Paul provided clearly by his body language and actions was, "I caught the ball, inning over". Like I said, he has not much to gain by doing this in error when all he has to do is tag AJ.

AJ's first move, or body language clue, was to head for the dugout, in itself a move that would indicate he knew he was out. But, on second thought, and maybe after seeing Paul roll the ball out, AJ decides to take his (long) shot, recalling a similar play that went against him when he was with the Giants.

He cashed in for his team by extending the inning for Joe Crede to finish by knocking in the game winner shortly thereafter. Mike Scioscia, correctly and with great class, summarized the game afterwards by saying the call did not cost his team the game. The Angels did not play well enough throughout the game to win, Scioscia said.

Yeah, Mike, but that call didn't help matters. And so the umpires greatest nightmare may now cause some sleepless nights in La-La land. But, somewhere Don Denkinger is sleeping with a smile on his face.