Umpire blown call

[BK METS]

Was anyone watching the A's vs Indians game tonight? If not, look it up. 9th inning, Adam Rosales hits a home run off of Chris Perez, clearly above the HR line. The umpire calls it a double and then they review the call on replay and keep it as a double. Granted, the worst umpire in baseball, Angel Hernandez, got the original call wrong, but how do you get that call wrong after seeing the replay? I am typically on the side of the umpire, even if they get a call wrong since it is only human to make a mistake, but this is not acceptable.

[COZ]

Yeah, it's human to miss a call.....unless its Angel Hernandez, then it's payback. He's brutal.

COZ

[Cocktails and Dreams]

I have no idea how you cannot use common sense to make the right call after seeing the replay. What did they think the ball hit to have it react that way? Unreal.

[Driver Love]

I am sick of the entire replay system in both baseball and the NFL. Why do we need to take the officials who are on the field trying to cover live action and then prance them into a some room or under a hood to view replays? Why can't we have ONE person, in a nice air conditions booth, who is designated as the "replay official" who can view the play, in HD, with a tech person there who can roll the footage back and forth. Make a decision within 30 seconds and radio the call down to the field?

Why is that not happening?

[Oaktown]

Biggest joke I have seen in a long time. Blown bang-bang calls, I totally get, but they watched the play, one which both teams announcers said was a clear home run and rule that? Unreal.

[BK METS]

Jim Joyce vs Angel Hernandez -

Jim Joyce messes up a bang-bang play where he clearly calls a guy safe, when he was obviously out, to kill a perfect game by Armando Galarraga. The class act that Jim Joyce is, he clearly spoke at length about the call after the game and clearly was devastated by making the wrong call. Again, the following day, he went out and shook the hand of Galarraga. Truly a guy who gets it and a great umpire, on top of that.

Angel Hernandez, on countless occasions makes bad calls and in big situations like last night. He is a "payback" umpire against players he doesn't like and he has no self control. He has been accused of speeding up games by calling more strikes when "he has an airplane to catch", amongst other absolutely horrific calls. BUT, all that aside, he makes the bad call last night and following the rules of instant replay in MLB, the "crew chief" is responsible for making the final determination of the call with the evidence provided. In this case, the crew chief is Angel Hernandez and it was his call at 2nd base. Based upon his history, he will never admit to making a bad call and in this case, he wouldn't reverse the call, even thought the evidence was staring him in the face. Then, after the game, you know he watched the instant replay again and realized he got it wrong, even if he somehow missed it during the instant replay at the time of the review, but refused to let reporters record his comments after the game.

How this guy is still a major league umpire and a CREW CHIEF, is beyond me.

[The Mighty Men]

Angel was and is clearly mis-named. Maybe it was wishful thinking by his parents.

[Ryan C]

Well - even as an Indian fan, cannot dispute that they totally blew that call. Ruined a great game in the process.

Indians on course to complete the sweep today, and this will taint their win streak a bit, but man it really sets up their series vs the Tigers this weekend nicely.

[Greg Ambrosius]

I am sick of the entire replay system in both baseball and the NFL. Why do we need to take the officials who are on the field trying to cover live action and then prance them into a some room or under a hood to view replays? Why can't we have ONE person, in a nice air conditions booth, who is designated as the "replay official" who can view the play, in HD, with a tech person there who can roll the footage back and forth. Make a decision within 30 seconds and radio the call down to the field?

Why is that not happening?

This is a spot on post for what happened this week. The NFL uses instant replay even more than MLB does and still does it worse than even college football. There is no reason to have the head NFL official go to a replay machine on the field and go under the curtain to make this call. It's all showmanship. Just hire an experienced official in the media room and give him every single camera angle to make the right call as quickly as possible. This can easily be done in every NFL game and it should be set up the same way for every MLB game. If the goal is to get every call right and get every call right as quickly as possible so that the flow of the game isn't interrupted then why not do this. The technology is definitely there to get the call right -- it was very clear that this was a home run that clanged off the top railing in Cleveland and the ball bounced back on the field -- then the leagues should do it.

We saw the same officials who bungled the play on the field get it wrong in replay in the Packers-Seahawks Monday Night Game. Granted, those were replacement officials, but the system allowed the same guys who made the bad call to say they were wrong and they wouldn't do it. The same thing happened on Wednesday night. Angel Hernandez was too proud to admit he made the wrong call in the first place and he wouldn't over-rule himself. So give that job to someone else.

This reminds me of the Andy Griffith show. Andy was the sheriff, so he could arrest somebody and if they wanted to appeal to the judge they had to go in front of Judge Andy Griffith. Well, he would never over-rule himself on a charge, right? In many ways, Angel Hernandez is Andy Griffith...or maybe more like Gomer or Goober.

[Money]

I am sick of the entire replay system in both baseball and the NFL. Why do we need to take the officials who are on the field trying to cover live action and then prance them into a some room or under a hood to view replays? Why can't we have ONE person, in a nice air conditions booth, who is designated as the "replay official" who can view the play, in HD, with a tech person there who can roll the footage back and forth. Make a decision within 30 seconds and radio the call down to the field?

Why is that not happening?

The NHL replays are done in their Toronto offices. All games are monitored and the correct call is communicated in a very timely fashion. The on ice referee's simply wait for the proper call. This is the best replay system in all of sports and everyone knows it. Why do the other major sports refuse to follow suit?

[DOUGHBOYS]

I feel that in the future, replays will be made without referees going under a hood or umpires leaving the field.
Umpires and referees have a union and I'm guessing that when instant replay was brought to them as a source of getting calls right, they balked.
It's only human nature.
Calls have been made by men through time. They've had control of that field and to relinquish total control of the field and let it go to a room with a monitor was unthinkable.

In order for them to have some control, they go under the curtain or leave the field to see the calls themselves.
They've always had the last word. It's tough letting that go to a replay booth far, far away.
But,it's a natural progression for them to go from all powerful, to less powerful, to powerless.
And without knowing it, while fighting for 'his call', Angel Hernandez probably hurried that progression.

[Greg Ambrosius]

I am sick of the entire replay system in both baseball and the NFL. Why do we need to take the officials who are on the field trying to cover live action and then prance them into a some room or under a hood to view replays? Why can't we have ONE person, in a nice air conditions booth, who is designated as the "replay official" who can view the play, in HD, with a tech person there who can roll the footage back and forth. Make a decision within 30 seconds and radio the call down to the field?

Why is that not happening?

The NHL replays are done in their Toronto offices. All games are monitored and the correct call is communicated in a very timely fashion. The on ice referee's simply wait for the proper call. This is the best replay system in all of sports and everyone knows it. Why do the other major sports refuse to follow suit?

It seems almost too efficient to be true Joe. That's really how the NHL does it? Amazing and smart. I don't see why MLB and/or NFL couldn't do it the same way and just as efficiently. It's time to use the technology to its fullest and stop disrupting games with calls that are still ruled incorrectly even after review. I like this way better.

[BK METS]

What is even crazier than this call, which when all is said and done, is awful, but the only thing they can stand on is that they didn't have the angle or camera view, that everyone else seemed to have.

In last night's Astros-Angels game, when they allowed the Astros to make a pitching change, which caused the Angels to put in a pinch hitter, then they allowed the Astros to make another pitching change, without the first pitcher throwing a pitch. This is getting ridiculous. The Angels played the game under protest and would have DEFINITELY won this protest, but they won the game so it didn't matter.

The umpires huddled up on numerous occasions to discuss the situation. How do they huddle up and come to that conclusion on a rule that everyone knows?

[Driver Love]

Greg,

You used the right word to describe the ref going under the hood in the NFL. "Showmanship." It is very theatrical. I think it is a joke. I have felt this way for a long time about replay. I am 100% in favor of having replay. I just think at times it could be used better. Those who argued against replay always complained it took too long. Well having one replay official changes that instantly. There are others who want a "Human element" as part of the game. The human element I am interested in is the competition on the field. Who among the players succeeds and fails is the human element fans are interested in. Not blown calls that can ruin sporting events.

We cannot be the only 2 who think there should be a replay official in the booth who can make lightening quick decisions correcting mistakes on the field. Why is this not happening? Who stands in the way of what seems to be common sense?

[Atlas]

Letting a separate set of eyes make the replay call does two things.

1. It takes the heat off the guys on the field. They don't have the one manager charging out at them, on way or another.
Just point to the guy upstairs and get on with the game.

2. How many times have you proof read a paper and missed the same mistake 2 or 3 times. Your eyes/brain saw it one way and you need extra effort to over ride what you think you saw to what really happened. I always ask someone to read after I write (except here ) just to get a different set of eyes on it. You could be right....but...

[DOUGHBOYS]

Selig has stated before that umpires need to be a part of the instant replay process to preserve the integrity of the game.
In actuality, I think the opposite may have happened.
If the 'home run ' had been sent to an instant replay umpire, not part of the umpiring crew, he would have no skin in making the call. He would simply make a determination based on video.
As it is now, umpires like Angel Hernandez do not want to be wrong. Even when the evidence stares him straight in the face.

[Fourslot40]

Ed Hochuli blew a huge call that determined a Denver/SD game. He admitted he made a mistake that was not reviewable in front of 50,000 home fans. Jim Joyce was apologetic and emotional about blowing a call on a perfect game. We expect human beings to make mistakes. However, for Angel Hernandez to throw gasoline on the fire and not own up, well I just don't feel sorry for that. I'm more disturbed with an official not owning up to a mistake. It's shady. I'll take officials like Hochuli and Joyce all day over instant replay with that sort of integrity.

[headhunters]

agree 100% with 4 slot.

[KJ Duke]

mes have you proof read a paper and missed the same mistake 2 or 3 times. Your eyes/brain saw it one way and you need extra effort to over ride what you think you saw to what really happened.

Taht's never happended to be before!

[Edwards Kings]

You used the right word to describe the ref going under the hood in the NFL. "Showmanship." It is very theatrical. I think it is a joke. I have felt this way for a long time about replay. I am 100% in favor of having replay. I just think at times it could be used better.

Wanna see what the refs are really checking when they go under the hood?

[Greg Ambrosius]

I am sick of the entire replay system in both baseball and the NFL. Why do we need to take the officials who are on the field trying to cover live action and then prance them into a some room or under a hood to view replays? Why can't we have ONE person, in a nice air conditions booth, who is designated as the "replay official" who can view the play, in HD, with a tech person there who can roll the footage back and forth. Make a decision within 30 seconds and radio the call down to the field?

Why is that not happening?

The NHL replays are done in their Toronto offices. All games are monitored and the correct call is communicated in a very timely fashion. The on ice referee's simply wait for the proper call. This is the best replay system in all of sports and everyone knows it. Why do the other major sports refuse to follow suit?

Hooray!!!! MLB is considering your idea Joe of a central location for all replay calls. Now that would be cool. Let's get the calls right!!!

Here you go:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/92826 ... nsion-2014

[Deadheadz]

NHL has used a central location for Replay for years. Nice to see MLB might follow suit.

[Daveclum]

Best move Mlb could make.I love it.

[rockitsauce]

MLB umps have to be the worst in all pro sports. The attitudes (ala Angel the DBag Hernandez) that they're never wrong is the icing on the cake. As others have mentioned there absolutely needs to be a SEPARATE official up in a booth w/ the ability to overide the stupidness that occurs on the field. In defending these buffons some will say they get 90% of the calls correct, if that's even true it's only b/c that would be the % of calls that the late Ray Charles could call correctly. The tough calls, the 10% if you will are almost ALWAYS blown. They are TERRIBLE.

Check out the latest example of their ineptitude -

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/umpi ... lay-052513

It's almost comical how incompetant these clowns are...probably not funny to the Mariners though.

[KJ Duke]

MLB umps have to be the worst in all pro sports. The attitudes (ala Angel the DBag Hernandez) that they're never wrong is the icing on the cake. As others have mentioned there absolutely needs to be a SEPARATE official up in a booth w/ the ability to overide the stupidness that occurs on the field. In defending these buffons some will say they get 90% of the calls correct, if that's even true it's only b/c that would be the % of calls that the late Ray Charles could call correctly. The tough calls, the 10% if you will are almost ALWAYS blown. They are TERRIBLE.

Check out the latest example of their ineptitude -

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/umpi ... lay-052513

It's almost comical how incompetant these clowns are...probably not funny to the Mariners though.

I can understand that one with the ump focused on moreland's foot. Nice play by Grimm disguising the fact that he caught it by grabbing Moreland. I'd put more blame on the other base umps for not noticing Grimm acting like to he was going to throw to 3b.