Umpire chokes on the call, and is made a hero?

Umpire chokes on the call, and is made a hero? I agree his performance after the horrific call was great, BUT that was one of the greatest choke jobs of umpiring I have ever seen......right behind Denkinger in the KC/Stl series robbery, and of course the Lakers/Sacramento series robbery as well. How many umps would have gotten that call right? 99%? 99.8%? It would be the equivalent of a 94% FT shooter clanging 2 back to back down 1 on the line with :00 left.

Society rewards integrity more than accuracy.

[B]I agree with you, Fez, that was a choke job especially since we live in a new baseball era where the tie has been going to the first baseman! RUDY[/B]

Baseball's Unwritten Rules (The Code) are Bullshit Just heard Ken Kaiser on AM 570 rant about how there should be no replay of any kind. Accept the human error aspect of the game and move on, he says. Also, he said the umpire shouldn't seek help from another ump even if he feels unsure of the call. Kaiser said Joyce makes 300k a year and has to make his own calls. What a bunch of crap! I guess Kaiser doesn't check with the first base umpire on check-swings when he's behind the plate. Just take a guess and live with it. What he's really saying is that umpires are bigger than the game because it isn't important to get the calls right. Let's not embarrass the poor umpire by second guessing him with the camera or by insisting he get help from another official. Nobody wants to sit around and watch every close play get reviewed but it's clear that the public wants the calls to be correct above all else (that supports the integrity of the sport) and that's why we have more and more replays in sports. Baseball needs to get with the program and do everything it can to see the calls are right. I hate THE CODE as it pertains to this and other crap that goes on in baseball, like let's throw beanballs at their guy because they hit too many homers or stole a base while up 5 runs. Let's lie and not rat out some dirt-bag in our clubhouse for doing drugs or other illegal stuff (or betting on games) even if we can't stand the guy, because that's just not done in baseball.

The bad call was obviously unfortunate, but it's not as big a deal as everyone is making it. It didn't blow a perfect game for the guy, it blew a CHANCE for a perfect game. If he calls the guy out, then everything changes, the pressure obviously increases, thoughts change, players reaction to the event unfolding differently change, and you never know what could have happened. But the guy most likely doesn't throw a perfect game even if the ump gets the call right. Everything afterwards changes is he calls him out. If I was the pitcher or the Tigers, would I want to kill the guy? Hell yes, he blew his chance for immortality.

Climate, there were 2 outs in the 9th. That was it. Game over.

Calsport, are you against fighting in hockey, too? Your points make sense from a gambling perspective, but from a baseball perspective, I feel that it strips the heart out of the game to sterilize it so. I also believe the code and all that goes with it are what is exacerbating the game's slow death, but I would rather that happen than have the game turn into something it isn't, just so we can have it for longer.

I hate replay, but there is no reason not to implement a "challenge call" type system where the manager can request a review. One per game. If the manager gets it right they get another. It also strikes me as odd that the umpires want to be regarded as "human" and have fans, players, etc accept the human error as part of the game; yet they want to be "robotlike" and not ask for help. It makes no sense-- I can not think of any other industry that tells it's employees not to consult with others to get the decision right. Football Basketball and other sports have discussions all the time in an attempt to get it right. That is what humans do.

Joel, I'm OK with fighting in hockey but I wouldn't miss it if it were absent. I don't watch hockey to hope to see fights. That's a different sport. Goon against goon in hockey is fine, even entertaining but I never liked the "policeman" concept. Don't bump Gretzky or McSorley's gonna come get you. Please, just play hockey. Anyway, getting calls right isn't sterilizing the game. I totally agree with Sportsmemo's comments. Consult and get it right. Blown calls can have huge ramifications. After the fact people only remember who won and if someone got jobbed along the way they are only whiners and cry babies. In my book Dallas beat Miami in the NBA finals a few years back. The officials gave the series to Wade. That's just crying now. That New England "tuck rule" call was bull shit in my eyes. Huge ramifications, but it's just crying now. Years ago the Dallas receiver pushed off against the Viking cornerback for the game winning TD catch. I think it was Pearson; anyway it's just crying now. There'd be a lot less crying about officiating if we'd do everything within reason to GET THE CALLS RIGHT. I don't go to games to see umpires or linesmen. If computers or robots can do it and keep the game moving I'm all for it. Let the Cyclopes officiate the tennis matches. I'd like to see Serena threaten to shove a ball.... BTW, getting back to THE CODE, I have zero respect for pitchers who throw at hitters. Blatant cowardice because there is no ability to retaliate against the pitcher (usually).

I don't want to drag this offtopic. Feel free to delete/modify my post as necessary. Have you played organized team sports? There are only two officials on the ice for most levels of ice hockey play. They are going to miss things when there are 12 players on the ice. There are 4, I believe, in the NHL, but the play is so much faster that they are still going to miss things. Your team's best players will get gooned if there is no one to present a diversion. It is my opinion that your opinion is idealistic. I also know that I am in the minority about not wanting instant replay. I would rather see a baseball game delayed 10 minutes by a fat bald guy in pajamas yelling at a fat bald guy wearing black than have it be delayed 10 minutes while some guy goes off the field to look at a monitor. It eliminates one type of corruption while introducing the potential for another type. I see it as a wash.