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Patrick Szalapski (quoted):
Carl has taken the above reasoning and applied it to come up with this list of the ONLY calls that may be changed:
---two umpires make opposite calls on the same play;
---a rule is misapplied;
---a call of ball on a half swing is "appealed";
---a call of foul/fair or home run/double on balls hit over the fence is questioned;
---a fielder drops a ball on a tag called out and the calling umpire does not see the drop.
................Instead, we must look at the TYPES of calls that are changable. Is a tag out judgement call changable, regardless of if there is ensuing, continuous action? If not, it is changable in no situations.
I fail to see significant differences in the last allowable exception per CC's list and the last paragraph written by Patrick as, indeed, there COULD be ensuing action after CC's last exception. In fact, I could provide you ways that items 2 and 3 of Carl's list could affect ensuing action. Therefore, using Patrrick's summaary paragraph, I guess that could reduce the list. Consequently, I must even start questioning the authoritativeness of the entirety of the list itself !!
Other sports changed and continue to change to improve what and where they may within their game. I don't think baseball (and its officials) should stand with their feet in concrete applauding the advancement of other sports. Certainly the opposite approach of jumping off a cliff is deadly. However, I don't feel most involved with the game or fans of the game would consider an umpire correcting an obviously poor decision as "jumping off a cliff". In fact, whereby Moose said this was done with consultation of another official, I think most would applaud the efforts of the official in trying his best to get the call right. Many umpires may disagree with that action. In whole, I feel the number of umpires disagreeing would be a sigmificant minority compared to the number of people agreeing wiht his efforts.
Not all situations can fall into "reversible" catefories. In fact, by the book, no judgement calls are reversible (despite Carl's list which includes several judgement calls). Somewhere, somehow, at sometime, someone must have said we in some way may alter from that book. Is that not correct? We obviously must use great judgement in possible reversible situations in regards to how that reversal may have impacted the ensuing play. That matter is addressed in other sports. However, where it has little or no impact on ensuing play, I respect an official who will put forth his best effort to get the call right.
Call me and my friend Columbus absurd if you wish, but we both think the world is round. I can't speak for Columbus, but I think the writer's of the rules would also respect an umpire's best efforts to get his call right while on the field. It is not a matter of dignity, it is a matter of fairness---and that is why, IMO, the game even includes umpires as part of the game itself !!!
Just my opinion,
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