[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Originally posted by Sal Giaco

Pete,
You're right, U2 (Knight) messed up and stepped in when he shouldn't have. But why make matter's worse and overturn the call? Now instead of a blown mechanic and little, if any controversy, you have a blown mechanic AND and blown call AND a whole lot of controversy.

It's hard enought as umpires to fight public perception and scrutiny, but Davidson basically cut his own throat and made it worse for everyone.

I need no remind everyone of the 'get the call right' theory of umpiring. Davidson knows what it is like to have to make the toughest calls in the game. We had a war of words over how impossible it is for amateur umpires to consider working AAA baseball. Now, the hordes are swarming on a man who works AAA and in the Show. My, my...

Hindsight is twenty-twenty. I'm fairly certain that if any of our games were scrutinized in slow motion and split screens, we'd look pretty bad.

If Davidson truly believed that he had the call, it was his to make. Don't give me any of that 'influenced by Buck' nonsense either. He HAS to wait for the appeal and of course Buck is going to be hot. Watch the replay in real time speed. Check the reaction of the team on the bench, they all jumped up and started pointing. They must have witnessed something too.

That was a difficult call to make. Like the balk in the CWS Supers, it takes incredible courage to do what you think is correct. He did not cut his throat on that call. He proved that he has the stones to take the heat on a tough call. The Japanese showed amazing restraint but they always do. Oh is a classy skipper, even when angry.

Big games are usually decided by mistakes. Sometimes the players make them while others are determined by the umpire. Davidson must have been convinced that his call was correct and that is all that matters. He does not have the luxury of instant replay.