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Originally Posted by wadeintothem
...MLB ... MLB ... MLB ... MLB ...
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I generally do not respond to robotic mechanics threads, because it is not a topic I am all that interested in, but a couple of points.
1. MLB umpiring is not the gold standard for softball umpiring for several reasons:
a) Bigger crew (4 man minimum)
b) Bigger field
c) Different game
d) Played by adult professional athletes
and, not insignificantly,
e) Is primarily entertainment; athletic competition is a secondary objective. (If you want to see where this entertainment thinking leads, look at some MiLB umpiring antics, and especially LL world series antics.)
I've seen plenty of lazy, poorly positioned, and wrong calls at MLB games, some from the most nearly deified members of the profession. The MLB umpires seem to operate from a tenure position. When was the last time an experienced MLB umpire was demoted for poor performance?
Olympic official selection is heavily political, I would imagine (since everything else about the Olympics is, why wouldn't this be as well?), so to imply that these are the best softball umpires in the world is highly questionable at best.
I have no doubt the umpires from USA are among the best that ASA has at this level, but the need for geographic diversity and responding to political influence means that it is highly unlikely that the crew as a whole is the cream of the world-wide available umpires. Therefore, the emphasis on simplifying the mechanics may be an issue here.
Their uniforms are unspeakably ugly, though.