[greymule]

The "ball on the ground" reversal embarrassment is actually something relatively new. Watch films of MLB games from the fifties and even well into the sixties, and you'll see many calls reversed. Back then, the custom was to call the play immediately, even instantly, and reverse it if the ball came out. In the 1964 series, there's an "out" call on a force at 2B as the ball thrown from Bobby Richardson touches Phil Linz's glove, followed by a "safe" call as Linz drops it. Ralph Houk did not come out and say, "But you called him out!"

In those days, the call we all saw in the Little League series would have been handled exactly the way umpire Kudej did handle it.

There was also no delay on balls and strikes. In many cases, you see the umpire's arm up as the ball is hitting the catcher's glove.

Other differences: the top of the strike zone was significantly higher, and checked swings were rarely called strikes, or even appealed by the defense, for that matter.