[cc6]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

You may be right. McClelland had a really bad angle on the play. Who's fault was that? And I couldn't get the link to work. I'm going on memory from the live play, saying "safe, he didn't touch the plate!," yelling it over and over, before they ever showed a replay.

Hey, I'm really sorry that McClelland blew the call, but blow it he did. If he didn't see it, it was because he was screened by the catcher, which means he had a poor angle.

If it were Doug Eddings, C.B. Bucknor or Angel Hernandez or other unpopular umpire, everyone would be jumping all over him. But no, we dare not criticize Tim McClelland. What, we build a shrine? How about that horrible call against the Twins last night? Wow, talk about a gross miss! Are we going to stick up for that call too, just because we're "brother umpires." What a crock. If a pro or and amateur misses a call, there is nothing wrong with saying so.

McClelland is not immune to criticism anymore than Hernandez, Bucknor or Eddings are. The fact is he blew a critical call, and people can discuss the ramifications of it just like as would for any unpopular umpire.