[QUOTE=PeteBooth;782210]
Quote:
IMO, you are missing the point. The MAIN reason Professionals and college umpires are NOT calling the neighborhood and the expected call is not because they do not want to or being an excellent umpire etc.
the reason is because of replay. Plain and Simple. a close play on ESPN is shown over and over and over again using a gazillion angles and Super Slo mo. Same with the college games that are on TV.
If this OP were posted "back in the day" the call would be out - PERIOD. You mean to tell me the PROS/D1 college umpires do not want outs if they can get them.
The neighborhood / expected call were around a LOOONG LOOONG time and it was the same for both teams. There used to be an old adage - When you are OUT you are OUT.
just because things change etc. doesn't necessarily translate into a better game.
In the play in question, F3 had his glove down, Plenty of time to get the runner. One of the reasons for the expected call was "why risk injury when there is no need to"
Since I am NOT on TV etc. I still subscribe to the "neighborhood" / phatom tag / expected call theories. I grew up with these calls and NO-ONE thought "twice" about it. We did not think that the umpires were cheating / had lack of Cijonies / etc. It was the way WE wanted the game to be called. It was the same for both teams so no-one had an unfair advantage over another.
Pete Booth
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You missed many of my posts regarding this subject. In almost every one, I have noted that television coverage is responsible for making umpires more accountable for their calls. We saw a similar change occur in umpire demeanor. It used to be acceptable for umpires to say what they felt out there, that is not the case any longer.
I have been at this for a while too, Pete. I don't speak of my experience or brag of past accomplishments. Along the way, I saw umpires who emulated the big boys and made phantom calls, MF'd those who questioned them and mailed it in when they didn't care. Thankfully, some did care and the way we are expected to officiate has evolved. If you truly believe that making the wrong call (per the rules, not what brought you less criticism) didn't create an advantage then, IMO, you are mistaken. Calls don't even out. Some umpires like to think so, but it's rarely the case.
Your statement about the expected call arriving from a player's need to avoid injury is off. Lazy/cheating players and umpires caused it to happen. When they found it wouldn't be questioned, the die was cast. Thankfully, umpire mechanics, pride and instant replay recast it.
I worked with a guy who used to say, don't polish your shoes (when he saw me shining them up), this level of ball doesn't deserve it. He would limit his hustle and reply that it was expected. I always wondered, by whom? I maintain that if the throw beats the player, the glove is on the ground in front of the base and the runner adjusts to beat it, the runner is safe. I have no problem telling a defensive coach why the guy was safe. My assignors concur.