Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountaincoach
I guess the question becomes when does doing the right thing and getting the call right become more important than age-old precedents, traditions, don't want to step on somebody else's toes, which plays are reviewable and which are not, the fear that every single close play will become a huddle among umpires, it will slow the game down if we actually talk about it or (Heaven forbid) look at an instant replay, let's not embarrass our colleague, etc. etc.?
Let's face it. Names like Welke and Joyce have become household names for the wrong reasons. That umpire last night will probably not obtain such legendary status, because the situation was corrected before it got out of hand and the sports and news media got hold of it.
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And who made them household names? The press and the fans. You don't hear or read of other umpires bringing up their names and saying Joyce and Welke should go down in infamy. But you just might hear them say Demuth opened up a huge Pandora's Box.
Yeah, they are age-old traditions and precedents. But unless the union decided that those traditions must change for the 2013 World Series, why now? Why not at the start of the post-season? Or the start of the 2013 regular season?
Until real change is formally put into effect (e.g., the use of instant replay), you go with what is expected of your trade, no matter how old. If what Demuth did is considered correct by those who REALLY matter (and, to me, the press and fans don't matter here; it's the fellow umpires who matter), I would really like to know.
You ridicule how every close play will now get reviewed. Well, guess what? That is now the standard. Heaven help the umpire of this crew who doesn't give in to the whines of the manager. Heck, I'm guessing that the expectation is for umpires to come running in like their NFL and NBA counterparts to "help" their partner get the call right even before the manager steps out of the dugout.