MLB Judgement Play - 1986 AL Playoffs

[DDonnelly19]

Originally posted by Bfair
Who knows, at the protest committee they may have said Cooney acted within the intent of the General Instructions to Umpires which state it is more important to get the call right. Look in the book, the General Instructions are still there. If you have lost your rulebook, you might buy a new one---the General Instructions should still be there (at least the last time I looked). I consider that to be at least "authoritative opinion".

Don't forget, the protest in the Pine Tar incident went way of "intent" of rule vs. the actual verbatim wording and black & white print. I guess the commissioner's office must have seen some fine print between the lines that others couldn't see. It seems some may not have lost sight of the actual purpose of an umpire.......to be an impartial judge for fairness and balance......

Just my opinion,

Steve
Member
EWS

Steve, I hope someday a coach protests the game because you failed to abide by the GIU (General Instructions to Umpires). Since you're dead set on believing that the GIU is a part of the rules (and therefore protestable), let's look at some of the things that, according to your logic, can be protested under GIU:

-- Indulging in conversation with players or base coaches (Judgment of umpire whether "conversation" was taking place)
-- Not having uniform in good condition
-- Not being active and alert
-- Not acting courteous to club officials
-- Visitng club offices
-- Failure to carry rule book
-- Failure to keep game moving
-- Failure to keep your eye everlastingly on the ball while it is in play
-- Calling plays too quickly
-- Not calling your own plays
-- Calling plays correctly
-- Hesitating to consult another umpire (waiting until after the play is hesitating)
-- Failure to be courteous, impartial and firm, and so compel respect from all.

The only items I see Cooney guilty of is not calling his own plays, and hesitating to consult another official. If he couldn't see a tag and really needed help, he should have asked immediately. Of course, the replay is still inconclusive on whether they eventually got the call right. Now, since you believe the GIU to be a part of the rules, do you feel the game could have been protested because he hesitated to get help? Do you think a game can be protested because the umpire failed to carry his rule book with him?

If the commissioner does see some "fine print between the lines that others couldn't see" concerning the legality of changing calls and rules otherwise, that's his job, not yours. Until then, call it the way it's written, at least that's what the Pine Tar crew did.

Dennis