Great Timing!

[BigUmp56]

Top of the eighth in last nights Korea -vs- Japan game. Runner is advancing to third and is beaten by the throw. F5 puts down the tag but the ball comes out of his glove and rolls under the runner. I don't know who the guy was working as BU3, but he showed impecable text book timing and great mechanics for a dropped ball on that play. I think everyone in the stands had the runner out and only the umpire and the fielder knew the ball was on the ground. Great call!


Tim.

[Sal Giaco]

I don't know his name but I bet he wasn't an american umpire. It seems like the entire tournament has had american minor/mlb umpires at the plate, 1B & 2B and a foreign umpire at 3B. I have yet to see a umpire from another country work any other position other than 3B.

Props to James Hoye and Rob Drake for nailing their calls as well. I thought Adam Dowdy did a nice plate job under some big pressure. The game was pretty intense and the crew did the best they could to control the players/coaches. I don't think I could handle these Latin American teams - they make american "rats" seem like angels.

[Antonella]

You are right: 3B is only for non-USA umpires.
Here you are a friend of mine, from Italy:

http://www.umpire.it/modules.php?nam...p=getit&lid=78

Ciao

[SanDiegoSteve]

That was an exciting game. Now if USA can just get past Mexico......See everyone at Petco!

[Sal Giaco]

Personally, I think it is a little unfair to have non-USA umpires ONLY work 3B. Can you imagine getting the notice that you will be working the World Baseball Classic....BUT you're only allowed to work 3B.

Don't get me wrong, I think the professional umpires in the US, both MiLB and MLB, are the best in the world - largely due to the training we have here in the states. However, if you are good enough to be invited to work an international competition, than you should be able to work all positions - not just 3B.

The WBC can't have it both ways - they either have all of the umpires from the MLB/MiLB or diversify the group and have a certain number from each country and let them work ALL positions. Heck, they won't even let those 3B umpires carry the stop watch for commercial brakes - what they aren't qualified to tell time either. I think you guys get my point.

[BigUmp56]

If you feel Lady Liberty is treating you poorly, Walter, then you know what they say.

"Love her or leave her."


Tim.

[Antonella]

I just want to say Italian Umpires are PROUD to have had an umpire to WBC.
We all perfectly know he is able to work EVERY position on the field.
But the Company is not 'his' nor 'our' Company. Someone else's taking the decisions.
One should better behave himself like he must in this kind of situations: stay to your own place, do the best you can do for your colleagues and for the teams, give 101% and gain respect from the participants.
My friend did ALL this and that's enough.
Complaining about rules you cannot change it's not only useless: this can affect your performance and your path towards excellence.

At the time he had to come back home, another umpire asked hime to exchange uniforms: now this guy is still directing games with my friend's shirt number on his shoulder.
Could you believe we were all moved listening to this?
It was like a big victory for my friend and for all of us!

About non-USA umpires I can only say (please note I am just a former softball umpire and this is my point of wiev) they are able to work WBC even if NONE of them is a professional.
My friend gained this opportunity even if it means sacrificing his job, his family... he's not doing this for the big money.
There's a HUGE passion for this game: we love baseball - maybe this passion should be noticed once in a while by those who makes decisions...

JMHO

Ciao

[Sal Giaco]

Antonella,

Thanks for posting on our forum - It's nice to have a little international flavor in the mix. I have lots of family in Italy (both near Rome and Palermo) and I hope to one day umpire a tournament in Italy.

Salvatore Giacomantonio

[NIump50]

Originally posted by btman

Good chance you won't either. We're getting pummelled in the international press for it and damn well we shoulf. It so typically american, and then patriot-idiots wonder why we are hated globally. When we're not in a perpetual state of war, which we always are, we meddling in civil affairs of democratically elected governments. Then here comes the WBC and , surprise surprise says Gomer, " we dun made up the rules fir it tooo. Goooollllllleeeeeeee."

Here we had a chance to take "our game", run it fairly and evenhandedly, (listening to the people who know and have been tellling us for decades to start redoing our approach internationally or else; else came on 9/11) and instead we meatclaw the officiating. Then when Davidson goes waaaaayyy over the top and hands the Japanese their butts, Americans (umpires) cry. "it's a judgment call, he wasn't being a homer." And our american image goes to hell in a handbasket for the UMPteenth time.

Stop right there. Before you begin your flag waving diatribes about how generous we are with the worold, the USDA is 16th, 16th in handing out foreign aid. Better than half of that goes to one country. Israel.

I hope the WBC stands the tst of time. If we don't kill it first.

Sal makes an observation about international umpires and immediately you have to turn to name calling and political USA bashing.
There are plenty of USA hating blogs and forums you can spit your venom into, lets leave this forum for baseball.
There's lots I can say in response to your post but I'm trying real hard to listen to my own advice, so I'll just leave it at this.

[Antonella]

Originally posted by Sal Giaco
Antonella,

Thanks for posting on our forum - It's nice to have a little international flavor in the mix. I have lots of family in Italy (both near Rome and Palermo) and I hope to one day umpire a tournament in Italy.

Salvatore Giacomantonio

Salvatore,

hope so!
My town is Nettuno, near Anzio (and this name should mean something for the elders) - everybody here is mad about baseball.

To "btman":
Sport is for UNITE people. I am not saying I totally disagree with your statements, but pls let OTHERS make war. Umpires ARE (or at least should be) a community, no matter what country are we from...

Ciao a tutti gli amici del baseball!

[Sal Giaco]

NIUmp50 & Antonella,

Don't get to caught up with "btman's" comments. You know how these discussion forums are and it's probably better for everyone's sake if you just look the other way.

Everyone is allowed to post their feelings and if you don't agree with btman (or anyone else for that matter), just ignore them and usually they will go away.

[GarthB]

Originally posted by Antonella
You are right: 3B is only for non-USA umpires.
Here you are a friend of mine, from Italy:

http://www.umpire.it/modules.php?nam...p=getit&lid=78

Ciao

I could be mistaken, but wasn't Davidson working 3B when he screwed the pooch on the home run/foul call?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally posted by GarthB

I could be mistaken, but wasn't Davidson working 3B when he screwed the pooch on the home run/foul call?

Which call was that? What game?

[GarthB]

My mistake. Davidson was U1. I didn't see the play, only comments on it. It wasn't fair/foul, it was homerun/2B call. Here's a description:

"In the bottom of the third inning of the second-round game between Mexico and the United States, Mexican hitter Mario Valenzuela batted a ball into right field that bounced off the yellow foul pole (later proven by the yellow paint mark on the baseball) and back onto the field. By rule, the hit was a home run; first base umpire Bob Davidson (same umpire in Japanese controversy), though, ruled that the ball remained in play and credited Valenzuela with a double, the strident protests of Mexican manager Paquin Estrada notwithstanding. Valenzuela would later score on a Jorge Cantu single. Mexico went on to win the game, 2-1."

[SanDiegoSteve]

Garth,

See my thread, "Davidson does it again!"

He's made a couple of questionable ball/strike calls today already. I guess he's the King of the Umps in this classic, getting to work the plate in a six-man crew for the semis.