Bruce to call #5,000

[scottyman51]

He always gets hit when he is behind the plate during red sox games. two years ago getting one off the wrist,breaking it,and still umping.

It was a great honor for Bruce.

[jwwashburn]

Is this where they used to teach them to stand? I hope that link works-it is a play at the plate from game #5000.


I love how Bruce got right in his face almost before he started arguing.

Joe

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

Is this where they used to teach them to stand? I hope that link works-it is a play at the plate from game #5000.


I love how Bruce got right in his face almost before he started arguing.

Joe

He was actually in great position to see the play, but it looks like if the ball beats you, you're out. It seems to look like the runner got his foot in.

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by RonRef

He was actually in great position to see the play, but it looks like if the ball beats you, you're out. It seems to look like the runner got his foot in.

I was wrong, it doesn't seem that the runner was safe, there is no doubt that he was safe. Pudge looks surprised that he was called out.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by RonRef

I was wrong, it doesn't seem that the runner was safe, there is no doubt that he was safe. Pudge looks surprised that he was called out.

The video is a little blurry and the size of a baseball card. How in the world can you say he blew the call?

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

The video is a little blurry and the size of a baseball card. How in the world can you say he blew the call?

I am not a big Bruce fan, I think (my opinion) that Bruce is in the bottom 10% of the league and should have been let go when all the union stuff went down years ago. He kept his job because he is friends with Bud Selig. He is taking up a spot that should have gone to a AAA guys long ago.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by RonRef

I am not a big Bruce fan, I think (my opinion) that Bruce is in the bottom 10% of the league and should have been let go when all the union stuff went down years ago. He kept his job because he is friends with Bud Selig. He is taking up a spot that should have gone to a AAA guys long ago.

Who, Bob Davidson? Balkin' Bob couldn't carry Bruce's jock, but he keeps reappearing for some reason. I don't get the attraction.

[David B]

Originally Posted by RonRef

I was wrong, it doesn't seem that the runner was safe, there is no doubt that he was safe. Pudge looks surprised that he was called out.

My son is a huge Red Sox fan and he thought he was out.

I agree with him. If the ball beats you that badly, you're going to be out
every time.

Bruce might be getting old, but he's still hanging in there with all of the young guys and he still has a lot of respect from the players.

Thanks
David

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by David B

Bruce might be getting old, but he's still hanging in there with all of the young guys and he still has a lot of respect from the players.

Thanks
David

So much respect that they once again rated him in the bottom ten of MLB umpires.

Source: SI Players Survey

[Rich]

Originally Posted by GarthB

So much respect that they once again rated him in the bottom ten of MLB umpires.

Source: SI Players Survey

According to the 2003 survey, most of the "bad ratings" came from players with 2 years or less in the bigs.

[mattmets]

Originally Posted by GarthB

So much respect that they once again rated him in the bottom ten of MLB umpires.

Source: SI Players Survey

They also rated Joe West in both the top AND bottom 10. How much credence do you realyl lend to that poll?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by GarthB

So much respect that they once again rated him in the bottom ten of MLB umpires.

Source: SI Players Survey

Garth,

Remember, the bottom 10 of them is better than the top 10 of any of us. Or so I've been told.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by RonRef

He was actually in great position to see the play, but it looks like if the ball beats you, you're out. It seems to look like the runner got his foot in.

It is not possible to see from that video if Javy Lopez ever even touched the plate. I am not saying that Bruce kicked the call.

I was just commenting on the positioning...I think that they teach them to be behind the plate now, don't they?

Joe

[SanDiegoSteve]

I appeared in live action that he got his foot in before the tag, but from a different angle and in slow motion it sure looks like he was blocked off and came up short. Even the usually-eager-to-jump-on-ump broadcasters said it looked like Bruce got it right after all.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

I was just commenting on the positioning...I think that they teach them to be behind the plate now, don't they?

The 1BLX and 3BLX positioning is relatively new. When Bruce learned to umpire, the proponents of these new-fangled ideas were either not born yet or cuddlin' a Cabbage Patch. He just gets in the best position to see the play.

Froemming = 5,000 major league games umpired.

Steve and Joe combined = zero, zilch, zip, nada, the null set MLB games umpired.

See the contrast?