Umpiring in MLB

[David B]

Was reading on ESPN website and came across this poll in article about Bonds poor image and the decline in popularity of baseball in general.


13. How would you rate the overall quality of the umpires in Major League Baseball today? (Results from October 2005 in parentheses)
--Excellent, 22 percent (24)
--Good, 57 percent (56)
--Only fair, 14 percent (17)
--Poor, 4 percent (1)
--Not sure, 3 percent (2)
TOTAL EXCELLENT/GOOD -- 79 percent (80)
TOTAL FAIR/POOR -- 19 percent (18)

Source: AP-AOL Sports poll

IMO it shows that TV (replay, announcers etc) are affecting the opinion of umpires. Only 22 percent think its excellent???

I know there are some, but as a whole they are the best.

Thanks
David

[bluezebra]

Decline in popularity? I believe the Majors and Minors both set new attendance record.

As for the umpires. Unfortunately, the great unwashed American baseball fan believes the "Boob in the Booth" know more about the rules than the umpires. If the commentatators took a rules test, I doubt if any would score higher than 10%. None that I've ever heard knows what a "foul Tip" is. My favorites are, "The umpire wa**** by the foul tip", and "The foul tip went all the way to the backstop". Even Vin Scully, who's been announcing for over 50 years, doesn't know.

Bob

[bluezebra]

Decline in popularity? I believe the Majors and Minors both set new attendance record.

As for the umpires. Unfortunately, the great unwashed American baseball fan believes the "Boobs in the Booth" know more about the rules than the umpires. If the commentatators took a rules test, I doubt if any would score higher than 10%. None that I've ever heard knows what a "foul Tip" is. My favorites are, "The umpire was hit by the foul tip", and "The foul tip went all the way to the backstop". Even Vin Scully, who's been announcing for over 50 years, doesn't know.

**I tried to delete the previous post, because I ran two words together, and they were censored.

Bob

[Texas Aggie]

You can't equate attendance with popularity. How many of the 76 million plus that MLB asserts attended MLB games this year actually attended and sat in a seat (vs. buying a ticket)? How many of those 76 million were the same people who bought multiple game or season tickets?

A better measure for popularity is how much TV networks are paying for MLB coverage vs. other sports.

[tjones1]

Now that I think of it, it does seems like in the past few years announcers have been talking and explaining how they think the umpires manual is read.

[LMan]

Couple of factors (IMO):

1. The public has, by and large, accepted the presence of replay review in football and cannot or will not understand why baseball isn't following suit.

2. "knowing the rules of baseball" is something that every American assumes is ingrained by DNA, and it is an affront to man (woman)hood if they are proven wrong. The same people who will patiently listen to explanations of arcane football rules with an open mind will be greatly offended if their cherished (false) notions about baseball rules are exposed.


No other sport is quite like this. Just like that great "That's such a balk!" Bud commercial clip..."ummmm...well. There's a pitcher, see? ..and....a runner....ummmmm"

[LMan]

Illustration of point #1:

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1325768.php