Is anyone else sick and tired ...

[kylejt]

Since he stopped working from a knee (injury), he's been like Lerch behind the plate. Just awful. And that's a shame, because he used to be one of the best.

But you can't fire these guys, and no one has the balls to tell him he can't work any more, I guess. Pity.

[mbyron]

Has he missed calls? Been out of position? What's the problem?

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Has he missed calls? Been out of position? What's the problem?

Yup. Padres vs. Rockies, 2007 one game playoff. Game ending play at the plate.

Plus, announcers have come to hate him because his calls are now so dreadfully slow. They don't know if it's a ball or a strike.

I know some MLB umpire lovers think that these guys have earned the right to do whatever they want to do on the field. Not me. I think they should be the standard bearer of what umpires should be. The best of the best.

[johnnyg08]

Would it have made a difference if he sold the heck out of it and still "got it wrong" in the eyes of the other side?

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

Would it have made a difference if he sold the heck out of it and still "got it wrong" in the eyes of the other side?

Speaking as a Padres fan: Absolutely.

It's one thing to miss a close call (who hasn't done that). But quite another to just stand there like you're in a fog. It just looks bad.

[mbyron]

Oh right. MLB should hire and fire umpires based on fans' and announcers' opinions.

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Oh right. MLB should hire and fire umpires based on fans' and announcers' opinions.

Well, maybe.

MLB is in the entertainment business, like it or not. It's a show. If part of that show isn't working, you may want to rethink it.

In a pure sense MLB would be evaluating umpires, and have the best product on the field every year. Obviously that doesn't happen. These guys have become like line workers at a GM plant. Complacent.

Look, I get why these guys don't want to leave these gigs. The money is FINALLY worth it, and they've got nothing else to fall back on. They're not like NFL officials, who actually have other jobs. This is all they know. They've given up a good hunk of their lives to get there, and don't want that paycheck to end. I get it. There just should be a better way, as these guys hang around far too long.

[Kevin Finnerty]

You're in a tough fight defending this guy. He has become an embarrassment to the profession. Just look at him whenever he is on the field. His posturing is as lazy and unprofessional as you will ever see. And that fog that Kyle referred to: he's in it virtually all the time.

He only kicked two calls in last night's game, but it's not completely about that. It's about being and appearing diligent and professional, if not merely awake. If he got most of his calls right like you claim, it would be a somewhat different story, but he doesn't do that either.

When he got stuck in the wrong spot on that season-ending call that he blew against the Padres, he told Tim Tschida afterward, "I didn't really see it, but he must have been safe."

It's disappointing that a vocation that I care so deeply about is being represented at the highest level of competition by someone so lazy and disinterested. Give it up and let a true pro take over. It's the big leagues.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by kylejt

Plus, announcers have come to hate him because his calls are now so dreadfully slow. They don't know if it's a ball or a strike.

Yeah, and I always defended Greg Bonin for his "timing," but McClelland makes Bonin look like Frank Pulli in comparison. At least when Bonin called them, there was enthusiasm.

[Steven Tyler]

Saw T Mac work tonight. I thought he did great job. His timing isn't as slow as described in any post.

He just isn't as herky jerky as most umpires.

[UMP25]

I'm still trying to figure out just how Tim is "an embarrassment to his profession." Just who is embarrassed? I'm certainly not, and my peers who are familiar with Tim aren't, and I doubt Tim's MLB peers are embarrassed.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Oh, okay ... I guess he's a source of pride, then.

And, watching him somnambulate through his U1 performance last night is what got me going. His laziness and disinterest are more glaring out there than when he works the plate.

Geez, I remember when I liked him ... and defended him. It's sad when any baseball performer hangs on too long.

[PeteBooth]

Kyle I do not think we will ever get the "best of the best" unless the dinamics change.

In other professions you can make a decent living at the apprentice (learning ) level before you move up. In other words while you are "earning your stripes" you are not starving.

Look at the pay scale of a minor league umpire. Heck you can make more money by being a manager at Walmart.

Also, I believe you have so many years in the minors to "make it" after that you simply get a letter from MLB telling you MLB no longer requires your services. No severance pay no nothing.

How is that kind of system going to attract the "best of the best" It attracts those that can Live within those perameters. Ie; no family to support or if you are lucky a wife who makes good bucks etc. etc.

Also, being a MLB umpire is like being on the US Supreme Court meaning you are there for life for all practical purposes. How many spots are open each year? It is not that many

Therefore, until the dinamics change IMO, you will not see the best of the best.

Pete Booth

[SanDiegoSteve]

I find it just amazing that the same folks who always bash Froemming are willing to fall all over themselves to defend McClelland. Bruce at least went through the motions of hustling.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by kylejt

Since he stopped working from a knee (injury), he's been like Lerch behind the plate. Just awful. And that's a shame, because he used to be one of the best.

But you can't fire these guys, and no one has the balls to tell him he can't work any more, I guess. Pity.

And, honestly Kyle, the comparison with Lurch is a little unfair. Lurch regularly showed more quickness and interest than McClelland. Nice try.