Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty (Post 617525)

Major League Baseball umpires are ostensibly the best in the world. And several former MLB umpires are among the best teachers of umpiring in the world. So when there is some bad umpiring going on, it leads one to wonder why we can't come up with someone better. With the microscope of television and delivery of every game that's played, we all see all the bad calls that we can stand, making it look more glaring than it is.

But it seems like Bill Hohn is on more than his share of bad call highlight clips. Is there anyone who is regarded as worse than him?

Originally Posted by LDUB (Post 617603)

And before you come and say it, no I'm not being disagreeable;

Originally Posted by briancurtin (Post 617600)

He once took a foul ball so hard it got knocked off.

Originally Posted by LDUB (Post 617603)

The knee is no longer a valid plate stance now or what?

Originally Posted by cc6 (Post 617614)

I thought the knee stance wasn't used anymore or valid. My guess is one knee would make it hard to move from behind the dish and to see over some catchers.

Originally Posted by LDUB (Post 617603)

I thought it was Tim McClelland who was the worst? I guess you just watch TV and whoever appears to miss a close call is the worst to you.

From the other thread...



1. Right hand...who cares? Find a real reason to hate on him.
2. The knee is no longer a valid plate stance now or what?
3. Yeah he missed a call; big deal.
4. How else do you eject someone who is in the dugout? Get a clue.

And before you come and say it, no I'm not being disagreeable;

Originally Posted by LMan (Post 617700)

So, does this mean Doug Eddings is off the hook?

Originally Posted by mbyron (Post 617629)

OK, first: you must learn to distinguish MiLB from MLB. In MiLB the umpires toe the line and do exactly as they're told in order to advance. This includes using prescribed plate stances.

In MLB, the umpires can do as they like. The knee does make it more difficult to get out from behind the plate, but in the 4-umpire system that's less of an issue. And plate umpires do not need to "see over" catchers in any currently accepted stance: they're in the slot.

Originally Posted by LMan (Post 617700)

So, does this mean Doug Eddings is off the hook?

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty (Post 617764)

I don't know how many pitches most people have caught with a catcher's mitt, but I have caught countless thousands, and there are catches you make with the web mashed into the ground and the ball hits the web and bounces up into the pocket of the mitt. That's the kind of catch that Josh Paul made on that Eddings disaster.