Bill Hohn: Worst MLB umpire or merely the most glaring?

[cc6]

Originally Posted by LDUB

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

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.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by cc6

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.

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.

[Dakota]

Actually, Gerry Davis is the worst. No question.


Wait... never mind.... I'm just holding a grudge for a "bad" call he made 3 years ago...

[LMan]

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

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by LMan

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

Wait, I thought it was agreed that Angel Hernandez was the worst!

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by LMan

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

Not for Cards fans.

Anyway, I thought it was C. B. Bucknor.

[jwwashburn]

Wow!

I forgot just how bad this was.

If that fist pump was not an out signal, what was it?

And for Eddings to say he actually KNEW Paul did not catch it is preposterous. there is NO way that the PU could know that. Even from the super slow mo, I do not think anyone could know that.

[Kevin Finnerty]

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.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by mbyron

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.

The best umpire I ever worked with in High School ball(he used to work NCAA, as well) was about 6'6" and used the knee because it was pretty darn difficult for him to get low enough AND hold that-he found the knee to work very well for him. I never once had a problem with my partner not being in the right spot.

Joe