Nothing whimsical here. A poster named fair/foul as THE easiest call in baseball. I disagreed. You asked for examples. I gave you three.

The easiest call that requires effort and/or judgment to make, then.

So a full swing doesn't require anyone to judge if it was a swing or not? What if the PU blinks? What if he is blocked by the catcher? It is very possible to miss a full swing. It happened to Eric Gregg in a NL game.

I really haven't seen anyone doing that here. Although several people here seem to be looking to bash MLB umpires whenever they get the chance.

SDS

Not arguing that the call was kicked big-time or whatever phrase anyone would like to use.

Did the ball tick the glove in this case? Have you read anything about that? If so, he probably couldn't hear that with all the noise, even though that would have made it fair also. If he thought the ball was going to be caught, and then would have to point fair, and then follow the player's momentum into the wall before making the catch sign, and then the ball wasn't caught and the empty glove blocked his view of where the ball hit the ground until after the bounce, who knows, especially when you get the tunnel vision of being too close to the play and it all kind happens in the blink of an eye.

If you are too far from this play (although in this instance maybe it could have helped) and the ball just ticks the glove while barely fair but does not show a change of direction, and some how would have been just foul, then everyone would say he wasn't close enough to the play. There just may have been more involved in the whole process, including trying to stay out of the way of the fielder, (what a disaster if one were to run into the fielder on that play) and fighting that natural instinct to go out as far as you can to get a good look at the play when working during the regular season.

A high fly ball dropping fair or foul with zero chance of a player or players screening him is the easiest call in umpiring. Not any fair/foul, that fair/foul.

And I re-stated it because the chronically disagreeable LDUB once again stated that my personal opinion is wrong, but made no claim of an easier call in so doing.

Some of these examples of easier "calls" are pretty curious. That call he blew is the easiest call in umpiring. Just because some of you can imagine that there is something easier, doesn't change my opinion.

I have enjoyed watching you try to come up with an easier call. That's dedication to a cause. Very admirable.

Enough.

Or, more accurately, too much.

I'm interested in why a handful of people can come out with something obtuse or absurd or disagreeable and are never dressed down by you. Never. I state an honest opinion, and it is disputed--in some cases rather weakly--and there is a debate. Big deal. What's the harm?

It's been entertaining watching some guys come up with an easier call. Some of them aren't even calls! (Can of corn to second base.)

I guess I'll be waiting with baited breath for an easier call than a ball dropping straight down clearly fair 25 feet away with no obstacles.

Good grief.

Bob's comment appeared after your post but did not refer specifically to your post.

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc.

Michael,

Are you suggesting that sequence does not necessarily imply causality? Wow. I'll have to think about that one!

Kevin,

It's " 'bated ".

JM

1. Yes.

2. How do you know his breath is not baited? Maybe he ate some worms.

Michael,

It's just that that has to be the easiest Shakespearian allusion in his entire oeuvre. I can't believe Kevin missed it.

JM

I always enjoy misspelling one out of a quarter million words and getting called on it. It's a veiled compliment, actually. (And veil is definitely v-e-i-l.) ;)

Absolutely. No debate at all. Not only the easiest, but perhaps one of his most accessible. Athough, I have always been disappointed that the second half of the phrase has all but been lost on the modern world.

"With bated breath and whispering humbleness..."

I dunno, I've seen pro guys miss this one... not necessarily the easiest, and coaches still argue it. :rolleyes:

Sigh.