Phil Cuzzi's Vision

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mrm21711

Which is why Evans has recommended putting umpires around the warning track between LF & CF and RF & CF - IMO, especially with replay now, having 2 umpires on the lines is just pointless. I mean at times they are literally 20-30 feet behind the 1B & 3B umpire.

Some players and coaches were standing around the parking area before my games yesterday and were discussing this call. I joined in the conversation while getting dressed and one guy was saying that in the Mexican League playoffs that there were 6 umpires, and two of them were on the warning track in left center and right center. The guy then said one of the players collided with the umpire in left center while running down a fly ball. He said it was funny as hell, and wondered why there were umpires in the outfield. I've heard of angels in the outfield, but never umpires (except U2 w/no runners, of course). Now I know where the idea came from.

[gordon30307]

This was a gross miss. Doesn't mean he sucks as an umpire. However it makes it easier for me to get over a "gross miss" (Haven't had one for awhile) knowing that it can happen to the best of the best.

[JRutledge]

I do not see how he missed this call. This was about as bad of a miss as I have ever seen and he was in much better position than most umpires at most levels ever get to make that call. And many people are right about this does not make him a bad umpire, but how you miss something like this really is beyond belief.

Peace

[Cub42]

Again, with the experience these guys have, to miss that one is perplexing. However, there seems to be many calls that are not one sounders or bangers in the P/O's that have been kicked this year. We all miss them at times, but this is where the top guys are to be showing why they are there

[Dakota]

This post is a bit of a rant, so ignore it if you like.

There are issues with this that MLB and the umpire's union needs to address (IMO).

First, with a call this obviously poor (not just missed... poor - the ball was fair for two easily seen reasons: it hit the players glove in fair territory, and it hit the ground in fair territory) in a playoff game, there needs to be some repercussions for the umpire. A call this bad is poor in general, and in a playoff game, unacceptable.

Second, with the obvious conflict of interest for MLB (they clearly make more money if the Yankees advance than if the Twins advance), there needs to be transparency in how the umpire is disciplined. With a call this poor, there will be (and is) the chatter that it was favoritism.

Third, there needs to be transparency in how umpires are selected for the playoffs, for the same reason as #2, and it needs to be merit-based. Cuzzi has somewhat of a history of poor calls that favor the Yankees. Why was he assigned to this series?

MLB cannot afford to appear to be tolerating incompetent umpires in the playoffs neither can they afford the appearance of impropriety in the officiating.

The pretend commissioner is no help. In responding to the call for instant replay for calls of this kind that resulted from the poor call, he mumbled something about baseball cannot tolerate the delay. With the generally slow pace of MLB, this is obviously baloney. Further, his credibility as a man of integrity is, well, laughable. There are real and good reasons why IR for this kind of call is a bad idea (e.g. play stops with the FOUL call; you can't recreate the continuing action that would have happened, etc.), but for a man of seedy reputation to make such an obviously silly reason for no IR just adds fuel to the speculation that something is amiss.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Dakota

This post is a bit of a rant, so ignore it if you like.

There are issues with this that MLB and the umpire's union needs to address (IMO).

First, with a call this obviously poor (not just missed... poor - the ball was fair for two easily seen reasons: it hit the players glove in fair territory, and it hit the ground in fair territory) in a playoff game, there needs to be some repercussions for the umpire. A call this bad is poor in general, and in a playoff game, unacceptable.

Second, with the obvious conflict of interest for MLB (they clearly make more money if the Yankees advance than if the Twins advance), there needs to be transparency in how the umpire is disciplined. With a call this poor, there will be (and is) the chatter that it was favoritism.

Third, there needs to be transparency in how umpires are selected for the playoffs, for the same reason as #2, and it needs to be merit-based. Cuzzi has somewhat of a history of poor calls that favor the Yankees. Why was he assigned to this series?

MLB cannot afford to appear to be tolerating incompetent umpires in the playoffs neither can they afford the appearance of impropriety in the officiating.

The pretend commissioner is no help. In responding to the call for instant replay for calls of this kind that resulted from the poor call, he mumbled something about baseball cannot tolerate the delay. With the generally slow pace of MLB, this is obviously baloney. Further, his credibility as a man of integrity is, well, laughable. There are real and good reasons why IR for this kind of call is a bad idea (e.g. play stops with the FOUL call; you can't recreate the continuing action that would have happened, etc.), but for a man of seedy reputation to make such an obviously silly reason for no IR just adds fuel to the speculation that something is amiss.

It is one thing to say there needs to be an open process on who gets the playoffs, it is quite another to call the umpire bias. For one if you claim there is not transparency, how in the hell do you know what calls any umpire has made or not made against a particular team? I think at the very least the umpire just saw something else and made a call. Baseball is not a sport where you get many opportunities in this situation to screw a team even if you wanted to. And I doubt this umpire would jeopardize his career to help out a team that beat a team that was expected to lose from jump.

Give me a damn break.

Peace

[Dakota]

There is a difference between "knowing" and "appearance". With Cuzzi's history, there is the appearance of bias. With the pretend commissioner's history, there is the fact of lack of integrity. With the selection process, there is little or no transparency. With the umpire rating/discipline process, there is no transparency. This is not a good combination.

[Ump153]

Originally Posted by Dakota

This post is a bit of a rant, so ignore it if you like.

There are issues with this that MLB and the umpire's union needs to address (IMO).

First, with a call this obviously poor (not just missed... poor - the ball was fair for two easily seen reasons: it hit the players glove in fair territory, and it hit the ground in fair territory) in a playoff game, there needs to be some repercussions for the umpire. A call this bad is poor in general, and in a playoff game, unacceptable.

Let's get the pitchforks and torches and storm the offices of MLB!!!

But first, let's find out if there is any possibility that the dreadful six man mechanics or positioning had anything to do with this. It was terrible call, no question, but let's find out the reason for it...not the excuse...the reason.

Second, with the obvious conflict of interest for MLB (they clearly make more money if the Yankees advance than if the Twins advance), there needs to be transparency in how the umpire is disciplined. With a call this poor, there will be (and is) the chatter that it was favoritism.

Okay, the black helicopters are back.

Chatter? From whom? Fanboys? Idiot announcers? The "Couch Slouch?" Anyone who believes that MLB would intentionally try to get a specific team in World Series needs a reality check, or a history lesson.

Third, there needs to be transparency in how umpires are selected for the playoffs, for the same reason as #2, and it needs to be merit-based. Cuzzi has somewhat of a history of poor calls that favor the Yankees. Why was he assigned to this series?

The method is transparent among those who matter...team owner, MLB adminstration, managers, players and umpires. Who gives a flying F if you fanboys aren't in the loop?

MLB cannot afford to appear to be tolerating incompetent umpires in the playoffs neither can they afford the appearance of impropriety in the officiating.

That's a serious charge. Let's hear the facts behind it. BTW conspiracy theories, chatter, rumor and fanboy complaints do not constitute facts.

The pretend commissioner is no help. In responding to the call for instant replay for calls of this kind that resulted from the poor call, he mumbled something about baseball cannot tolerate the delay. With the generally slow pace of MLB, this is obviously baloney. Further, his credibility as a man of integrity is, well, laughable. There are real and good reasons why IR for this kind of call is a bad idea (e.g. play stops with the FOUL call; you can't recreate the continuing action that would have happened, etc.), but for a man of seedy reputation to make such an obviously silly reason for no IR just adds fuel to the speculation that something is amiss.

I'm not sure what's "amiss", but apparently what's "a-missing" in your post is common sense and the intellect that God gave a gnat.

[Dakota]

Lets not forget, without the idiot fans, there is no sport. It doesn't matter whether the idiot fans are idiots; it doesn't matter whether their preceptions are rational; it doesn't matter what the facts are if no one except insiders knows the facts; it only matters whether they are willing to spend money to buy tickets.

[gsf23]

Originally Posted by Dakota

This post is a bit of a rant, so ignore it if you like.

There are issues with this that MLB and the umpire's union needs to address (IMO).

First, with a call this obviously poor (not just missed... poor - the ball was fair for two easily seen reasons: it hit the players glove in fair territory, and it hit the ground in fair territory) in a playoff game, there needs to be some repercussions for the umpire. A call this bad is poor in general, and in a playoff game, unacceptable.

Second, with the obvious conflict of interest for MLB (they clearly make more money if the Yankees advance than if the Twins advance), there needs to be transparency in how the umpire is disciplined. With a call this poor, there will be (and is) the chatter that it was favoritism.

Third, there needs to be transparency in how umpires are selected for the playoffs, for the same reason as #2, and it needs to be merit-based. Cuzzi has somewhat of a history of poor calls that favor the Yankees. Why was he assigned to this series?

MLB cannot afford to appear to be tolerating incompetent umpires in the playoffs neither can they afford the appearance of impropriety in the officiating.

The pretend commissioner is no help. In responding to the call for instant replay for calls of this kind that resulted from the poor call, he mumbled something about baseball cannot tolerate the delay. With the generally slow pace of MLB, this is obviously baloney. Further, his credibility as a man of integrity is, well, laughable. There are real and good reasons why IR for this kind of call is a bad idea (e.g. play stops with the FOUL call; you can't recreate the continuing action that would have happened, etc.), but for a man of seedy reputation to make such an obviously silly reason for no IR just adds fuel to the speculation that something is amiss.

Come on now. We all know that only the NBA does that.