Bucknor, Cuzzi pay the price

[UES-2]

News from the Associated Press - newsjournalonline.com

Here's the story>>>>

[MrUmpire]

That's most of the story. The original WS crew was selected from umpires having done the first round. Both CB and Cuzzi were on the crew...no more.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Now there was just another one. I saw him as safe while lying on my back in bed through squinty eyes on a 20" TV. What is going on here????

[luvthegame]

And in the same inning McMouth (McCarver) had to correct himself 3 times...and he gets to write down and practice his judgements (facts) before hand!!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by luvthegame

And in the same inning McMouth (McCarver) had to correct himself 3 times...and he gets to write down and practice his judgements (facts) before hand!!

Yeah, maybe they need instant replay in the damn booth for those bozos, who make many more mistakes than the worst umpires in the universe. Maybe these jokers should have to sit out the playoffs because of their poor performances. Then they would see what it's like.

[jkumpire]

This is a shame IMO.

After the regular season body of work that gets an umpire into the playoffs, it seems pretty rough to dump as guy because he made a bad call or two on TV. Even if the call is awful, one call does not a season make.

Some or most of the stuff going on around around these gross misses by MLB umpires is very justified. But if umpire X is good enough for a playoff series, he should be good enough for a WS assignment, even if he blows a call in the DS.

Now, I was too busy working games to see a lot of the DS's, but my impression is that none of these blown calls meant one team lost a game or a series. Even the misses in game 4 of the ALCS meant nothing to the game's ultimate outcome. If Tim C gets both calls right is the score 11-1 instead of 10-1? So what?

Don Denkinger's famous miss at 1B in game 6 of the 85 WS for the Royals is the only gross missed call that cost a team a game in a playoff or WS I can remember. Please pass along others if you remember them.

I get the feeling these two MLB umpires got dumped because MLB is trying to get the press off its back about the calls. If they were dumped from the WS crew because they were graded lower than other guys in the DS's, fine. But it sounds like from what I read, these guys are the people MLB is throwing into the jaws of the "gator" so MLB is the last one eaten alive by the press.

But having said all that, it is discouraging that the guys at the top of the profession are making themselves look bad in front of millions of people.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

Don Denkinger's famous miss at 1B in game 6 of the 85 WS for the Royals is the only gross missed call that cost a team a game in a playoff or WS I can remember.

Wrong. The Cardinals' piss-poor performance cost them game 6 and 7. Not the call.

[Fan10]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

Don Denkinger's famous miss at 1B in game 6 of the 85 WS for the Royals is the only gross missed call that cost a team a game in a playoff or WS I can remember. Please pass along others if you remember them.

Rich Garcia not calling fan interference on Jeter's fly ball that was turned into a home run.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

After the regular season body of work that gets an umpire into the playoffs, it seems pretty rough to dump as guy because he made a bad call or two on TV. Even if the call is awful, one call does not a season make.

Some or most of the stuff going on around around these gross misses by MLB umpires is very justified. But if umpire X is good enough for a playoff series, he should be good enough for a WS assignment, even if he blows a call in the DS.

And for the teams too. Just because they got beaten in the first round is no reason to ban them from the second round. Right?

Basketball and football officials have to earn their way to the next round. Why should MLB do it differently?

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

....but my impression is that none of these blown calls meant one team lost a game or a series. ...

How can you say that? Cuzzi's blown call cost the Twins the chance to stage a comeback from a piss-poor performance! It was all Cuzzi's fault!

Seriously, though, whether or not this is a PR move by MLB, it was needed, IMO. So far, the post season is being remembered more for the umpires' blown calls than the players' great plays.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

But if umpire X is good enough for a playoff series, he should be good enough for a WS assignment, even if he blows a call in the DS.

Bucknor isn't unfit for just the division series or the World Series, he's unfit for MLB period.

He is truly an awful, awful umpire, and if anyone thinks he got to the majors because he was better than Umpire X in MiLB, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. CB is one of the few umpires who should actually be fired.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I always get a real kick out of Fieldin.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Now there was just another one. I saw him safe lying on my back in bed through squinty eyes on a 20" TV. What is going on here????

Why was he lying on your back?

[JJ]

Anyone else notice tonight's PU "commenting" on just about every pitch? Doesn't say "ball", says "no, that's down" kind of stuff. Glad to know I'm not the only one who does that, though I don't think I do it NEARLY as frequently.
It would be interesting to watch a game with that PU microphone up loud enough to hear throughout...
JJ

[JJ]

...and just as I post that last comment, they replay the check swing strike three with the exchange between Culbreath and Posada....

JJ