Detroit vs Toronto

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Do not try to mis-characterize what I said on this issue. It is clear that this was a bad miss. If you cannot get that play right often enough you should not be at that level.

How often do you think Ed Rapuano misses that call? Or any other particular umpire? Give me an example of an MLB umpire who misses plays at first base on a regular basis. Just because collectively there are many examples of bad calls (of which there is no dispute), I would be very surprised if they were attributable to only a few umpires.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

How often do you think Ed Rapuano misses that call? Or any other particular umpire? Give me an example of an MLB umpire who misses plays at first base on a regular basis. Just because collectively there are many examples of bad calls (of which there is no dispute), I would be very surprised if they were attributable to only a few umpires.

They aren't, and what they have in common (at least as a generality) is a soft throw on which the umpire can't use sound to make the decision.

[Larry1953]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

They aren't, and what they have in common (at least as a generality) is a soft throw on which the umpire can't use sound to make the decision.

Bob, that seems to be exactly what happened here. I know Leyland got kudos for sticking up for his team, but there comes a time when you have to show some respect for the game as well.

[rbmartin]

Originally Posted by Larry1953

...but there comes a time when you have to show some respect for the game as well.

An umpire can also show some respect for the game by not approaching a play in the lazy, nonchalant manner in which Ed Rapuano did on this play.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

An umpire can also show some respect for the game by not approaching a play in the lazy, nonchalant manner in which Ed Rapuano did on this play.

Exactly. He made the call as if the BR were 10' safe.

[Larry1953]

He didn't seem all that nonchalant about it. Like Bob said, the soft toss took away the audio input while he was watching foot/bag and he was totally lost. He was pretty quick thinking after that with the "F3 was pulled off the bag" call that came after a very meek safe sign. That gave him as good a face-save as he could muster by being able to conference about whether F3 had his foot on the bag, conceding that the throw was there in time. I'm glad my brain-f@rts don't come under the scrutiny of 40,000 eyewitnesses and endless ESPN replays

[rbmartin]

Originally Posted by Larry1953

He didn't seem all that nonchalant about it.

Is it customary to wait a full 3 seconds (one mississippi, two mississippi, three mississippi) before making ANY signal?

I'm sure Mr Rapuano is a very good umpire or he would not be where he is today. Having said that, this is a perfect example that when you develop lazy habits it WILL bite you in the hind end one day.