Strike Three, you’re part of a mechanism that could lead to being out
Forget whether the ball touched the ground before Josh Paul caught it (it didn’t).
Forget whether Paul should have tagged A.J. Pierzynski even though he caught he cleanly (he should have).
Forget whether Doug Eddings blew the call and then was too proud to admit he made a mistake (yup on both counts).
What’s all this crap about his “strike call mechanism?” Since when are umpires allowed to make up hand signals for different things? When 99 percent of umpires punch their fist, it means the player is out. So why is Eddings allowed to have his own “mechanism?” What was he doing sticking out his thumb, telling Pierzynski he was as cool as Fonzie?
Shouldn’t this be the first thing they teach in umpire’s school? Arms spread wide means safe. Twirl your finger in the air for a home run. And punch your fist means out. Allowing Eddings to have his own “mechanism” leads to the kind of chaos that ruined last night’s otherwise beautiful ballgame.
What’s next, umpires making the peace sign to indicate safe? Will Eddings start doing the cha cha each time a pitcher throws a strike? Can he adopt a mechanism in which spreading his arms wide actually means strike three? Can he pick his nose to indicate that a runner at first was picked off?
Of course not. Strike means strike and out means out and safe means safe. All the players on the field, Pierzynski included, saw Eddings make an out call. That’s why they walked off the field, Pierzynski included. Eddings isn’t allowed to go back and say that was just a part of his mechanism.
Baseball is using QuestTec, a computer system, to encourage umpires to agree on a uniform strike zone. Apparently they have an even more dire need for a uniform system of calling safe and out.
Forget whether Paul should have tagged A.J. Pierzynski even though he caught he cleanly (he should have).
Forget whether Doug Eddings blew the call and then was too proud to admit he made a mistake (yup on both counts).
What’s all this crap about his “strike call mechanism?” Since when are umpires allowed to make up hand signals for different things? When 99 percent of umpires punch their fist, it means the player is out. So why is Eddings allowed to have his own “mechanism?” What was he doing sticking out his thumb, telling Pierzynski he was as cool as Fonzie?
Shouldn’t this be the first thing they teach in umpire’s school? Arms spread wide means safe. Twirl your finger in the air for a home run. And punch your fist means out. Allowing Eddings to have his own “mechanism” leads to the kind of chaos that ruined last night’s otherwise beautiful ballgame.
What’s next, umpires making the peace sign to indicate safe? Will Eddings start doing the cha cha each time a pitcher throws a strike? Can he adopt a mechanism in which spreading his arms wide actually means strike three? Can he pick his nose to indicate that a runner at first was picked off?
Of course not. Strike means strike and out means out and safe means safe. All the players on the field, Pierzynski included, saw Eddings make an out call. That’s why they walked off the field, Pierzynski included. Eddings isn’t allowed to go back and say that was just a part of his mechanism.
Baseball is using QuestTec, a computer system, to encourage umpires to agree on a uniform strike zone. Apparently they have an even more dire need for a uniform system of calling safe and out.
posted by John Rosenthal @ 1:27 PM
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