Umpires: Baseball’s Dilemma

I got to thinking about this after reading about the retirement of one of baseball’s most reviled and disliked umpires, Angel Hernandez, retiring after 31 years as a major league umpire. 31 years too late in my estimation. Hernandez has been criticized for years, and considered one of the worst.

He sued MLB for discrimination in 2017, claiming he wasn’t given postseason assignments because of his race, he is Cuban. He last worked a Championship series in 2016, yep, Dodgers-Cubs, and had not worked a World Series since 2005.

As someone who has watched this game since I was 7, and who turns 76 in two weeks, I cannot remember umpires being this bad, or this short tempered.

Of course back in the day, when I first really followed the game, the umpires seemed to have the players’ respect. You might not believe it, but the first African-American umpire did not join the majors until 1966. Emmet Ashford. He worked in the AL for only four years.

But I remember guys like Al Barlick. Barlick started umpiring in 1940, and he retired in 1971 after umpiring 4231 games in the National League. He is also one of the few umps in the Hall of Fame. Back in those days, umpires only umpired in one league. NL had it’s umps, and the AL had theirs.

NL umpires worked with an inside chest protector, and the AL umps worked with the old style outside protector. I was more familiar with the NL umpires since I followed the Dodgers.

I also remember Dusty Boggess. Boggess umpired over 2000 NL games and also worked four World Series and four All-Star games. He retired after the 1962 season. I also remember him because he is one of the few umpires who had a baseball card.

There were no replays to dispute their calls, no appeals and you did not argue balls and strikes ever. That was a no-no. They also seemed to control the game a lot better than most of the umpires you see today. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few very good umpires in the game, but in my mind, not enough.

One problem I see is that the strike zone for each is different instead of being defined by certain invisible lines. I remember when the strike zone was the shoulders to the knees. It has shrunk steadily over the years.

Catchers framing the ball has led to many pitches out of the zone being called strikes. It has also led to the calls by fans and players alike for an electric strike zone. Or better called, and ABS<automatic balls and strikes. Baseball is thinking about using the challenge system. But if anything, it will not be ready in 2025.

So, how does MLB fix this? I would think they could make a change in the rule book and set a standard strike zone Top of the letters on the uniform to say the top of the knee. You have the technology, use it to make the game better. If the ump hears a beep, the ball is in the zone. That would reduce so many bad calls when balls either clip the zone, or miss it entirely.

Another fix is get rid of the umpires who consistently blow calls. C B Bucknor would be high on that list, also get rid of umpires who consistently toss players for minor infractions. All of the umps need a refresher course on the rules. They should know the rule book better than most of them seem to. They get paid a lot of money, have a great pension plan and even get in season mini-vacations.

Teach them correct positioning. I have seen numerous calls blown because an ump was out of position to call the play. I have also seen managers waste their challenges on really close plays early in the game. Dodgers challenged J D Martinez safe call at second yesterday, and he obviously beat the throw by enough where it would not be overturned.

There are also several umpires who are overweight. I think this affects their ability to get into position for a call. I still remember John McSherry having a heart attack and dying on the field in Cincinnati on a hot day. They are at risk for heart problems. As much as the players need nutritional guidance, some umpires could also use it.

They have always given postseason assignments on merit.  They grade the umpires after every game, any umpire who is consistently making bad calls should not umpire in games that are that important to the teams. I remember in 2016 when LA was in the NLCS and the groans that were heard when we found out Angel Hernandez was on the crew. Fortunately, he did not make any real bad calls that went against the Dodgers.

I have learned to live with replay, and in many ways it has improved my enjoyment of the game. I do think that NY can do a faster job of making the decision on close plays and challenges.

Better trained umpires would help in getting the game back where it needs to be.

MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS

OKC Baseball Club 13 – Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado) 2

The OKC bats were kept at bay for the first three innings.  Nine up and nine down.  But the 4^th started yet another onslaught.  OKC scored 13 runs in 5 of the next 6 innings.  OKC had 12 hits, and received 4 walks.  However, all four walks were to James Outman.  He struck out in the 1^st inning when he was too anxious.  Isotope pitchers stayed completely away from James his next 4 PA.

Outman let his teammates batter 4 Isotope pitchers.

Six OKC pitchers stifled the Isotopes on 6 hits in a bullpen game.  Alec Gamboa started and went 2.2 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks.  The next four pitchers kept Albuquerque off the boards.  Hunter Stovall hit a 2 out solo HR off Ricky Vanasco.  There were 4 hits, no walks, and 12 strikeouts compiled by the 5 relief pitchers.

• Drew Avans – 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (4)

Drew Avans sends one to the shubbery!

That's his fifth dinger this season. pic.twitter.com/oXUWgcMJJK

— Oklahoma City Baseball Club (@okc_baseball) June 3, 2024

• Kody Hoese – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 2 doubles (11)

• Trey Sweeney – 2-5, 3 runs, 5 RBI, 2 HR (9)

#Dodgers SS prospect Trey Sweeney has had a nuclear week, and he just hit another homer

He’s up to 8 homers on the season, 5 of which have come in this series at the launch pad that is Albuquerque pic.twitter.com/kHDy0qkVny

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 3, 2024

HR #1

Trey Sweeney, my goodness!!!

The #Dodgers SS prospect hit his sixth home run of the series in Albuquerque. This is Sweeney’s second homer of the day and he is UNSTOPPABLE right now pic.twitter.com/xuZU1RwMnt

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 3, 2024

HR #2

• Ryan Ward – 2-5, 1 run,2 RBI, double (10)
• Austin Gauthier – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI
• Andre Lipcius – 1-5. 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (14)

#Dodgers IF prospect Andre Lipcius hit his 14th homer of the season

He has a .982 OPS in Triple-A pic.twitter.com/EjTAGqVBxg

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 3, 2024

• Chris Okey – 1-4, 1 RBI, triple (2)
• James Outman – 0-1, 4 BB, 3 runs – 4-5 OBP

Box Score

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (KC) 6 – Tulsa Drillers 3

Hyun-il Choi continued his run between AAA and AA with a AA start that he would like to forget.  He allowed 5 runs (4 earned) off 6 hits in 4.0 IP, including a double and HR.

Down 3-0 in the 1^st, Taylor Young hit a 1-out HR (4).  Tulsa scored a run in the 6^th without the benefit of a hit.  Taylor Young was HBP, stole 2B and continued to 3^rd on a throwing error.  Young scored on a ground out.

With one out in the 9^th, Brandon Lewis and Lolo Sanchez both had singles.  Alex Freeland drew a BB to load the bases.  Lewis scored on a groundout, but had to settle for the one run.

Ryan Sublette and Sauryn Lao had good relief appearances.

The Drillers had 7 hits.

• Brandon Lewis – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run
• HR – Taylor Young (4)
• Double – Diego Cartaya (3)

Box Score

West Michigan Whitecaps 5 – Great Lakes Loons 4 – Game 1 – 7 Innings

This was not Peter Heubeck’s best outing, but he pushed through 4.0 IP.  He threw 76 pitches (45 strikes) in his 4.0 IP, so it was not his most efficient start.  He walked the first two batters he faced, although it sure looks like he had help from the plate umpire on the second walk.

1, 2, and probably 5 should have been strikes.

He got out of the first unscathed.  But in the 2^nd, he walked the first batter and that was followed by a 2-run HR.

He allowed singles in each of his final 2.0 IP.

After a 1-out BB in the 1^st, 12 straight Loons batters were retired.  In the 5^th with 1 out, Sam Mongelli drew a BB and scored on a Jake Gelof double (4).  After a BB to Yunior Garcia, Jake Vogel singled home Gelof to tie it up.

Jose Rodriguez relieved Heubeck and allowed a pair of singles in the 5^th, but no runs.  That was not the case in the 6^th.  A one out walk started the trouble.  That was followed by a single and WP putting runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with one out.  Izaac Pacheco singled home both runners, and he scored on a Peyton Graham double.

The Loons went down quietly in the 7^th to end game 1.

The Loons managed 2 singles and the one Gelof double.

Box Score

Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 2 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0

The Quakes dropped all 6 from Lake Elsinore and have now lost 9 out of 10.  The Quakes started the series 3 games ahead of the Storm in the California League South.  With the loss, the Quakes are now 3 games behind the Storm.

The Quakes had 8 singles in the shutout loss.

• Jordan Thompson – 3-4, 1 BB
• Josue De Paula – 2-4, 1 BB

Box Score