Missed calls prompt umpire switch for World Series

By BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer Oct 22, 9:08 pm EDT

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NEW YORK (AP)—Stung by a rash of blown calls in the playoffs, Major League Baseball is breaking tradition and sticking with only experienced umpires for the World Series.

Longtime crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis, along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson(notes) and Mike Everitt will handle the games, three people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press this week.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made.

In 24 of the last 25 World Series, the six-man crew has included at least one umpire working the event for the first time—baseball likes to reward newer umpires, plus replenish the supply of umps with Series experience.

In each of the last two years, there were three new umps working the World Series.

CB Bucknor was in line to work the World Series for the first time this year. But he missed two calls in Game 1 of the division series between the Red Sox and Angels, damaging his chance to get picked, one of the three people said.

Umpiring mistakes caused anxious moments for MLB in the first two rounds: Phil Cuzzi’s foul call on a drive by Joe Mauer(notes) that was fair by a foot, Jerry Meals’ error on a ball that bounced off Chase Utley’s(notes) leg, Dale Scott’s miss on a pickoff and Tim McClelland’s call on a tag play, among others.

Scott missed again Thursday night in Game 5 of the AL championship series, ruling New York’s Johnny Damon(notes) out after he clearly beat Angels first baseman Kendry Morales’(notes) toss to pitcher John Lackey(notes).

The problems have ramped up calls by fans for expanded use of instant replay. Loading up with veteran umpires, however, is no guarantee of getting it right. McClelland missed an obvious double play Tuesday night in the ALCS.

West, DeMuth and Davis each have worked three World Series and have been major league umpires for more than 25 years. Gorman, Nelson and Everitt all have called one World Series, and have been on the big league staff for at least 11 years.

At least a pair of first-time World Series umpires have been on each of the last five crews. Starting in 1983, the only crew that did not include a World Series rookie was 1997.

World Series umpires are chosen from the pool of 24 umpires who work in the first round, with those two dozen picked on merit. ALCS and NLCS umpires aren’t in play, because umps don’t work in consecutive rounds of the postseason.

Updated Oct 22, 9:08 pm EDT
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405 Comments

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  1. Old Geezer
    405. Posted by Old Geezer Sun Oct 25 12:20am EDT

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    I thought all these guys were suppose to be experienced? What, did Steinwhiner hire some of these guys from Little League? Worst umping in these playoffs I've seen in 60 years of listening/watching Baseball! And the relief/closers arn't much better. All a bunch of overpaid millionaire headcases!
  2. <i>golfer200020</i>
    404. Posted by golfer200020 Sat Oct 24 8:53pm EDT

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    Y e s instant reply .........now the ums are killing the great game of Baseball

    with all of ovbious incorrect calls...com on if they don't get the calls right

    the baseball fans are going to see that it's all fake ......like wrestling

    oh by the way ,baseball is fake ...they have to let certain teams win

    too much money for the league to lose ,if it truly was fair...Believe that!
  3. James
    403. Posted by James Sat Oct 24 8:18pm EDT

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    No matter how good the umps health is no matter how young they are the outcome will be the same......
    "HUMAN ERROR" Instant replay or some form of replay to correct blown calls is needed. replay will work in baseball, quit making a big y2k problem about replay. quit crying "OH it will drag the game long!, it will disrupt the game!, oh my lord what ever will happen!!!!" i know let me drink beer long and enjoy a real game decided by talent not ump...............................c'mon mannnnnn
  4. David P
    402. Posted by David P Sat Oct 24 7:13pm EDT

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    MLB needs to get with the times and use instant replay. Their excuse is that the game hasn't changed in 100 years. Well technolgy has. MLB went to televised games even though TV did not exist 100 years ago. The fans would like to see the right calls made. Umpire Tim McCelland has really blown some calls. Get your act together MLB.
  5. Hammer
    401. Posted by Hammer Sat Oct 24 4:58pm EDT

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    #395 Mike: Can't do that, what else would we complain about..... I never go political so that's out. Nah, let's keep em all and keep complaining.....
  6. Bunnies will steal your soul
    400. Posted by Bunnies will steal your soul Sat Oct 24 4:56pm EDT

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    First off crowd reaction is a joke. They will boo even if the guy was safe if he plays for the other team.

    The majority of the bad calls in this years playoffs have been in favor of one team. The yankees. AL umps have been awful. NL not so much.

    Instant Replay won't happen because to many people complain about the speed of the game already. If a call is questionable get the umps to confer, if there is more than one perspective go to the tape. If all the umps see it the same way no reason to go to the tape. If it is not 100%, you have to review it. It is the playoffs!

    Yankee fans, it is okay to agree, there is no replay this year, hence you have bought and paid for your games this far.
  7. Bruce M
    399. Posted by Bruce M Sat Oct 24 4:33pm EDT

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    umps should be fined when they miss a call. enough missed calls should warrant a suspension. tim mclelland should have to write a 500 word essay explaining how he managed to see that nick swisher left 3rd base early without even looking at him
  8. eagle
    398. Posted by eagle Sat Oct 24 3:00pm EDT

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    hopefully the umps will not screw up the game with blind eyes on the next series.

    GO YANKS!!!
  9. Jazzinefx
    397. Posted by Jazzinefx Sat Oct 24 2:43pm EDT

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    385. Posted by southside mike Sat Oct 24 10:06am EDT

    southside mike, that is probabaly the BEST solution. Make the umpires ACCOUNTABLE. Grade them, give the public access to their progress. Make blown calls a STATISTIC, a blown call is just as much an error as an error in the field, by a player. Umpires want to be "in" the game? Put 'em in!! And as you say, reward the best umpires with the big games! There is room for improvement, for everyone UMPIRES INCLUDED!!!
  10. Nicholas F
    396. Posted by Nicholas F Sat Oct 24 2:19pm EDT

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    The umps should be required to pass physicals to make sure they can handle the workload. Most are overweight and old. They are on their feet the entire game and it seams to affect their performance.
  11. Pat L
    395. Posted by Pat L Sat Oct 24 1:53pm EDT

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    Personally, I was never a fan of instant replay in baseball until this season. And my gripe actually happened the game before all of the plays being referred to in the press and by all of the previous commenters. I became an advocate of instant replay on 10/6, when a horribly blown call by an umpire actually cost a team a chance to enter into these playoffs. Brandon Inge was CLEARLY hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 12th inning of a "do or die" game that would have given the Tigers the lead and likely the chance to (far better) represent the AL Central vs. the Yankees.
    But unfortunately, Randy Marsh, the home plate umpire, had been drinking the "one more game in the Twinkiedome" KoolAid, and decided he'd take the outcome into his own hands, and determine the winner of the game with his call, rather than based on the athletic feats of those playing a very exciting and tense game. Once that horrific call occurred, I immediately became an advocate of instant replay in baseball. And since that day, I have witnessed a MINIMUM of 15 more calls throughout the playoffs to further argue my case. It's clear that something needs to be done, as the umpiring continues to deteriorate year after year (I've been watching MLB since the '60's).
    I vote that instant replay gets instituted next season w/a "coach's challenge" format similar to that being used currently in the NFL. It doesn't have to happen on every ball/strike call, but FAR TOO MANY games are being decided by sloppy umpiring. Hopefully, the "powers that be" in MLB will agree with me and (seemingly) the majority of the fans commenting here, and make that change post-haste.
  12. Mike
    394. Posted by Mike Sat Oct 24 1:16pm EDT

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    all ums make bad calls, all players make bad plays and as we all know all coaches make bad decisions so why don't we fire all of them.
  13. Capt. Moroni
    393. Posted by Capt. Moroni Sat Oct 24 12:46pm EDT

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    As ridiculus as this seems, I am fairly new to MLB and have followed the ALCS intently. I agree with concept that better officiating needs to happen. While I am new to following the sport, I am well aware of the "IR" as used in other sports, especially football. My thoughts are that "IF" the instant reply must be used, it should only be used on the plays that are challenged.

    After reading some of the comments here, I get the idea that it's possible that some of the Umps have become lethargic in there calls. After having witnessed a few throughout the ALCS, some were so blatant that one might even get the idea that they were not entirely just "bad calls". Much has been said about the amount of power the Ump has in his calls, therefore, I believe that in that case the "IR" would be assurance that such "human" error could be reduced greatly. The Umps would then have to be accountable for their calls, good and bad.

    I am probably going to paint a target on myself by further stating that "money talks", and there is a heck of a lot of it in sports betting, which could make some question their ethics. I know that the "Ump" is a critical part of MLB but so should honesty and integrity be foremost in their calls. If the IR were to be implemented it might also reduce the possibly of exposing the sport to "fixing" improprieties as the camera could take away that power to be "unchallenged" most of the time.
  14. Truckerjim
    392. Posted by Truckerjim Sat Oct 24 12:23pm EDT

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    How can they have Joe west in there. He is one of the worst, and he is so heavy he cant get around very well. They need to handle it a lot better than they do. Human error once in while ok, but when they are righ on it and looking at the situation and still make a bad call, like McClellen did. I think they sleep through most of the games. The ball and strike zone is so how of sink. Thye might as well make the plate 20 inches wide and take black off of plate. They would do better standing on the mound.
  15. <i>edbon11</i>
    391. Posted by edbon11 Sat Oct 24 12:13pm EDT

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    Get the union out of the selection process.
  16. Tem
    390. Posted by Tem Sat Oct 24 11:38am EDT

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    MLB made the right move by TRYING and I stress TRYING to get a more veteran crew into the World Series. But it really doesn't mean much as a lot of these umps who missed so many calls in the Angels vs Yankees series so far are Veteran umpires.

    I think they need to bring back the merit system and reward those umps who seem to try the hardest to get things right and reward those with playoff games. I don't know how it became a revolving "everyone gets a chance" to do a playoff game system for the umps suddenly but obviously that system is giving the umpires too much comfort and a lack of accountability.

    A good enforceable merit system where private scores are kept by MLB for each umpire and with the umps knowing they are being graded and will make a nice bonus later in the year for being allowed to do playoff games, I think that will get them back in line.

    As it is now though its just not acceptable the lack of effort or concern most of these umpires have taken. Most realize that there are no penalties to them for getting it wrong so it really matters not. Well time to change that so we can have a fair baseball game where the players not the umpires decide who wins them.

    Replay isn't needed. Just a stricter check and balances system for these umps.
  17. <i>ep0260</i>
    389. Posted by ep0260 Sat Oct 24 11:37am EDT

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    I've got an idea for the use of instant replay in MLB. Each team gets 2 replay challenges per game. However, if the team making the challenge is wrong on the first challenge, they lose the 2nd one. If they are wrong on the 2nd, the penalty is an out for the next play or the pitcher has to be removed from the game. That should prevent having too many challenges per game.
  18. <i>cord1tel</i>
    388. Posted by cord1tel Sat Oct 24 11:32am EDT

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    The instant replay is right up there on the field "jumbo-tron / video scoreboard' which was shown on each of those calls and based on the crowd reaction, obvious; that didn't take a minute.
  19. Keith D
    387. Posted by Keith D Sat Oct 24 11:08am EDT

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    I love the umpires logic..."If I didn't see it..it never happened" using that logic I never saw the Pearl Harbor attack, or Hiroshima, or the world trade towers attack, does that mean they didnt happen? oh wait the are films and videos of those...nevermind I'll get back to you on those things later...
    as for replays I say if it takes 1 minute more a game to get it right then USE it,,,I watch the games to see the players play not the umpires face seeking out fame.....
  20. DavidB
    386. Posted by DavidB Sat Oct 24 10:21am EDT

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    I like the idea of an NFL type review for baseball, where team managers could watch replays in their booth and then tell the main manager to challenge a call. Allow three challenges a game per team. It might add a total of 5 minutes to the game, still allow for umps to call the game, but protect teams from really stupid calls. Why not?
  21. Keith D
    385. Posted by Keith D Sat Oct 24 10:08am EDT

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    The league office WONT allow replay cameras..because the Commisioner cant FIX replays..how soon did they send out a rebuttle on Spitball Vid? but as of yet nothing done to UMPS who blew the calls...no fines no firing nothing,,, just a human mistake,, YA if it suits the commissioner....
  22. southside mike
    384. Posted by southside mike Sat Oct 24 10:06am EDT

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    No replays
    Create better umpires
    Reward and promote good ones and DEMOTE bad ones. When was the last time an ump was sent to the minors? Publish yearly rankings, let the fans know how the umps function during the year. Tell the umpires union their mambers are subject to public scrutiny every seasom. Quick protecting the deadwood and loudly praise the good ones.
    Being a MLB ump in the bigs is like being pope. Once you are there, you're there for life. (unless the IRS gets you for tax evasion as happened previously)
  23. Rick
    383. Posted by Rick Sat Oct 24 8:46am EDT

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    Bring replay into the mix, DO NOT use it for balls and strikes, this will make it possible to quickly review calls that are questionable. It appears to me that these umps are reluctant to step on each others toes on calls in question. As for comments by *** get a life so your team is not in the playoffs, don' contend that it is fixed.
  24. Hammer
    382. Posted by Hammer Sat Oct 24 8:32am EDT

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    probably missing some points and repeating others but 1) no way as a fan of Baseball would I want to see electronics take over 100% for any type of sports officiating. I don't care what new tech is available, what decade or century we live in, sports played with 'BALLS' need live officiating. Every city in every sport can go back and point to one call that was missed. But what we are seeing today in MLB and it's playoffs looks to have some "INTENT"!!!! That requires an "INVESTIGATION". Officials need to be a)trained b)evaluated c)selected by participants d)judged for good/bad results and finally e)retained or removed based on d.
  25. Tom G
    381. Posted by Tom G Sat Oct 24 6:38am EDT

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    when your averaging 1-5 blown calls a game than replay has to be brought in specially for playoffs and world seris there should be no questions asked the day after... the 162 games a year replay would really drag an already long boring season out... and these calls any little leaguer could have made the 3rd base ump was 2 feet away from the double tag out at third not to mention the catcher again taged him out after the play when he took his foot of the bag he missed the call twice... in my book he is what i call FIRED THE NEXT DAY!!! theres been what about 30 bad calls so far thats beyond stupid... maybe 1-2 in a whole playoff seris but this has been outragously terrible... if baseball dosent consider replay than they need to hire more umps to get the calls right... like 3 on each base with one facing the outfeild one facing the pitcher and one standing on the bag to make sure he dosent miss the play... you miss maybe 1 call in a game not 4-5...
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