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Baltimore Orioles' Jay Payton, right, steals second base as Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe takes the throw from the catcher Thursday during the second inning of a baseball game in Chicago.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - When I worked as an official scorer in Baltimore in the early 1990s, I’d get a letter from the league just before opening day. The letter confirmed my appointment, and included a number of helpful hints. One suggestion made rather strongly: if you’ve got access to video replay, use it, since the league was concerned with accuracy insofar as hits and errors were concerned.
That letter came to mind this week when I was reading e-mails I’d received regarding Sunday’s play at the plate where Melvin Mora was tagged out trying to score the game-tying run. It was the back end of a double play: Brian Roberts had flied to right, and Mora was attempting to score on the arm of Angels’ rightfielder Vladimir Guerrero. It ended the game with L.A. winning 4-3.
After home plate umpire Gerry Davis signaled “out,” there was no dispute on the field. Mora got up, brushed himself off, and headed for the dugout. Orioles’ manager Dave Trembley didn’t rush out onto the field. In real time, there was no question about it.
Replays, however, showed that Mora had hit the plate before he was tagged. The throw beat him there, make no mistake about that, but he was actually safe. That there was no argument ruffled the feathers of enough fans that some actually took the time to write e-mails to columnists and presumably call the radio talk shows.
The argument they made is that umpires are frequently out of position to make the right call. Davis, in this case, instinctively gave the out sign simply because he knew the ball got there before the baserunner. Asking for help from the base umps would have been futile; they were in no position to see it any better than he did.
There was another example on Wednesday night in Chicago, although this one went the Orioles’ way. Corey Patterson made a diving catch of a sinking liner hit by Tadahito Iguchi, but replays clearly showed he trapped it. It bounced into his glove. No argument from the White Sox’ dugout, though. In real time, it sure looked like he caught it. It likely cost Chicago a run, and we’ll never know how it might’ve changed the outcome of the game, an eventual Oriole win.
Technology is all around us, and many fans seem to think it shows that umpiring has gotten worse. I take the opposite view; I think umpiring has gotten better over the years, but technology has raced past it, magnifying every mistake. There was no replay when I was growing up watching the game 40-plus years ago. Did I see questionable calls? Sure, but there was no way to confirm my belief that the man in blue had gotten it wrong. Now, with slow motion and super-slow motion, we can count the grains of dirt disturbed on every sliding play.
I’m an advocate of using instant replay in the postseason, specifically to determine whether a ball is fair or foul, or is actually a home run or not. Holographic strike zones aren’t really necessary. Let’s not take the human element entirely out of the equation, but if you’re using instant replay to score the game upstairs why hesitate to incorporate some part of it on the field? Maybe it’s time to give that some serious consideration.
Contact Phil Wood at pwood@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:33 PM MST on Sun., Apr. 27, 2008 re: "‘The 21st Century Ripken’"
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2:00 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008
re: "Don’t panic yet"
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10:34 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008
re: "Don’t panic yet"
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10:18 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008
re: "Don’t panic yet"
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12:59 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 13, 2007
re: "New park feels like home already"
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12:20 AM MST on Wed., Oct. 3, 2007
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10:02 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007
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5:12 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 11, 2007
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8:47 AM MST on Wed., Jun. 27, 2007
re: "Orioles could repeat managerial history with Trembley"
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5:52 PM MST on Wed., May. 30, 2007
re: "A long, winding road from Baltimore"
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1:07 PM MST on Wed., May. 2, 2007
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5:21 AM MST on Wed., May. 2, 2007
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Examiner Reader said:
There are many Nationals fans who are still patient with the team. I remember how Edward Bennett Williams as well as Peter Angelos tried---and failed---to build a winner with the Orioles by buying free agents. But my biggest nightmare is that once Zimmerman's contract runs out, he will sign a lucrative deal with another club because (a) the Lerners are unwilling to pay the money to keep him when they have the chance, (b) Zimmerman has no faith that the franchise will become a playoff contender anytime in his career, or (c) all of the above. Maybe the Lerners are smart by forcing Zimmerman to prove his worth this year, but if he has a breakout year and then flies the coop like Alfonso Soriano, fans' faith in The Plan will vanish like the wind. Edward J. Cunningham Rockville, MD
2 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Gee, Phil, thanks. I'm glad you reminded us that we're all raving idiots and that you have been appointed by MENSA to set us straight. "It’s perfectly plain that the issue is offense." I'm glad we have an "expert" like you to tell us this. Hm. All along, I thought the problem was that Nationals Park doesn't have enough cupholders!!!
5 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner reader said:
Phil, is it ok for fans who call in to your radio show to comment on the Nats' play? Or are they also ignorant folks who know nothing about facts or logic?
3 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner reader said:
What an arrogant, condescending column this is. Fans shouldn't comment about and criticize the team because they don't know enough about baseball? Fans don't know what's going on in the dugout or in the clubhouse? Well why don't you tell us then, Phil, and disabuse us of our shallow, uninformed nonsense. And most fans agree that Lenny Harris did a terrific job last year? Really? Maybe it is you who is uninformed, Phil. (And anyway, who cares what the uninformed *fans* think?) Did you know that the Nats came very close in the offseason to not retaining Harris because they thought that he did not do a good job and was not ready to be a major league hitting coach?
7 agree | 1 disagree
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natsbaseball.com said:
Thanks Phil. Sounds wonderful - can't wait to see it. Being about the same age I remember attending the first baseball game at DC Stadium after experiencing Griffith for one or two seasons as a young child. It was a world of improvement over the falling down older park. After baseball returned 34 years later and about 15 years of going to Camden, RFK was, of course, kind of stark (I think is was designed by Joseph Stalin) but we all knew it was temporary and to have a home team again we would have put up with a lot worse. My only regret is the new stadium is in a location that couldn't be harder to get to for most of the area's fans. People are whining about the lack of parking - but it doesn't matter as there are no roads. Metro is bragging about being able to carry about 10,000 fans and hour. Since most of the 41,000 fans who could show up will have to go by metro - I cringe at the 4 hour trips it will take to get home. In that regard RFK had it all over the new park.
101 agree | 95 disagree
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kjack said:
Another great article Phil. Why those idiots at espn[The world wide leader in crap]and fox don't hire informed,aware, and intelligent individuals like you. To inform the general public of the things that really matter in baseball. I'll personalll never understand.
188 agree | 211 disagree
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EdDC said:
Phil, What do you think of going after Coco Crisp? He is still young and had back to back .300 seasons not long ago in Cleveland. Nats need a CF. Crisp didn't do much in BoSox pressure cooker, like Wily Mo Pena. So Crisp might benefit from just relaxing, knowing the world is not on his shoulders. His contract is reasonable: Covelli Crisp of 3 years/$15.5M (2007-09), plus $8M 2010 club option As to Bowden, I like him asking for the world. He tries hard and contacts many many teams, and if one or two bite, then Nats come out ahead. This is better than just trading to make trades.
243 agree | 225 disagree
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Pope John Paul Ringo George said:
"Did you ever hear any specific player’s names that would’ve ended up here in exchange for the Fonz?" This is a poor argument. The reason the Nats never get serious offers in trade for Soriano, Dmitri, Cordero, Rauch, etc is becuase Bowden's asking price is not serious. He makes it known that you can only trade for a Nat if you're willing to be ripped off in the trade. His asking price starts so high, teams won't even attempt to negotiate with him. Then he comes back and says "hey, we never got any serious offers!" No sane, competent GM will ever trade with him on anyting above replacement level players.
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Norm said:
Trembley has got this team behind him. I like his vision. You can see it in the way this team is playing since he replaced Perlozzo. The Weaver like experience you cite nails it and is a huge bonus. It's precisely what the O's need to get to the next level. The way I see it, NONE of the other current candidates brings anything comparable to the table. With McPhail and Trembley, we are already on the right track.
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Examiner Reader said:
I agree in that the Orioles should trade for Teixeira. There will be many teams after him. The "Dallas News" has an article that Boston, Dodgers, and Tigers may be interested. We should offer Cabrera, and two other players. Texas needs a starting pitcher. In the article he says the other teams would offer a pitching prospect. At least Cabrera has pitched in the majors the last three years. The Orioles would be set for the next 8 years at first base. That would be a nice infield. Also, go get Torri Hunter next year in free agency for center field.
348 agree | 261 disagree
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Dan said:
So is MLB saying that the score of a game has no impact on strategy? As far as Jay's comment: "The rules were followed." I don't think I ever read anywhere in the MLB rule book where you can score a run while you are on defense. The apeal was not that the run should not count, but that it is not fair to the Tribe that the run was awarded 3 innings after the fact. Contrary to MLB I beleive that the score of the game is the #1 item that determines strategy. The Tribe was denied 3 innings of basing their strategy on the current situation. my thought is that the game should be continued from the point where the controversial run scored, with Baltimore leading 3 to 1. In every other instance I can recall you must apeal a decision before the next pitch. Runner leaves too early when tagging up. Appeal has to be made before next pitch. G Brett's infamouse non home run? Had to be apealed before next pitch. Same for runner missing a base. O's did not raise issue for 3 inn, but thats O
296 agree | 284 disagree
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Jay said:
The run counted, why are you crying? The rules were followed, and the Indians are tryng to get by on a technicality, shame in them...very unsportsmanlike
385 agree | 298 disagree
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