7
2011
Umpires Are Out Of Control, Yet Nothing Is Done About It
An article by 
Enough is enough.
Major League Baseball has long had an umpire problem. There’s never going to be perfection, and missed calls are part of the game and always will be, but it seems they are happening with more regularity.
Bad calls are one thing, but couple that with arrogance and it is an untenable situation, such as the one last night at Fenway Park, which figured a meltdown by Red Sox manager Terry Francona clearly initiated by two of the worst umpires in the game, Angel Hernandez and Joe West.
When Francona went out to discuss a balk call against Tim Wakefield, Hernandez ran him within seconds. The rules, ridiculous as they are, dictated an automatic ejection. Francona wanted an explanation of what Wakefield did wrong, but Hernandez never let him get a word in.
That’s a quick trigger. Umpires are supposed to be composed and show some patience, but that obviously goes against the grain with Hernandez. You must give the player or manager the opportunity to make his point.
Had Hernandez shown discretion there might not have been the subsequent meltdown.
That’s when Francona lost it and went after Hernandez, only to be intercepted by West, who has the reputation of being a hothead and wanting to interject himself into the game.
West clearly butted into a situation that didn’t involve him as Francona would say later. All he did was escalate the confrontation. There was contact made – six times according to the replay – but it was instigated by West.
Francona will obviously be fined, perhaps suspended by Commissioner Bud Selig, but West will get a pass because MLB doesn’t want to antagonize the umpires union, which, if angry enough, will take it out on the game and be confrontational all summer.
However, something needs to be done about West, who has consistently been ranked one of the worst umpires in player polls. He has the reputation of being a loose cannon and putting himself in the middle of things.
West, you might recall threw ejected two cameramen from Shea Stadium when they allowed the Mets to view a replay of a play at the plate. He’s also the one who criticized the Yankees and Red Sox for their slow play.
MLB must do something to improve the quality of umpiring. It could begin with expanded instant replay, because the objective is to get it right.
But, what I want is for each umpire to be wired so we can hear what goes on in the argument. We will be able to tell who did the instigating. Many of these arguments occur when the umps have rabbit ears and seek out the confrontation.
Having the umpires wired, and held accountable with fines and suspensions similar to the ones given the players, will help calm the waters.
The umpires are supposedly graded every year, but what is done with those who are at the bottom? Evidently not much as they return to show us their incompetence the next summer.
In the case of Joe West, he’s been a example of what is wrong with umpires. It is time the sport ejects him.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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YES…..
Good post John.
Here is something that can be done. One Fortune 500 company evaluates its top salespeople. The bottom five percent are gone, as ‘See you, pal!!’ The next five percent are issued letters of warning which is inserted in their personnel jackets. Admittedly this is easier than the situation the MLB faces. With sales, performance is determined by the dollar value of solid contracts made, with some allowance for further review of those suspected of ‘cooking the books.’
Field managerial personnel of each team need to evaluate the umps. The lowest performers among the umps should do mandatory time in the high minor leagues. When the low performing umpire returns to the majors, you can bet there will have been an attitude adjustment. If the ump is simply incompetent to make on-field decisions, a second low evaluation should result in dismissal.
The union issue puts another dimension on the problem. But if public employee union issues can be solved by our fifty states, simpler private sector issues, including those in baseball, can be handled successfully.
I also believe umpires have certain biases against certain teams and players. One example. when Tom Glavine pitched for the Braves his pitches would be as much as 6-8 inches off the plate and the umps would ring ‘em up. This happened with Smoltze a lot too. I saw it with my own eyes at the stadium and on replays. Glavine’s 300 wins plus marks him as the “cheapest 300 game winner in the game” A couple of games ago I saw Ike Davis get rung up on obvious balls. This happens all the time to a lot of hitter and also good pitches go as balls too. What surprised me the most is that no announcers ever call these guys out. I can’t figure that one unless MLB puts the fear of God into them.
I don’t mind the strike zone variation between umpires, so long as it is concistent with that umpire everytime. If a team knows an ump has a wide strike zone or he doesn’t call the low strike, then teams should be ready for that.
But when the zone looks like an amoeba from one inning to the next, thats the kind of crap that makes me long for Questech.
According to Wikipedia:
“In 2006, the spring after he was Crew Chief of the World Series, West was ranked the 4th worst umpire in the major leagues in a survey of major league players. In a similar 2010 poll also just after he worked the World Series, West ranked as the 2nd worst umpire in the league. Only 100 players were polled.”
See more about Cowboy Joe at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_West_(umpire)
You all perfect?????? lol… how is that hunt for a new beat writer job coming along Delcos????? Its easy to sit on our asses and blast guys who are crapped on everyday by players coaches managers and fans. I hope you are all perfect at your jobs otherwise you desewrve the tirades that Delcos and all are displaying against umps.
Wow I see you’re making the rounds. Sorry for butting in John, but I hate rude and asinine people infesting the site like a swarm of cockroaches. Who sent you metsfan? You seem too ignorant to have hatched up this scheme on your own. Tell us your name, at least me and John don’t hide like you do. You may be the only fan in baseball giving Joe West a ringing endorsement. Unbelievable.
That was completely uncalled for metsfan. Rude, unprofessional and just complete lack of any civility towards John.
Unless you are Joe West, I do not see a reason for that. If in some incredible coincidence you are Joe West, please retire from baseball, your just a God awful umpire and are a black mark on the sport.
Nice piece John, spot on, my thoughts exactly.
I like how Francona threw his gum towards the two umps. By the way, why have Angel Hernandez and Joe West on the same ump staff? It is like a double whammy of bad umps! Just add CB Buckner and its a Trifecta!
When a guy writes something professional then he gets respect. He’s a fired beat writer, and writes out of pettiness for the game that he has lost. West and Angel may not be the # 1 but unlike Delcos and you they do their job. They doit front of thousands of people and hundreds of call are second guessed by people like you sitting on your as##es all night drinking a beer and talking bravely how they suck at their job. Well you and delcos are two COWARDS who would never be able take the crap every ump on every level has to take from do nothing people such as yourselves. How would you like to take the crap for hours each game.. You couldn’t take it and you know it. So think before you blast these guys. Even the play the witless Delcos birches so “bravely” about was a play that can’t be argued. But its easy to blast guys who can’t defend themselves ain’t it Collier and Delcos. Well I’;m fighnting for them and its tough crap if you feel insulted. On behaldf of every ump at every suck it up losers.
metsfan,
if we are such losers and cowards as you say, what classifies yourself as being so brave and worthy of talking down to us. What have YOU done? We do not even know your name because your hiding behind “metsfan”, very original. If you want to talk about being a coward, look at a guy who is too scared to use his own name online.
And Oh Yes, you have me pegged because you know me so well right? You know everything about me and John huh?
Please. Go back to the Umpires union or wherever you came from.
Well Said!
Signed in deep appreciation;
Mrs. Angel Hernandez and
Mrs. Joe West
PS:we can’t wait to get our hands on the bonus money after they ump the world series-wowee!!
How many articles have your written? It’s easy of YOU to sit on your ass and blast guys……….
Love the spineless that critize yet are to weak to do it themselves.
Facts are often inconvenient. In 2006, West was ranked the 4th worst umpire in the major leagues. In a 2010 poll, West ranked as the 2nd worst umpire in the league.
From writer Alan Greenwood in the Nashua Telegraph comes this headline:
Umpire or cowboy: Joe West’s head too big for 10-gallon hat
Then the writer adds these two paragraphs in the body of the story:
All anyone needs to know about Joe West can be found on his web page (the name of which will not be mentioned here; do a search on “Joe West” or “blowhard major league umpire” and you’ll stumble into it fast enough).
Scroll about halfway down the ego-drenched page, which is mostly dedicated to peddling two country music CD’s West recorded, and you’ll find this enlightening line: “Joe West has become a star in two fields of entertainment, Country Music and Major League Baseball.”
Joe West is a self promoting ass. He’s trying to make himself the center of attention so he can sell more of those crappy country albums.
Umpires are as essential to the major league game as the bat and bases. I am in the minority and don’t want expanded instant replay, because an umpire IS THE LAW of the game, and if they happen to blow a call, thats life, move and next time try and not make the play so close where it leaves room where you can be called out or safe or whatever.
Last year after a league softball game, our team manager wanted to continue arguing a call from the game that had just concluded. We (the team) tried to get him to stop but then the umpire, who had said he had been umpiring for over 2 decades, stopped us and said it was the team managers right to air his opinion and perspective on the play and allowed him to continue to question the call(s).
The problem with Joe West and Angel Hernandez is they are cocky and itchy to toss a manager once a manager wants to question one of their calls. I remember hearing Keith Hernandez say something during a broadcast along the lines that a handful of veteran and these young umpires WANT to be the center of attention and seem to want the game to revolve around them. The answer isn’t taking calls out of umpires hands but getting better umpires in there.
Something else about umpires strike zones. They also will give one pitcher the strike and then the opposing pitcher in the same place its a ball. One other thing that could be included is allow a team to have two challenges like in football about call except for strikes. A good example of this would have been the call last week at third with Jose Reyes that his hand had come off the base. Some thing else umpires allow are team to assist the little pushes of contact with the base then calling them out.
In the case with Boston Manager Bug needs to wave the fine and suspension because in reviewing it the umpire made the first contact. I also agree mic the umpires.
Something else about umpires strike zones. They also will give one pitcher the strike and then the opposing pitcher in the same place its a ball. One other thing that could be included is allow a team to have two challenges like in football about call except for strikes. A good example of this would have been the call last week at third with Jose Reyes that his hand had come off the base. Some thing else umpires allow are team to assist the little pushes of contact with the base then calling them out.
In the case with Boston Manager Bud needs to wave the fine and suspension because in reviewing it the umpire made the first contact. I also agree mic the umpires.
An account from AP which makes Mr Delcos look like the lousy reporter Metsfan so wildly accused him of being: Looks like somthing needs to be done about third rate journalists. Oh wait, he isn’t one anymore: anyway, not quite the peaceful request that the ever bitter Delcos claimed it to be from Francona who was probably desperate to try to charge his faltering club a bit. Bad job Delcos, as usual.
BOSTON (AP)—Red Sox manager Terry Francona has been ejected for arguing a balk during Boston’s game against the Minnesota Twins.
Francona charged out of the dugout when Tim Wakefield(notes) was called for a balk while trying to pick off Denard Span(notes) at first base. The throw caught Span by surprise and the Red Sox tagged him in a rundown, but plate umpire Angel Hernandez waved off what would have been the third out and called the balk.
Ben Revere(notes) scored from third on the call.
Hernandez immediately tossed Francona, who stormed after him down the third base line while being held back by crew chief Joe West.
Francona yelled for a couple of minutes before flinging his gum toward Hernandez and heading to the dugout while Red Sox fans cheered him on.
Joe West has to go. He has lost it. If you watched the Twins/Bosox series this weekend you know why.
He is missing strikes that aren’t close and calling balls that are strikes. Tonight’s Twins/Bosox game he is behind the plate and it is a disaster.
Last week in a Tampa series he asked his umpiring team for an appeal on an obvious safe call at first and an umpire 90 feet away overruled him, but he asked for it.
He looks like a drinker
I think it is affecting his judgment.
He needs to go and fast.