Whole new level of respect for Mark Reynolds after last night's post-game interview. He'll probably get a hell of a fine, but maybe MLB will actually do something about these umps now.

Best quote:

"It’s a shame they don’t have accountability. They don’t have any, if they make a bad call, it’s like, ‘Ho-hum, next day is coming.’ If we have a bad couple of games we get benched or we get sent down. They have nobody breathing down their throats. They have nobody, they are just secure in their jobs. And they are probably over there right now laughing about it because they don’t worry about it. This game is way too important right now, where we are in the season, for these kind of calls to happen"

He also took a nice rip at Tim Timmons, who blew a call at home in the first, but overturned the questionable call at first later in the game:

"I don’t understand how an umpire can miss a play at home plate that’s right in front of him and see that play from home plate at first base."

I think replacement umps could do better than half the MLB crews these days.

Looks like MikeT's an ump apologist.

Unless of course it was Tex and Girardi in place of Reynolds and Showalter. Then it would be a travesty.

Umps miss calls.

You man up or complain.

It's a decent point.  It seems like umps are getting worse than they used to be (no I don't have proof, before you ask), and maybe if there was more accountability, they'd do better.  And if they don't, maybe they're replaced with someone better.

Posted by MikeT23 on 8/18/2012 4:44:00 PM (view original):
Umps miss calls.

You man up or complain.

A) even the replay was inconclusive - Peralta admitted even some of his Tigers teammates told him he was likely out. There wasn't enough reason to overturn it.

B) even if there was enough to overturn it, when was the last time you saw a safe/out call overturned at 1B? I've NEVER seen it.

C) Carapazza violated the rules when he ejected Reynolds.

Reynolds raised some valuable points that many have raised lately. Umps face zero accountability - no threat of fines, suspension or demotion for poor performance. And if there is some of that going on behind closed doors, they need to publicize it, because it sure seems like they have no reason to care if they get a call wrong.

Do you need a tearful apology from an umpire when he misses a call?

It happens.   Man up or cry about it.

It has nothing to do with blowing a call, but god forbid you actually pay attention to the content of the discussion.  Two problems:

1) the first base umpire made a safe call at 1B.  The home plate umpire overturned it.  Should not happen, but I can live with it.  The call was close, could have gone either way.  First base guy clearly had the best view of it, but if he felt like he didn't that's his prerogative.  No right to protest the game over this.

2) Mark Reynolds was ejected for throwing his glove down.  Immediately, before he'd said a word, so it had to be for throwing the glove.  I've seen this increasingly often this season - umpires looking to toss someone as soon as they or another crew member make a call on a close play.  Umpires should be MORE understanding of objection to the call on a close play, but they're going out of their way to toss guys in these situations.  I guess they're trying to consolidate their power/authority over the game, but it's BS.  In this case Reynolds was tossed for an equipment violation, which is by tradition and now explicitly an offense for which players are NOT to be tossed, though they are often fined after the game.  This is an obvious rules violation, and the game could have been protested over it.  I don't think it was.  To further indicate the intent of the umpires to toss guys, it's worth noting that Showalter was tossed within about 3 seconds of walking onto the field and before he actually got to where the umpires were.  That's 2 guys tossed for dramatically less than anybody would have been tossed for as recently as 5 years ago.

First, umps have been going out of their way to confront players/managers for a long time.   I don't like it but they are the authority on the field.   If they are held accountable, I hope it stays behind closed doors.  The last thing we need are players/managers baiting umpires.

Second, throwing his glove?  How ******* old is he?  9?  Grow up and act like a man.

Finally, you don't have to be in someone's face to yell at them.   For all either of us know, Showalter had been riding the guy the entire game.

Reynolds barely says a word. Do I see/hear him every second of every game? No, but I'm sure many would stand behind the fact that this reaction was highly out of character for him.

Secondly...the last thing we need are players/managers baiting umps? And yet it's okay for umps to bait players? Because that happens quite often (see: Joe West, Angel Hernandez, etc.). What would you think if a police officer unfairly arrested someone or baited them into committing a crime? I guarantee they'd be suspended or fired. Umpire discipline should be publicized.

I love how you feel the need to requote posts people have already responded to, as if it proves something. Player discipline is publicized and all baseball officials (players, managers, GMs, etc.) pay a price for poor job performance. And the umps, who are the authority over the game and arguably the ones who should pay the steepest price for poor job performance, appear to face no repercussions. Ever heard the phrase "perception is reality"? You'd think MLB would want to publicize their accountability measures to let people know there's a fair balance.

Do we need to know that Bob Smith was fined $6,000 for prematurely tossing a player? No, but MLB could come out and say "we review all umpires performances and they are fined/disciplined/given demerits based on poor performance", and actually show that they have a structure in place for this. I'm sure there is some review process, but it doesn't seem to be a very good/effective one.

I go back to my police officer example, going with the principle of authority figures. Is every last bit of cop discipline publicized? No. But we know it happens, and there are enough public cases to show that cops aren't above the law. I agree they need more freedom than the average citizen to do their jobs effectively, but they absolutely should be held accountable.

Umps appear to face no accountability, which is only enhanced by the fact that certain umps who have sucked for years still have jobs, and examples of umps flexing their muscles just because they can are becoming more frequent.

You say the last thing we need is players/managers baiting umps, then you say umps have been confronting players managers for a long time - yet you don't think they should be openly held accountable. I don't even think I need to point out what a ridiculous double standard that is. If an authority figure can't properly exercise that authority, they should lose it.

I assume you know what a union is.  I assume you know that umpires have a union.  I assume you know the umpires union negotiated a contract with MLB.   I assume you do not know that part of that contract may have included a confidentiality clause that restricts MLB from publicizing any disciplinary action.

And, no, I don't think any discipline should be made public.  Don't think that players, managers and fans wouldn't target umpires on "probation". 

So what if they do? You don't think umps target/bait players with a reputation for having a hot head or quick temper? If an authority figure has a hot-head or can be baited into reacting to something, then they shouldn't be an authority figure. If high school kids can make a teacher snap or constantly get a reaction out of them, that teacher shouldn't be in that field. Authority figures need to always be in control. Umps far too often let their emotions guide their calls, and it's wrong. There has to be a balance somewhere between zero accountability and publicly crucifying umps, and I don't understand why it's so hard for MLB to find it.

Plus, I'm surprised more umps don't say anything about hot heads who make their crews look bad. If a player or manager is making a team look bad, we certainly hear comments about it. Perhaps umps simply need to start doing a better job of policing their own.

What proof do you have that umps let emotions guide their calls?