Rangers 2, Orioles 0: The case for robot umpires
by Stacey on Aug 20, 2010 11:36 PM EDT
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I didn't see tonight's game because I was out with my niece celebrating her thirteenth birthday. Thirteen! When she was born I was a week away from starting my freshman year of college and now she's thirteen. Oh my. What, you want to hear about baseball? I know that Esskay was there because I got a text about Nick Markakis getting his first career ejection tonight over the strike zone. Perhaps he can provide more information later. It appears that the following is what you need to know about tonight's game:
- The Orioles were not getting the same strike zone as Texas.
- Nick Markakis and Buck Showalter were both ejected for arguing balls and strikes.
- The Orioles had three hits all night, two of which were from
B2BB3BBLF. - Jake Arrieta was good.
- After five straight games between these teams where the Orioles f***ed the Rangers, tonight it was the Orioles who got f***ed by the umpires.
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Seriously, was the strike zone as bad on TV as it seemed live?
We were in the club level, section 242, which is the first section to the left if you’re sitting in the broadcast/press area. So the angle wasn’t the greatest to judge what is and isn’t a strike but it sure didn’t look consistent between O’s batters and Rangers batters.
The crowd was riding the ump for every pitch from about the 5th inning on and I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. I think the ejection of the normally even-keeled Markakis speaks for itself as far as the quality of the strike zone.
I also wanted to ask if people here feel like that homer to LF was catchable. It was about the cheapest homer you can get in Camden and I felt like Lugo gave up on the ball because he didn’t even make it all the way to the fence. Would he have caught it if he jumped? I don’t know. But after he fucked that routine line drive in the first inning, I wasn’t in his corner. He’s not regularly in the OF so I get that jump balls at the fence aren’t exactly something he does regularly. I felt like he didn’t even try though, and that pissed me off.
Arrieta wasn’t his sharpest but there’s no way he was getting the same calls as Wilson. I just don’t see how it’s possible. For all that, he only gave up the cheapest homer possible as far as earned runs, and would have made it through 7 IP without Izzy’s error (which resulted in a second run that was not earned).
Speaking of Izzy, he really didn’t have good range to his left tonight. I don’t know if he was positioned bad or what but it was striking that a couple of balls you thought he could get to scooted through into the outfield.
So CC, give me a sign:
1. Was the strike zone as fucked as it looked live?
2. Am I being unfair to Lugo or is he getting deserved flames?
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Aug 20, 2010 11:48 PM EDT reply actions
i voted for markakis in your short-lived MPB poll
and yes, the strike zone was deplorable. all 4 of those pitches to markakis were balls, and 3 were called strikes. and it wasn’t just with him. i don’t think showalter was arguing the strike zone so much as the umpire stepping around to “brush off the plate”, i.e. lecture wieters. i also seem to recall that he wasn’t ejected until after he came out to argue.
i missed the first couple innings so I can’t comment on what happened with lugo.
I'm going to edit in a poll to Stacey's post. This was not an MBP-less loss in my estimation.
I didn’t pick up on the constant plate brush-offs but I can see why that would have set Buck off as well. I couldn’t tell if he got heaved still in the dugout or what, but once he got tossed he got his money’s worth.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Aug 20, 2010 11:56 PM EDT up reply actions
yes it was just as bad if not worst
Probably worst because on tv you get to look at the k zone feature on replays and see just how far outside and low those pitches to Markakis were. I’ve seen on rare occasions a strike zone get stretched that far outside but never before have I seen one stretched so low! It reminded me of an umpire at a little league game trying to get a 15 – 0 game over with ASAP so he can get home to watch the 4 pm football games on a sunday! It was an absolute joke. And then for Jeff Nelson to not give Phat Albers two similar pitch locations and then have the nerve to lecture Wieters about the strike zone! I was hoping Buck would come out swinging at Nelson.
And on the HR, it was a very cheap HR but I don’t think Lugo had any chance unless he climbed on top of the wall because it was hit so high. It nearly went straight down into the first row instead of the typical line drive that is catchable if it lands in the first row. But I thought he could of at least given a better effort.
You have a good point about the trajectory.
It was a pretty high fly ball rather than a line drive. I agree that it looked like he could have given a better effort though, so that’s why I was pissed.
I guess the strike zone thing is just one of those things that homers wail about. I’m obviously one such, since I help contribute to a big Orioles blog. But damn – like you said, there were similar pitch locations that O’s pitchers just weren’t getting. From my vantage point, some of those looking K’s just seemed ridiculous. Bell’s K was another one that stood out.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Aug 21, 2010 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions
WTF? Is this the AL version of Eastern European judges or what?
I’m sure the graphics above are not, as they say, admissable evidence for an official protest, but they certainly ought to be a Big Mac for thought in the blue locker room. Tossing a player like Markakis is similar to the last resort of the mistaken/inexperienced/incompetent NBA ref who tries to cover complaints over a bad call with a technical.
That said, WTF do we expect? When your offense is named Julio Lugo, you’re not going to win a lotta games.
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
If I wasn't sitting next to my grandma, I would have really been profanely riding the ump.
Took a lot of willpower not to yell for him to get off his knees because he was blowing the game.
He might not have heard me from up there but I sure would have felt better.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Aug 21, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
The picture above doesn't do it justice
K-Zone during the game was better. Those pitches were egregiously low and/or away. Like unhittably so, unless you had a 6 foot long bat.
by Holymittens on Aug 21, 2010 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Cliff Lee tomorrow
should be fun.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
meh
we whoop him
Bring back Luis Matos.
by WestcoastO'sFan on Aug 21, 2010 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Again*
"Believe me, I know the save rule and, quite frankly, it doesn’t carry much weight with me. I like the win rule a little bit better."
by organizedchaos52 on Aug 21, 2010 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Interesting comment by Buck
“We’re trying to keep the field level. It’s unfortunate sometimes the people that seem to be a little more squawky get some of the benefits. That’s unfortunate in our game, but we see it a lot when we head up towards the Bronx.”
Bring back Luis Matos.
by WestcoastO'sFan on Aug 21, 2010 1:29 AM EDT reply actions
Buck always seems to know what to say to endear himself to the Birdland faithful.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Aug 21, 2010 2:15 AM EDT up reply actions
That comment just kind of got me excited
and it’s early here in NC!
Birdland and Buck both start with B... coincidence? I think not.
by Birdland in NC on Aug 21, 2010 6:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Jeff Nelson sucks.
Buck is going to get fined, nothing will happen to the umpire, and baseball will continue having the legitimacy of boxing. I am watching this on tevo right now and want to throw something through my TV…
Bud Selig
Sat on his hands while steroids ruined the game. He did nothing to address this problem. Selig screwed up the Allstar Game with this “home field” advantage mess. He has a bunch of arrogant, narccist, overpaid idiots called umpires he needs to get under control. Take charge Bud or resign.
Joseph Mahoney. Remember that name. You heard if first here. July 2010
You know you're garbage when...
You make ESPN side with the orioles. Watching the highlights tonight was just absurd. Gamecast up top looks about 6 inches high on those pitches..
by GeoffreyA on Aug 21, 2010 1:54 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Video makes it pretty clear.
And here they are:
Strike 1:
Strike 2 (shown in split screen):
Strike 3:
The blue box is a little misleading—it’s clearly higher than Nicky’s knees—but still, ridiculous.
"I put a pepper rub on the scallops so you have a little contrast. You have sweetness from the coconut oil and little acidity from the splash of lemon." – Luke Scott
by zknower on Aug 21, 2010 1:54 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
note that the third strike overlaps the right-handed batter's box.
"I put a pepper rub on the scallops so you have a little contrast. You have sweetness from the coconut oil and little acidity from the splash of lemon." – Luke Scott
Nice work with these screen grabs, zk.
Maybe my angle towards the plate wasn’t as bad as I thought, because I definitely remember sitting there thinking, “Wow, that pitch looked like it was over the line of the other batters’ box.” But there’s no way an ump could be that bad… is there?
It turns out that, yes, an ump can be that bad, or perhaps, if Buck and Nicky are correct, vindictive on top of being bad. Talk about your double whammy.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Aug 21, 2010 2:14 AM EDT up reply actions
just watched the replay
and i am floored…that was the most rediculous thing ive ever seen…wow…what awful fucking umpiring
It’s the Ric Flair Theory of baseball – To be the man, you gotta beat the man. -duck
by Parkinglotninja on Aug 21, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks
Terrible calls
"I'm from Maryland, and no one can beat me!"
by John Stephens on Aug 21, 2010 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I put the video in Fanshots
Check out more of my highlights at dailymotion.com/gatecitycanes
by IHeartMASN on Aug 21, 2010 4:54 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Those Gameday screenshots don't do it justice.
That 4 pitch sequence to Nick was the worst K-zone I have ever seen. The 3 strikes were ankle-high and outside. I was screaming obscenities at the TV.
Anyone hear Dempsey in the post-game? He basically said it was a large strike zone and the it was our hitters fault for not making adjustments. He flat refused to say anything bad about the umpire. Tom Davis was looking at him like he was insane.
On the positive side though, Wieters was flashing a cannon all game long. Picking off Mooreland (?) from 2nd was a huge play.
Dempsey's a tool.
He’s worn out his welcome with me. His bitterness towards the club not offering him the job is really affecting his “abilities” as a commentator.
From the Land of Pleasant Living...
Dempsey came up in the Yankees organization
Maybe Junior Steinbrenner will give him a job.
by Fred Sanford on Aug 21, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Dempsey
I totally agree with you. I was watching the post-game and my jaw hit the floor when Dempsey started running his mouth. Tom Davis should have nailed him in the head with a right cross. Hate to say it but it’s probably time for him to go. Dude, you just aren’t major league managing material. Get over it.
Nelson should be put on administrative leave
The strike zone was bad enough but the fact that, out of personal anger, he called pitches that were clearly out of the zone strikes shows that he’s not fit to ump in the bigs. He could probably get away with this in the Instructional League or maybe Little League (although parents have been known to attack umps).
Until I saw the replay, I thought that maybe Nick was in a gray area, judgement call area, about which you can never win. But after seeing the video, it’s so patently obvious that it would demand, if we had a real commissioner, some sort of punitive action on the ump. Close game, our best hitter….glad I wasn’t there in person or I’d have been escorted from the park for inappropriate heckling.
I hope this emotion carries over into today’s game and they slap a 30-3 win on the Rangers’ collective asses.
The Umpire's Union
Does MLB have any quality control for umpires? Can a team’s protest lead to a review of the game by the commissioner’s office? I have an impression that the umpire’s union is so strong that once an ump has reached the major leagues he has a lifetime job no matter how good or bad his performance is.
I don't believe they can fire them
I remember a few years ago, the umpires voluntarily resigned as a negotiating ploy. It was poorly thought out because MLB accepted the resignations of many of the old, fat, or awful umpires. I recall reading that this was the only way MLB would have been able to get rid of these guys. It was during this time that MFY season ticket holder Rich Garcia (of Jeffrey F&%$ing Maier fame) was finally disposed of .
by uneasy rider on Aug 21, 2010 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Wieters v. The ump
Can someone explain what the deal was between wieters and the ump? I heard it mentioned several times, but don’t know why actually happened.
by brek on Aug 21, 2010 10:29 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
As far as I could tell
Wieters felt like the strike zone was different for us (and it certainly looked that way) and apparently said something or held the mitt there too long. Nelson came around to “wipe off the plate” and said something to Wieters. That got Buck fired up and he came out to argue that point and that led to him getting tossed. The pitch before all this looked to be in the same spot as the ones that were called strikes against Nick in his third AB, but it was called a ball. It was pretty bad. Wieters never moved the glove and the pitch was right to it. It was legitimately a ball to the k-zone, but it was identical to the “strikes” on Nick.
by Chief O'Flyers on Aug 21, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I would've been complaining
If I was Wilson. He should’ve felt like he was cheating.
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