Law and Order of baseball

By Scott Moran

Major League Baseball has a lot of controversy around performance enhancing drugs these days. The actions that are performed off the field are issues that the league needs to address. On the other hand, it is the league umpires that enforce the rules of baseball on the field.

The umpires in MLB come in all shapes and sizes. Their attire changes with the weather. In the cold weather they wear jackets, and they wear light blue colored T-shirts in the warm weather. Some of them are very familiar since they been around the league a long time. Others are relatively fresh after working their way up through the minor leagues.

The journey to Major League Baseball is not easy for umpires. They typically start out at one of the Major League Umpire clinics in Florida or Arizona. If they are lucky they will receive an invitation to single A minor league baseball. Although they get paid in the minor leagues, the money is nothing close to breaking the bank. They make around six hundred dollars a week and are expected to pick up most of their own travel costs. A lot of them “gamble” a significant portion of their career to make it to the big leagues. Major League Baseball umpire observers could attend any of their games to monitor their performance.

Unlike other sports, such as football, where the game officials tend to be in shape and well qualified to keep up with the demands of a modern day professional athlete; most major league baseball umpires are difficult to mistake for athletes. . It is not uncommon for a professional umpire to tip the scales at over 300 lbs. With this appearance the managers, commentators and fans all question the credentials of these umpires.

In defense of umpires, the following statement should be made clear: umpiring is a much harder job than it looks. If you still do not believe this, then volunteer to work the plate at a local Little League baseball field in your area. If you could make it until the end of the game, you probably will have a greater respect for umpires at all levels. Calling a good game requires quick and accurate decision making and the ability to deal with pressure.

One of the most crucial and accurate calls perhaps in baseball history occurred in 1992. The game was between the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Atlanta Braves in game seven of the 1992 National League pennant. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Pirates were leading the Braves 3-2. The bases were loaded with Terry Pendleton on third and the rather slow Sid Bream on second. The Braves’ Francisco Cabrera was at the plate. He hit a single into the outfield that easily scored Pendleton to tie the game. A young Barry Bonds fields the ball while Bream was sent home for the winning run. Home plate umpire Randy Marsh stepped to the left to get the best possible position for a play at the plate. Bond’s throw home is off the mark by about 7 feet towards first base. Pirates’ catcher Mike LaValliere fields the ball and what happens next could be the closest call of the century. Bream hits the dirt and LaValliere dives back to home plate to tag Bream. Plate umpire Randy Marsh calls Bream safe by a few millimeters.

Examples like this represent the beauty of baseball umpires. We could hypothetically replay this event one hundred times. In each case, a neutral spectator can stand near home plate to make this call. With this call being so close, my guess would be that around 50 spectators would call him safe while the other 50 calls him out. All of the network video analysts confirm that Bream was safe. Perhaps Randy Marsh saw the entire play and correctly called Bream safe, or maybe the play was just too close for the naked eye and Marsh simply “guessed” safe. Either way the safe call was made correctly with the aid of video analysis.

Let’s assume that Major League Baseball had a replay system similar to the NFL. Bream would be called safe, and then out would come a challenge flag from the Pirates’ manager. The world would have to wait five to ten minutes before the correct call is confirmed. Although there would be some value in getting the call correct, it would take away the fun and the spirit of the game of baseball.

It would be a sad day if MLB baseball had some type of replay system. Although watching replays of Bream hit home plate before LaValliere’s tag is enjoyable, it never fully reproduces the emotions of watching the game live over television. I couldn’t even imagine how enjoyable it would have been to see that play live at Fulton County stadium in Atlanta.

Whether you fully detest professional umpires or you recognize them as a necessary evil, one undeniable truth is that umpires are and will always be a part of the game. It has often been said that a good umpire will blend into the game and go unnoticed by spectators and players. In my opinion, an outstanding umpire will be noticed and appreciated for calling an excellent game.

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