Say It Ain't So, Ump!

It's Another Black Sox Scandal
Angels Robbed in South Side Hustle
Chump Umps in Chicago Throw Away the
2005 American League Championship Series

Umps Don't Call an Out an Out in 2-1 Travesty of a Mockery of a Sham
A Bad Ending for Doug Eddings

The Write Call

Mr. Solomon and Mr. Port,

As an avid baseball fan and consumer I am disgusted and dismayed by the display of ineptitude, cowardice, and out right lack of understanding that Doug Eddings and his cohorts showed the nation of baseball fans watching Game 2 of the ALCS last night.

It was a disgrace that taints the series and the one to follow with questions of what if...

I would suggest some action from the MLB executive offices; those who oversee the umpires will fall into culpability with the incompetent umpires if there is no action taken.

Your sport is one which enthralls us for 162 games each year, and on the merits of those games we carry on into the postseason... one in which far fewer games determine a champion. Each pitch carrying the weight of an entire summer. The drama should not include the question of whether an Umpire has control of his "Strike three mechanics" it is not only a disgrace but brings those behind the plate from a place of trust to one of ridiculousness...

-Spiro Pappadopoulos
A faithful baseball fan
A Red Sox ticket holder
A MLB gameday audio subscriber
A Direct TV Baseball Package purchaser
A single voice asking for action

Please Bud, Fix This New Black Sox Scandal

The following excerpts are from the Official Baseball rules section 9.05: The umpire, shall watch out for dropped balls after you have called a man out. Do not come running with your arm up or down, denoting “out” or “safe.” Wait until the play is completed before making any arm motion. Do not call the plays too quickly. But remember! The first requisite is to get decisions correctly. If in doubt don’t hesitate to consult your associate. Umpire dignity is important but never as important as “being right.”

“When he rings him up with a fist, he’s out,” Scioscia said.

‘’That’s my mechanism for calling ’strike,’ when it’s a swinging strike,” said the umpire Doug Eddings.

Dear Bud,

I am counting on you to do something for the good of the game today. For the good of the game you need to step up to the plate and rule that Doug Eddings made a mistake, and the game will be called a tie, and before the start of game 6, game 2 will be completed, starting in the tenth inning. It is not because of the mistake of whether the ball hit the ground first, it was because of the emphatic out call made by Eddings.

I realize the rule book states that you can’t protest a game, because of an umpire’s decision, but that call was not a decision. When he rung him up, everyone on the Angels saw the out signal, and left the field. Now is the time to do the right thing, admit the umps got it wrong and correct it. Not only will this be for the good of the game, but it also will show everyone, that you can change something if you were wrong.

Fox will benefit from this, as when the series shifts back to Chicago, (provided the Angels don’t sweep the next 3 games) it will be the most anticipated game 6 in playoff history. It all comes down to doing the right thing. Bud Selig Commissioner of baseball needs to step to the plate today and tell the baseball world, we made a mistake and we are going to do the right thing. You need to say, “We are going to play game 2 starting from the 10th inning in a 1-1 game.”

The way to avoid only one inning being played next Tuesday would be to play the entire game 6 first and then to play the one inning after if one team has a 3-1 lead in the series. If it is tied 2-2 then start the tenth inning first. Either way it will be done for the good of the game.

-- 10.13: I am The Fan’s Commish, Rick Swanson

King Keith is No Foulke Hero

Cranky Closer Checked Out on Teammates

"The real story of the season was how Foulke completely checked out on his teammates... Foulke lost many of his teammates, who watched him disappear and not seem to be particularly broken up about it. He told the Red Sox at the end of September that he wouldn't pitch again this season. That was news to them... Foulke is looking more like a hired gun. There is a real distance between him and the clubhouse... If nothing else, publicly attending a hockey game when your team is fighting for its life was ill-advised, especially for a player who could have been the deciding factor this season... Foulke should not escape this. Just imagine the furor had the Red Sox been playing a postseason game and Manny Ramirez had been sighted at a football game, or worse, caught having a drink with Enrique Wilson." -- 10.12, Howard Bryant, Boston Herald (subscription only)

One Year Ago, the Sox Got Schellacked in Game 1 of the ALCS