The umpiring this post season has been absolutely horrible. The only positive for a Yankees fan is that more than half of these calls have gone their way. But as a fan of the game, it’s unacceptable to see these major league umpires, the best of the best, making such poor calls.
What is even worse is when they do a makeup call. Nick Swisher gets nailed on a pick off play clearly by the Angels, yet is called safe. He makes it to third later in the inning with only one out and seemingly scores when he tags from third on a deep fly ball to center. The Angels appeal and they call Swisher out, when clearly replays show the 3rd base umpire McCleland looking to centerfield to view the catch (and not on the tagging runner’s foot to see if he left the bag early).
Fortunately, it doesn’t appear any of these poor calls have cost either side a game….yet.
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Addendum to my post….
Tim McClelland did it again! This is not borderline ridiculous…it is ridiculous!!!!!!
Situation: One out in the top of the fifth inning, ground ball back to the pitcher, who throws home; Posada’s caught in a rundown and the Angels catcher runs him back to third. Cano moved from second to third on the play. But when the catcher finally neared Posada at third, he noticed that Cano was — for some unknown reason — standing flatfooted a few feet off the base. Catcher alertly tags Cano and then turned back to tag out Posada, who was experiencing yet another similar lapse of judgment on the other side of the bag and foul line.
Memories of Dale Berra and Bobby Meachum both getting thrown out in tandum at home rebouns, but Umpire McClelland, despite standing just a few feet away and having the entire debacle right in front of him, only ruled Posada was out. Cano was welcome to third??????????
This is absurd!!! Here’s what McClelland had to say about the play after the game:
“On the play with Cano and Posada, I thought Cano was on the base. I was waiting for two players to be on the base, and when there was never the situation where both of them were on the base at the same time. When he tagged Cano, I thought Cano was on the base, and when Jorge touched the base and continued and tagged Posada out, I thought Posada was out …
“(The replay) showed that Cano was off the bag when he was tagged. I did not see that for whatever reason … I’m just out there trying to do my job and do it the best I can.”
That McClelland’s mistake was minimized by the subsequent out by Melky Cabrera(notes) — the Yankees scored no runs off the snafu — is irrelevant.
Where does it end??? Instant replay? Ugh.
Stockfield back in New York 