Home Run Derby

Every once in a while, umpires’ uniforms just don’t seem to make it to the ballpark with the umpires. 

UniWatch covered the subject pretty well nearly 4 years ago (that Paul Lukas is always ahead of the game).

One such occurence happened on April 17, 1987 … during a game between the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, the umpires’ gear somehow got lost at the airport.  Naturally the host Cubs were generous enough to outfit the boys in blue.  It just happened to be Cubbie Blue. 

Now this was a classic game.

• Not because you got to see the late Eric Gregg get his 300 pound frame dressed up in spare Cubs’ catching gear
• Not because the Expos were wearing Powder Blue (we love the Powder Blue uniforms)
• Not because Rick Sutcliffe (one of the best beards in baseball) was on the mound …
• Not because the Cubs beat the Expos 7-0

But because comedian Bill Murray was guest-announcing the game while Harry Caray was recovering from a stroke.  

You can imagine the fun Murray had with the umpires’ uniform shenanigans.  Especially the behemoth that was Eric Gregg.  

Roll the video …

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I enjoy the human element to baseball. 

The decisions the manager has to make.  The mental showdown between a pitcher and a slugger.  Sending a runner from third against a left fielder with a cannon arm.  Unique ballpark dimensions and quirks. The double switch.  A strike zone that varies by umpire. 

It’s what makes baseball different from a lot of sports.

But there’s one element of baseball which should be cut and dried.  Whether a ball clears the fence or not.  And after three umpire screw-ups this week … it’s time for replay for Home Run calls. 

On Sunday … this Carlos Delgado bomb hit the foul pole at Yankee Stadium – that’s a Home Run.  But the umpires called it foul.

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One of the best things about the movie Major League was Bob Uecker’s role as Harry Doyle, the world-weary and sarcastic radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians.

Some of Harry’s quotes from the movie have become part of baseball’s lexicon…

Juuust a bit outside …

Don’t worry, nobody is listening anyway.

Personally, I think we got hosed on that call.

Well, the PA announcer for the minor league Reno Silver Sox played that last one after a close call at first base the other night.

So the umpires threw him out of the park and shut down the Public Address system. His follow-up punishment (handed down by the Golden Baseball League) was to be the 3rd base umpire for an inning at a game on Friday June 8th.

Dave Stewart was right. Umpires are getting too full of themselves.

Even in the minor leagues.