Tag: missed calls

Weird replay loophole handed the Braves a double play after the umps blatantly missed the call

Do better, MLB.

There must be something about Braves-Brewers games that brings out the worst in MLB’s broken replay system because it happened again on Monday.

You may remember back during the 2021 National League Division Series when the Brewers pulled off a tip-drill catch in foul territory to retire Adam Duvall in Game 4. As incredible as that catch was, it became awfully clear that the ball hit the ground. The play, though, wasn’t reviewable because MLB’s terrible replay system only allows reviews for trap/catch situations in the outfield — not the infield.

Well, on Monday, we saw a similar scenario go the Braves’ way on an inexcusable missed call by the umpires.

The 10 worst strikeout calls of the 2021 MLB season make an undeniable case for robot umps

This can’t continue, MLB.

It is by no means an easy job to be a big-league umpire. In an era where Major League pitchers are throwing harder and with more movement than ever before, the task of calling balls and strikes consistently with any accuracy is beyond difficult.

And all that makes MLB’s refusal to embrace technology and institute an automated strike zone all the more puzzling. The technology is available to make the correct calls behind the plate. It’s even being tested in the minor leagues, but Major League Baseball likely remains years away from a serious conversation about robot umps.

In the meantime, baseball fans are stuck with mediocrity, and frankly, it impacts games.

Advanced data analytics firm Aimpoint Digital set out to show just how bad the umpiring has been in Major League Baseball this season and analyzed nearly 710,000 pitches from 2021. The study showed that some umpires particularly struggled in the most important moments of games (2 outs, runners in scoring position or games within three runs). Jerry Layne and Mike Muchlinski performed the worst this season and got worse as the season continued. Angel Hernandez astonishingly avoided the bottom 10.

The study also broke down bad umpiring into specific missed calls, and that’s where we were able to see the 10 worst strikeout calls from the regular season. Buckle up because it gets really bad.

The Yankees broadcast was baffled after the umpire called a ball on a pitch right down the middle

Make it stop, MLB.

I will be the first to admit that Major League umpires have a difficult job, especially when it comes to working behind the plate. They have to call balls and strikes on pitches that are coming in faster and with more movement than ever before.

It isn’t easy.

And that’s exactly why Major League Baseball needs to stop leaving the strike zone up to humans who are clearly not up for the challenge. The mistakes keep happening, and they’re seemingly worse by the game.

During Sunday’s game between the Yankees and Astros — which also had some cheating-themed trolling — home plate umpire John Bacon called a ball on middle-middle breaking ball that should have ended the sixth inning.