There are blown calls by officials in sports, it happens all the time. Humans are prone to error, there's not much we can do about that. There will always be the human element in the officiating of sports, there isn't much we can to about that either. We can use instant replay, lasers, computers and all sorts of things to enhance the human element, but the human element will always remain.
People make mistakes in life, everyone does; I know I have. But when you screw up, society has evolved to the point where the offended party (person or entity) has garnered right to ‘open a can of whop-ass' on the offender. Society says that's ok.
That said it's important that when you are offended (inevitably we all are), you use your time wisely and effectively properly ‘opening a can of whop-ass' on the offender. To run out on the field and say, "oh shucks, gee willerkers ump that was a bad call. Please rethink your position on that one as I think you may have made an error in judgment" is not acceptable; no more so than not running out on the field to argue at all.
This post season, more than anything else will be remembered as the year of the blown calls. There have been so many God awful calls by umpires this post season, calls that make you scratch your (pick a part that itches) and wonder what the hell the umpire could have been thinking?
In the first two rounds: Phil Cuzzi's foul call on a drive by Joe Mauer that was fair by a foot, Jerry Meals' error on a ball that bounced off Chase Utley's leg, Dale Scott's miss on a pickoff and Tim McClelland's call on a tag play, among others.
Then, in game 2 of the World Series, with one out in the seventh and runners on first and second, Johnny Damon hit a smash to Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Umpire Brian Gorman, standing behind Howard, immediately threw his arm up to indicate the ball was caught in the air, but it had bounced into Howard's glove. Then in the eighth, with runners on first and second, the Phillies' Chase Utley was called out by Gorman on an inning-ending double play. Replays showed Utley was safe.
Not one time did I see the manager ‘open a can of whop-ass' on the umpire? Not one. They are way to understanding and polite. Look at Joe Girardi here, he's praying!
These managers and coaches just don't know how to argue anymore; Not like the good old days. Remember Earl Weaver? Billy Martin? Now there were two guys that could "open a can of whop-ass" on you. Lou Pinella has a knack for it, he learned from Martin, but he's no Weaver or Martin.
For those of you too young to remember Weaver, take a look here (turn down the sound if the kids are around) ....
There are a few Minor League guys that do ok. How about Joe Mikulik ....
or Phillip Wellamn .....
The bottom line is that you shouldn't be able to become a baseball manager at any professional level unless you are certified in arguing. At the very least they should make you watch the following Monty Python Sketch to know what NOT to do.
Hopefully, the next time the umpires blow a call in the World Series, the offended teams manager either Charlie Manuel or Joe Girardi go absolutely ‘ape-shit' on the umps and ‘open a can of whop-ass' on them.
Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around the Horn Baseball Blog and the Extra Point Football Blog.
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There are blown calls by officials in sports, it happens all the time. Humans are prone to error, there's not much we can do about that. There will always be the human element in the officiating of sports, there isn't much we can to about that either. We can use instant replay, lasers, computers and all sorts of things to enhance the human element, but the human element will always remain.
This post season, more than anything else will be remembered as the year of the blown calls. There have been so many God awful calls by umpires this post season, calls that make you scratch your (pick a part that itches) and wonder what the hell the umpire could have been thinking?
Not one time did I see the manager ‘open a can of whop-ass' on the umpire? Not one. They are way to understanding and polite. Look at Joe Girardi here, he's praying!
