Umpire Phil Cuzzi Blows Call in Yankees-Twins ALDS Game
Should Instant Replay Cover More Than Just Disputed Home Runs?
More About The Blown Call of Umpire Phil Cuzzi and Instant Replay
Joe Mauer would eventually get a single from that at bat, and the next two Twins batters would single in the 11th inning. But the Yankees got out of the bases loaded, no one out jam unscathed and would win on a Mark Teixeira home run in the bottom half of the inning. I've heard commentators following the game say that if the call hadn't been blown by umpire Phil Cuzzi, the Twins would've scored at least one run. I really get tired of that kind of thinking. First, who knows what would've happened had Mauer had been credited with a double or if instant reply had been in place to overturn the bad call. Would the pitch selection been different to the next batter? Would the next batter up had a different mindset knowing that someone was on second rather than first which would've affected his performance? When something happens in life, it affects the future moments. You can't use what ensued from a certain moment in sports and say that those same ensuing moments would've occurred had something different happened. To say the Twins would've scored is mere speculation.
As for instant replay, it does seem like a good idea on the kinds of disputed calls like this one where Phil Cuzzi blew it, but how far should instant replay be taken is the question people should ponder carefully. Should it also cover disputed balls and strikes, too? Calling a pitch a ball or strike can have just as much an effect on a game as a disputed home run or double. Should there be a limit to how many calls a manager can dispute in a game like there is in the NFL for head coaches? If a manager isn't allowed an unlimited amount of instant replay challenges, what happens if there's a lot of blown calls in a game? Human error is going to always be a part of the game (such as with the blown call of umpire Phil Cuzzi) no matter how much rectifying is possible via instant replay reviews.
Sources:
Yankees steal 2-0 lead over Twins after A-Rod ties game in 9th inning: http://www.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=291009110, October 9, 2009, Associated Press (appearing at ESPN.com)
Published by Roy A. Barnes - Featured Contributor in Politics
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14 Comments
Post a CommentAs a Twins fan, I am not going to argue whether the Twins would have won or lost either way, although I do think they would have had a better chance had that been better called by the Ump.
But what I am going to say, is who "umps" the umps? I mean, team players can make mistakes, cost games, get fined, traded, sent back to the minors, et al...but the umps have ZERO accountability. They can make bad calls that literally cost games, teams and markets, yet they don't pay fines for obvious errors. I believe in reasonable disagreements on many calls but that call was so bad either Cuzzi is bought off, pro sports in general is fixed, either way, the umps have no accountability. I'd like to see Holder investigate this...oh wait, we need a Baseball Czar!
The quesrion is not ahould instant replay be used but to make sure the umpires are not on the take. I have been following baseball for 70 years and have noticed more and more blown calls%252C A team plays 162 games and one blown call cost them the season. You really think that one NBA ref is the only crooked official%253F
Cuzzi was paid off to make a bad call. If he was not paid off he had some motive to make a bad call against the twins to ensure a win by the yanks.
Where is Serena Williams?
Sports conversations always get spirited, you provoked the fans with this essay.
The simple fact is Phil Cuzzi was brought in to do a specific job and he failed miserably at that job. It doesn't matter what the Twins did or didn't during the game or if the blown call cost them the game. MLB brings in left-field and right-field umpires in the postseason to judge fair-foul calls down the line and he failed at his job from 20' feet away with a clear view of the play.
Yep, that call was ridiculously bad, and, yup, Phil Cuzzi is a North Jersey resident, and, yup, that is his ONLY JOB - he's not a third base ump trying to get a read on a play 150 feet away from him. It was a horrendous call and it cost the Twins dearly. Really a shame as he was staring DIRECTLY at it. Can't wait 'til he umps a game at Target Field next year. Friggin Yankees plant... what a shame for MLB. Remember how Selig tried to contract the Twins too? hmmm......
The Minnesota Twins left 17 men on base in that game, right? What about the base running error earlier in the game by Gomez at 2nd which cost the Twins a run? You can't blame that on Phil Cuzzi. Most of the time, it's the teams themselves who don't execute or shoot themselves in the foot that determines the winner and loser.
Or maybe the twins go on to have a 7 run rally in that inning if the call is made correctly. maybe young's sharp liner to first gets thru because theirs no runner on first and tex is in a diff spot defensively. theres a million scenarios that could have happened - but it doesnt matter and thats not the point. the umpire did not do his job, THE ONE AND ONLY JOB HE HAD ALL GAME, and the players of the twins were punished for it. the call was so bad that i cant help but entertain conspiracy theories (heck if donaghy and stern can do it, why not selig and cuzzi?) as a twins fan, it was the most painful game ive ever had to watch slip away in my life. it hurt that much more that it was to the team that represents the antithesis of the Twins and what baseball is about (not outspending your opponents and lobbying to keep salary caps out of the game). sad day for the twins, baseball and all of its TRUE fans (ie. not yankees fans).
Sean, you are 100% correct. Saying the Twins wouldn't have scored Mauer had he been on 2B is ridiculous. Not only that, but did you notice how Blackburn's strike zone got much smaller once the Twins had the lead? I'm not usually one of the conspiracy people, because I realize baseball leaves room for human error, but one can't help but think the Yankees are really ensuring they take this series any way possible.
That call was absolutely ridiculous; you would HAVE to purposely miss it. What an embarrassment to baseball, umpires, and most importantly, Phil Cuzzi.