Same old shit

Some of you may remember the post-season of 2009, where baseball's umpires decided that accuracy wasn't exactly needed for that time of year. Remember when Tim McClelland made this bizarro call? Be that as it may, bad calls happen...even if you'd like to think these are the best guys out there. But what about when umpires decide to change the rules of the game?

I'm guessing you didn't watch last night's Dodgers/Reds game, and I certainly don't blame you. But in the 4th inning, Andre Ethier made a questionable catch with 2 out and the bases loaded. On the fly it looked close...certainly not a clean catch. Usually in that circumstance, the batter would be ruled a hit, in the same vein as tie goes to the runner. But, first base umpire (uh oh) Tim McClelland called him out. (An umpire who said, after the replay of one of his horseshit calls from last year's playoffs, "I'm not sure I believe the replay.") Oh well, life sucks for Reds fans...again.

Renowned thinker Dusty Baker lumbered out of the dugout to protest the call, showing a rare moment in good judgement. So, McClelland brings the other umpires together and reverses the call, awarding Aaron Harang a single. Why only a single? Why not a double? Where do the runners go? Well, the umpires decide all this on the fly.

I have not watched all baseball games every year of my life, but I know enough about the game that umpires can't do that. Steve Lyons, who provided "color" for the game in-between visits to the tanning salon, agreed. Now, this guy played pro ball and hasn't seen that.

After the game, McClelland had poop falling out of his mouth when he said the following:

"I called him out. We got together. Through consultation we determined that he didn't catch the ball. We got a directive that says we can place runners where we thought they would have been had the call been called accurately the first time. We put the runners at the bases."

Interesting story. A friend of mine so happens to have the official MLB rulebook Quote:
9.02 (A) - Any umpire’s decision which involves judgment, such as, but not limited to, whether a batted ball is fair or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out, is final. No player, manager, coach or substitute shall object to any such judgment decisions.

but yet...

9.04 (c) If different decisions should be made on one play by different umpires, the umpire-in-chief shall call all the umpires into consultation, with no manager or player present. After consultation, the umpire-in-chief (unless another umpire may have been designated by the league president) shall determine which decision shall prevail, based on which umpire was in best position and which decision was most likely correct. Play shall proceed as if only the final decision had been made.

Problem: Two different umpires didn't make a call on the play. Only McClelland made a call.

So...oops, you fucked up. Right, Tim? I mean, had Vin called the game, he would have talked of "how the umpires are mired in a rhubarb." The LA Times recap barely mentioned it, but the AP report at least interviewed you. Anything, Tim? Another game where you "do the best you can"? That's not good enough.

I think we should remember that name.