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Several weeks worth of blown calls by its umpires has prompted Major League Baseball to make a switch in the way it staffs its signature event. Rather than use at least one umpire who has never worked a World Series -- something it has done in 24 of the last 25 seasons -- MLB's crew will be composed entirely of umps with previous experience in the Fall Classic.Crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis will work the World Series, which opens next Wednesday in either New York or Anaheim, along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson and Mike Everitt.
MLB normally draws from the pool of 24 umpires that worked in the Division Series for the World Series (umpires can not work two consecutive rounds of the postseason), and C.B. Bucknor, who missed two high-profile calls in Game 1 of the Red Sox-Angels ALDS, was in line to work the Fall Classic this year until the switch.
The series of controversial calls by the men in blue -- most notably Phil Cuzzi's incorrect foul call in Game 2 of the ALDS in New York and the double play Tim McClelland missed in Game 4 of the ALCS -- has intensified the cries for expanded instant replay.
Currently, Major League Baseball only uses replays on boundary calls (home runs).
Implementing expanded replay at this stage in the season is obviously not realistic, leaving MLB to respond to the sharpened scrutiny in the best way it can, by going the best umpires at its disposal rather than breaking in inexperienced ones.
That may not solve all of its problems. An experienced crew doesn't guarantee fewer (or no) blown calls; McClelland is widely considered one of the game's best umpires and he was at the center of one of the biggest controversies during this postseason. And it doesn't answer the exhortations for further replay or even begin to decipher how such a system would work without disrupting the sport's rhythm.
But it is something, Give credit to MLB for recognizing a problem and doing the best it can in the situation.
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