Heading into the ninth inning of Monday’s game with the Seattle Mariners, the Washington Nationals trailed 8-3. They scored once, however, and even loaded the bases, with Jeimer Candelario representing the tying run. Candelario, though, struck out.
The third strike call from home plate umpire Mark Carlson was, at best, questionable.
While Seattle reliever Paul Sewald fell behind Candelario with a ball on the first pitch, his next two pitches found the strike zone. Then, Sewald delivered a 1-2 pitch that was potentially low and certainly outside. Carlson, though, rang Candelario up to end the game.
"Strike 3 called — if you say so. And the Mariners win it." pic.twitter.com/MIQDpolsBe
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 27, 2023
As the graphic showed, the ball was on the low end of the strike zone, but would have and should have been called a strike — if only the ball was over the plate. But it wasn’t over the plate and it wasn’t close.
While plays on the bases can be challenged, balls and strikes can’t. And even though Minor League Baseball’s use of the Automatic Ball-Strike system has been successful, Major League Baseball does not use it and according to commissioner Rob Manfred, won’t in 2024.
But while robot umps may not be coming in 2024, plenty of fans are calling for them.
Plz bring the robots. https://t.co/b4PhbRRfgz
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) June 27, 2023
My goodness what a bad call. https://t.co/dyKvGkNUPj
— Ali Thanawalla (@Ali_Thanawalla) June 27, 2023
We'll take it, but Nationals fans must be screaming at their televisions right now. #Mariners
— Shawn Garrett (@ShawnGarrett) June 27, 2023
Oof, that last strike three call to Candelario …
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) June 27, 2023
— Ben Ross (@BenRossTweets) June 27, 2023
Somebody fire up Davey’s laser printer https://t.co/Hmm8L1XcOs
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 27, 2023
The umpires must be stopped. https://t.co/4VJQQaegXL
— Red Reporter (@redreporter) June 27, 2023
Perhaps home plate ump, Mark Carlson, had a dinner reservation.
This feels like the kind of call that will lead to someone on Washington getting ejected when the lineup cards are exchanged before Tuesday's game. https://t.co/XHFnAvDv34
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) June 27, 2023
Unacceptably bad from this home plate ump. The kind of stuff that will help bring in the robots. https://t.co/0PeXjPIZEM
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) June 27, 2023
It would be bad enough for a call like this to end a blowout, it’s even worse when the hitter striking out is the tying run.
Now, it’s easy to say that everyone on the field makes mistakes. Pitchers hang curveballs. Hitters sometimes swing right over those curveballs. If those guys can make mistakes, umpires should be entitled to make mistakes, too, right?
Well, there are two problems with that argument.
One, if players make enough mistakes, they’re generally not in MLB for a long time. The fact that Joe West umpired more games than anyone in history shows that doesn’t seem to apply to umpires. Two, a player’s mistake hurts him and his team. Not the umpire. Conversely, a bad call from an umpire hurts the players and teams.
If umpires and MLB executives want the calls for robot umpires to end, calls like this can’t happen, especially to end games.
[Photo Credit: Root Sports Northwest]
