The Third Team

[Frayed Knot]

A one-hour show on MLBN earlier tonight (and I'm sure on a regular basis in the near future as well) tracking the umpiring team throughout the 2012 World Series.
Basically the six man team was all miked up during the series so you hear some of the on-field conversations both between themselves and with the players and managers. They also have before and after game chatter in the dressing room with the brass as well as interviews with each of the six.

Reasonably entertaining even as it comes off as a bit of an in-house project done strictly for PR purposes by MLB. Even manages to humanize Joe West a bit (but only a bit).
West, Dan Iassogna, Brian O'Nora, Fieldin Culbreth, Brian Gorman, Gerry Davis was your crew.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Even manages to humanize Joe West a bit (but only a bit).

How? Did they start calling him "Country" Joe?
Humanizing West would be a tough job for Dr. Frankenstein.

Later

[bmfc1]

One of the umpires says that "this is the only job that you have to be perfect from the first day and get better at it." Too bad. They earn 6 figures for 6 months of work and get 2 weeks of vacation during the season (which means that minor league umps are used for major league games). If there's a doubleheader, the homeplate umpire in the 1st game gets the 2d game off (which is another time when minor league umps are used). I'm so sick of the umps whining about "having to be perfect" and showboating and most importantly, getting calls wrong.

The calls, balls and strikes, fair and four, safe or out, are necessary to the game, not the person making those judgments. I'm in favor of any and all technology to get every call right. Unfortunately, we have a Commissioner that refuses to act with any alacrity on anything so the greatest game is destined to utilize these prima donnas for many years to come.

[Frayed Knot]

bmfc1 wrote: I'm in favor of any and all technology to get every call right. Unfortunately, we have a Commissioner that refuses to act with any alacrity on anything so the greatest game is destined to utilize these prima donnas for many years to come.

In fairness to the umps, I don't think they're the ones fighting technology, they certainly weren't on its use in HRs calls.
Nor do I think the commish is against it. Granted Bud is a 'consensus' type of leader meaning he's not going to publicly endorse a change until he can work behind the scenes and get enough people to agree with it, but I believe what's holding further replay up is the lack of agreement on a workable system rather than Bud digging his heels in or pressure from the umps union.

[Edgy MD]

It's an MLB TV show in which they're asked about their careers. I wouldn't call that whining.

I don't think it reflects on them that a minor league ump appears. (Is a AAA ump, by and large, more prone to blowing calls than big league umps? I don't know.) If we want a higher standard of sub, train and pay more big league umps, and send them around with five man crews, with the extra guy rotating into the press box every fifth game and acting as official scorer and injury insurance.

[metsmarathon]

Edgy MD wrote: It's an MLB TV show in which they're asked about their careers. I wouldn't call that whining. I don't think it reflects on them that a minor league ump appears. (Is a AAA ump, by and large, more prone to blowing calls than big league umps? I don't know.) If we want a higher standard of sub, train and pay more big league umps, and send them around with five man crews, with the extra guy rotating into the press box every fifth game and acting as official scorer and injury insurance.

or hte spare guy could work the replay booth...

[bmfc1]

For another looks at MLB umpires, watch MLB Network's countdown of the Top 25 ejections of the year. It's a look at bad calls and umpires overreactions. The Mets are at #18, with Ike getting tossed after putting the tag on the runner on a pickoff throw and the ump missing it, and at #20 with TC getting tossed--the Mets were in Atlanta, the ump said that JV made a catch in LF and it lead to a DP but the umps met and overturned the call, putting runners on 2d and 3d. IIRC, TC was upset that they discussed this play but earlier in the week, the Mets were victimized by a bad call and the umps refused to meet or overturn the call.

[G-Fafif]

Enjoyed going behind the scenes with the umps despite the omnipresent Joe Torre needing to be on hand to sanctify their duties. Glad to know that the industry treats the World Series with reverence.