"I saw the strike zone," Reed said of the pitch to Green, referring to the telestrator box used on television replays. "That said it was a strike -- it was a pitch I thought was borderline. The catcher did a nice job of bringing it up, and that was a telling blow. If a catcher moves his glove, it's to improve the pitch.
"I called a [strike] earlier in the game that I thought was low, and I said, 'I'm not going to let that happen again.' I wish they were all waist-high. They'd be a lot easier to judge."
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize the strike zone included the catcher's glove. I've always thought there was a clearly defined strike zone measuring the width of the plate and between the knees and letters of a batter. Apparently, I've been mistaken this whole time, not realizing the strike zone was a three-dimensional box which includes the three feet separating the front of the plate from the catcher.
I also didn't realize that makeup calls are allowed. I always thought umpires were supposed to make impartial calls regardless of previous events in the game.
It's one thing to make a mistake. It's another to make a terrible call with the game on the line. But admitting that you look at the catcher's glove to decide whether a pitch is a ball or a strike? You have no right to continue umpiring in major league baseball games.
At this point, every catcher in the league needs to take a stand and start moving their gloves in random directions after every pitch. Take that element completely out of the equation.
You know what doesn't make bad calls? What doesn't make ridiculous makeup calls with the game on the line? What doesn't look at the catcher's glove three feet behind home plate?
Computers.
Instead of fining Mike Scioscia and Brian Fuentes and bitching in the media, Bud Selig needs to step back and READ what Reed said. And then he needs to fire him. I don't understand why fans still see terrible calls as "part of the game." PhiSlamma wrote a great piece over at HH. Read it.
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