Completely foolish to act as though that was a terrible call and I can GUARANTEE you have missed even easier calls that that. Any of us that umpired have and that's okay because we are human.
Yeah, and you've seen me work so much. Everybody misses outside corner pitch calls. Everybody misses the really good curve, when you don't bend your back right. Everybody misses an occasional block charge.
I had a great friend who was a white hat in the original Big XII and spent a decade evaluating officials. He told me I ought to do a higher level of baseball, and do football. Never did much football, never officially. But he saw me work basketball. He said, "Randy, every call you make is like pass interference for us. You should call football." I didn't want to work the important games in cold cold weather.
But calling the bases in softball or baseball, is close to the easiest job in officiating. Maybe not including volleyball. And guys calling the WCWS games ought to get every out/safe call right. That play was not a hard call. Some are, especially if you're working with two or three. Bases in a two man crew can be a challenge. Worse, behind the plate when a shot is hit down the line and the sun is in your eyes.
Calling the plate is a whole different deal, especially if the catcher isn't good and the pitcher throws hard, but not great control. But calling "force plays" at first in a four man crew is about as easy as it gets in officiating. The only hard thing about it, is that there is no excuse for not getting it right. Replay could make you look bad if you screw it up. Rotating bases with bad throws on long hits to the outfield can test you a little. But a first base umpire calling a batter safe or out at first ought to be right 149 times out of 150. That wasn't a tough call. It's only tough if the slow mo isn't decisive. But the slow mo on that was clear. No doubter. I hope he doesn't get another game in the tournament. Though if the SEC teams both go home tomorrow, as is very possible, then maybe we'll get the real deal from him.
