The worst call I've ever seen

I just saw the worst call ever. I mean, the worst call that I've seen in all 28+ years of my life. With Manny on first and Ortiz on second, Mike Lowell singled to left field. Raul Ibanez fielded the ball in the gap and threw to third. Ortiz had already scored, and Manny was on his way to third, but for some reason - probably because he's Manny Ramirez - he didn't slide. Beltre caught the throw from Ibanez and tagged Manny on the helmet, but the ball popped out of his glove. He batted it up in the air with his bare hand, and then caught it in his glove after Manny's foot was on the base.

He should be safe. I mean, come on - he never had possession. It was an obvious call. Whoever the third base ump was screwed up royally.

The second worst call I've ever seen was Terry Francona bringing in Timlin in the bottom of the eighth with a 3-2 lead. Three hits and a sac fly later, it's 4-3 Mariners. I'm watching the game in my hotel in San Francisco - more on Safeco Field later if I have time.

An Interesting Call

Another call I'm not sure I've ever seen before. With a tie score and 2 outs in the 9th, Johnny Damon took off for second base trying to steal the bag. The throw beat him and the umpire called him out and then very quickly and correctly changed the call to safe. As Brian Roberts held up his glove to say he got him, Johnny Damon blew Roberts' cover by pointing to the ball on the ground.

Damon actually kicked the ball out of the glove on the slide. The safe call was correct.

However, the official scorer did not give Damon a stolen base, but gave him a caught stealing and an error on Roberts.

I can't recall any other situation, when a guy tried to steal second, was safe, and got a caught stealing on his record.

Jeter followed up by delivering a go-ahead single as the Yankees now head into the bottom of the 9th with a 6-5 lead. Which is even more important now that the Red Sox just won with a 9th inning comeback.

Oh, how I wish Rivera was available right now.

Tim Tschida at it Again

I've thought for at least a decade now that Tim Tschida is the worst umpire in all of baseball. I never see a game that he's an umpire that he doesn't pull off making a horrbile call. I've been watching the Mets game for the past 15 minutes, and he's at it again.

Evidently, earlier in the game, Tschida messed up a home run call, but I haven't seen that yet.

What I saw was Duanar Sanchez give up back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning to blow the Mets 4-run lead. With the game tied at 8, and 1 out in the bottom of the 8th, Sanchez hits the next Brewer batter in the back (not near his head). Tschida immediately ejects him from the game. No warnings had been issued earlier, so if he thought it was intentional, he could have just issued a warning. But it wasn't intentional. The pitch got away. No pitcher in the Majors would intentionally throw at a batter in the 8th inning in a tie ballgame. Nobody.

Not surprisingly Willie Randolph would get ejected as well.

Another horrible call by Tschida. He is baseball's worst umpire.

How Bad is the Umpiring???

I've never seen this before, but it today's Yankees-Blue Jays game, both managers have gotten thrown out for arguing balls and strikes. All the calls were going against the Yankees, and Torre got thrown out. Then the umpire starting making up for it and Gibbons got thrown out.

The home plate umpire in this game, this is his first time umpiring behind home plate at Yankee Stadium.