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Umpire's Call Is Defended By MLB
White Sox first base coach Tim Raines, left, keeps A.J. Pierzynski at first amid the turmoil after a controversial call in the ninth Wednesday.
(By Charles Rex Arbogast -- Associated Press)
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"You should do it if you don't want problems," he said.
Evans stressed that he did not want to appear to be commenting on Eddings directly because he didn't want to judge a fellow umpire. But when asked what he tells his students to do when a batter swings and misses at a ball in the dirt, he said he tells them to make a definitive verbal call.
"It becomes a little confusing there," he said. "There are only two people in the ballpark who had their backs to the umpire and that's the catcher and the batter. Your signaling is important -- both physical and verbal. You've got to make your signs clear on the field."
Port, who took charge of baseball's umpires this summer, said he would be in favor of discussing a uniform system for calling third strikes. But Port said Paul was also partially responsible for not assuring that the third out was made.
"Ultimately it goes back to the player and the catcher," Port said. "He has three different ways to seal the deal, so to speak. He could ask the umpire, tag the runner or throw down to first base."
The White Sox were still a little stunned Thursday at how they won the game but seemed delighted nonetheless. They laughed that it was the irksome Pierzynski who was in the middle of the play because it seems he is always in the center of controversy.
His backup, Chris Widger, expressed sympathy for Eddings in part because it was such an awkward play.
"I hope we don't see something like that again," he said.
It was sympathy the former umpire apparently did not share. Complaining that Eddings was on the postseason umpiring team because of "politics," he said the umpire was "not ready" for such a key assignment and panicked.
"If he had sold the call better and come up and said 'you're out, you're out,' we wouldn't be talking today," he said.
Umpires are selected for postseason duty by MLB umpiring officials based on merit. They are evaluated over the course of the season using a variety of methods, including QuesTec, an electronic grading system, and other methods.
Eddings will work the right field line during Game 3 here Friday night, where he'll be close to the normally good-natured Anaheim fans. What kind of reception he'll receive remains to be seen.
"I feel sorry for the ump. I feel sorry for Josh. I feel sorry for me. I feel sorry for Crede. I feel sorry for everybody," Pierzynski told the Associated Press Thursday.
"I feel sorry that it happened. And I feel sorry that it's turned into such a national story, because there are so many other good things that came out of the game last night that people should be talking about.
"Instead, they're talking about a weird play that never happens."
