SamSaid!

Its all in the eye of the beholder

     It's the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, score tied, and the home team at bat. The count goes to 3 and 2 and the pitcher throws a hummer right at the outside corner of the plate. It either nicks the outside corner for a strike, or it misses by a whisker for a ball. Strike three, or ball four. One way, the game continues; the other way the game is over. The ump decides. His call.

    In baseball, disagreements over strikes and balls are almost a tradition. No game would be complete without them. Players nowadays have to be careful since they can be ejected from the game for arguing too strongly. But as much as umpires are maligned, their integrity isn't questioned. Judgment yes, Honesty, no. I guess it is always possible for Las Vegas gamblers to get to an umpire to call the critical pitches, “their way” but at this point, such an allegation hasn't even been made (at least to my knowledge).  

      Close judgment calls are made in many sports, including Olympic  ice skating. Now that the Russo-French skulduggery has been uncovered, the cloud of suspicion may spread far beyond Salt Lake City. Maybe the “insiders” know about  the dishonesty (preferences?) of judges, umpires, referees, etc, but to most of us, their impartiality is assumed and accepted. We really don't think of the outcome being “bought” before the first pitch, the kick off, or the first serve. The long range fallout of the Russian/French perfidy just raises a little doubt where there may have been none before.

     Was the pitch outside for ball four, or did it catch the corner? At 90 mph from 60 feet, the ump doesn't have much time to decide. His call.

     It is not that critical that the Canadians got their gold medals. It's more important that the Russkies and French got caught. Hang 'em out to dry!!