Derek Jeter and the Umpire

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

As I said in a previous blog, along the same vein in my mind as the Braun issue, is the recent controversy surrounding Derek Jeter’s argument with the umpire in Monday’s game.

However, what I’ve taken issue to how ESPN has covered the event. For the record, the call was wrong, and Jeter was safe. I also do think replay is a good thing in all sports, and I am glad the MLB has jumped on the bandwagon.

However, I’m going to respectfully disagree with a lot of what was said. I’ve been a referee for three different sports: softball, soccer and wrestling. These are the three sports I’m most passionate about (replacing softball with baseball), and I have played all of them as well. I know how it feels to be on both ends of a judgment call, and how it feels to make that type of call.

In the age of replay, you can dissect a play a thousand times before you make a decision, once it’s on TV. However, in the heat of the moment, you don’t have that ability. You have to go with your gut. I’ve seen the replay of Jeter sliding in, and the ump was in the right position to make the call.

Relying solely on what your eyes and ears tell you, he made the right call. As the crew chief for that game even said—normally, if the ball beats the runner, he’s out. You look to see if his hand touches the bag before you hear the ball enter the glove—that’s how you make that call. In that split second, you are either right or wrong.

While I’ve never had any of my games analyzed by replay, I have made bad calls before. However, there’s nothing you can do. If someone argues it, you have to stand your ground. Half of being a referee is knowing the rule book well enough to defend a bad call, and the best referees know that.

Let’s not forget how hard it is to become a professional referee; these guys have to work almost as hard as the players do at their trade. They don’t, however, get paid millions of dollars to do it. The next time you’re at a ballpark, sit close enough to the field to see all the plays, then try to make the right call. I bet you can’t do it.

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