Major League Baseball

Worst umpire calls in the MLB playoffs

Published Oct. 10, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

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When surveying what's unfolded thus far in the 2010 postseason, you might not immediately think of Roy Halladay's brilliance or Rick Ankiel's redemption. Chances are, you'll think of the umpiring.

Needless to say, this is not a good thing. Umpires have a tough job, to be sure, but this October we've seen some galling examples of incompetence, and some of those might just wind up altering the already winding course to the championship.

So, in descending order of foul-smelling importance, here are the worst of the worst.

6. Yankees-Twins, Game 1, ninth inning, two outs

Yankee right fielder Greg Golson makes the game-ending, shoestring catch, but the umps — even after a brief committee meeting between Greg Gibson and Hunter Wendelstedt (remember him?) — ruled it was a trap. It wasn't. In fact, Golson snagged Delmon Young's bloop, and the game should've been over. Lucky for the men in blue (and the men in pinstripes), Mariano Rivera retired Jim Thome, who represented the tying run, and the Yanks took Game 1.

5. Rays-Rangers, Game 1, first inning, one out

Carlos Pena's up with one out and the bases loaded. Rangers ace Cliff Lee is on the ropes in the first inning. The 2-1 pitch from Lee sails inside and appears to nick Pena on the hand. Pena — and later, manager Joe Maddon — insists that pitch hit him, but home plate umpire Tim Welke (perhaps because of a lack of theatrics on Pena's part) calls it a foul ball. Instead of forcing in a run and changing the complexion of the inning, Pena eventually struck out looking, then Lee retired Rocco Baldelli on three pitches to escape without surrendering a run. The Rangers, of course, went on to win the game 5-1.

4. Rays-Rangers, Game 2, fifth inning, one out

The replays suggest (strongly) that Michael Young's checked swing wasn't all that checked. So, instead of a swinging third strike, umps ruled it a ball. The next swing wasn't even a little bit checked — Young launched a three-run bomb that put the Rangers up 5-0 and probably buried the Rays for good. After this critical call, the Tropicana Field fans rained down chants of “Replay!” To be fair, though, the Rangers had a 2-0 lead and a 77 percent chance of winning the game even before Young's blast.

3. Braves-Giants, Game 3, ninth inning, no outs

After a gut-wrenching top half of the ninth, the Braves had three outs to make something happen. Unfortunately, home plate ump Paul Emmel might not have given a fair shake to Jason Heyward, who led off the home half and represented the tying run. The patient Heyward watched five pitches go by him and, according to replay, only one was a strike. Instead of working a leadoff walk, Heyward was punched out on a fastball that was several inches off the plate. The Braves proceeded to go down in order and lose a critical Game 3.

2. Yankees-Twins, Game 2, seventh inning, one out

Twins starter Carl Pavano delivers a fastball to Lance Berkman, who takes it for an apparent — no, make that obvious — strike three. However, home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt inexplicably calls it a ball. On the next pitch, Berkman doubles to deep left center. Posada scores from first, and the Yankees lead 3-2. It's a lead they'd never relinquish, and now the Twins are headed to the Bronx on the brink of elimination.

1. Braves-Giants, Game 1, fourth inning, no outs

It should've been a nifty “strike 'em out, throw 'em out” combo for the Braves. Instead, nanoseconds after Pat Burrell whiffed, Giants catcher Buster Posey was called safe at second base and thus credited with his first career steal. The replays, however, show he was plainly out on Brooks Conrad's swipe tag. The rub: One out later, Cody Ross singled to left and Posey scored what would prove to be the game's only run. Posey's comments after the game? “I'm glad there's no instant replay.” Indeed, he — and the Giants — should be.

And now fans are left wondering — fearing — what could possibly be next. Chances are, it'll be something.

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