There has been a lot of criticism of umpires in Major League Baseball for decades, however, it seems with the advent of video replay, social media, and now the ABS System, the criticism has become more common and justified.

There have always been umpires whom the fans, players or coaches, thought were just terrible. I remember as a kid in the 1970s, umpires like Ron Luciano, Don Denkinger and Eric Gregg were often criticized for their flashy and flamboyant way of calling outs and their quick trigger for ejecting players or managers.

Luciano would make a flashy out call with his finger shooting like a gun, to then have to reverse the call when the ball was dropped by the fielder. Luciano had an ongoing feud with Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver for the duration of their careers.

Denkinger was known for his aggressive style and frequent ejections. He had a reputation for being quick to toss a player, which often led to heated confrontations with managers and then ejecting the manager.

Gregg was highly criticized for his large strike zone when working the plate, and had frequent run-ins with fiery managers like Tommy Lasorda, Dallas Green and Bobby Cox. Ironically, while attending a game in Montreal in the mid-1980s, I was invited to meet the umpires in their dressing room prior to the game. The crew included legendary umpires, Doug Harvey, Dick Stello, Gerry Davis, and Gregg.

In more recent years, umpires that have earned a reputation for being bad at what they do include Angel Hernandez (who accepted an early retirement package from MLB earlier this year), CB Bucknor (who also accepted a buyout from MLB to retire at the end of this season), Laz Diaz, and Doug Eddings.

Last week, Eddings, who has long been criticized for his inconsistency behind the plate, got himself into a real mess. In the sixth inning of Friday’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies, and in the middle of an at-bat, Eddings (the plate umpire) instructed Cardinals’ rookie pitcher Hancel Rincón to adjust his cap, which was worn with the bill off to one side. Rincón, who was making his MLB debut, complied with the request, though he later said he didn’t understand why he was asked to do so.

St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol took issue with the umpire’s request and argued with the umpire in a heated exchange during a pitching change. The situation escalated and Marmol was ejected from the game, and as the 2:15 pitching change clock expired during the argument, Eddings issued to the Cardinals a clock violation which only intensified the consternation of the Cardinals.

The tension continued later in the game when Eddings called a Rockies runner safe at home plate, when it appeared he was out, but the Cardinals couldn’t ask for a review because they were out of challenges.

The criticism of Eddings in the media and on social media has pointed to the notion that he is on a power trip and that has permeated umpires across the league with few exceptions. Major League Baseball has not issued any statement regarding Eddings performance in that game, but you can be sure he will continue to be under the microscope of the teams and fans the rest of the season.

MY VIEWPOINT

I was an umpire for over 35 years. No, I never umpired minor league or major league baseball, but I worked hundreds of games from youth level through high school, including several competitive tournaments and World Series tournaments.

I never went out on the field thinking I was the star of the game or that I knew everything and would make correct calls 100-percent of the time. In fact, if I knew I missed a call, it was a lot easier to defuse a situation with a manager if I just admitted I was wrong. They would appreciate that more than me trying to stand my ground.

When put in those situations, you have to be judicial in your approach to the game and to the errors you may make as an umpire. I learned that at an early age and it served me well throughout my umpire career.

I never threw out a manager or coach, although some may have deserved it. I only threw out one player in all those years, but that was because of a rule violation. The batter released his bat in a way that almost hit the catcher and me. After issuing him a warning, he did it again his next time up and hit the catcher, so I had to eject him.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. This week, my guests will be Jason Suitt, director of the Tulsa Sports Commission, and Tracy Trost from Mercy Ships. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.