Look In The Mirror, Joe (If You Can Find One Big Enough)

Before yesterday's Red Sox-Yankees game, umpire Joe West lashed out at the games the Sox and Yankees play, saying they were "a disgrace to baseball" and "pathetic and embarrassing" because they take so long to play.

Boy, a guy from his profession calling anyone "pathetic and embarrassing." Now that's pathetic.

The state of umpiring in MLB is an outright disaster. There are too many umps who have no business being in the majors. It's the worst I've ever seen it in all of my time as a baseball fan. Sure, the Sox and Yankees play long games. They take a lot of pitches, there's tons of pitching changes, etc. There always seems to be a lot on the line no matter when these two teams take the field.

Did you see Angel Hernandez, who is the worst umpire I've ever seen and shouldn't even be umping Little League games, not grant a number of players on both teams time last night at Fenway? It's MLB's way of speeding up games. Another joke. MLB could easily speed up games by calling higher strikes, if most of these pathetic umps had any clue what the real strike zone looked like. Call higher strikes, players will know they can't take those pitches, and the games will move quicker.

And MLB allows the TV networks too much in-between innings, especially during the playoffs. Why do you think most postseason games run nearly four hours, even if it's not a Red Sox-Yankees game?

West has his nerve. Too many umps have hidden agendas, huge egos and are just outright incompetent. Get some better umpires, especially those who know the strike zone, and the games will move along better. And of course, you can't criticize them if you are associated with an MLB team, otherwise you'll be fined. But West can say what he likes. What's wrong with this picture?

Yep, you can rip the President of the United States, but say something negative about Joe West and the Incompetent Boys in Blue, and your wallet will feel it.